Haiphong, 7th July.
After many dark prophecies and false alarms from Annamite sources, we have at last had a genuine cause for some alarm in Haiphong, and have received a proof that the natives had some found: for their dismal forebodinge as to the safety of the town, ovoryono was suddenly awakened. from At about midnight on the 4th instant,
their peaceful slumbers by the continued firing of the advanced piequets on the outelicte of the town, and the terrific yells of several detachments of Annai who were advancing to the attack. the night was dark, there being no moon, and a scene of great confusion and consued, as for some time it to arrive at any correct tack was made at three the central one being only some five hundred yards from the back of the main stroots of the town, outside the is of the Concession. The house which I am lodging is situated i street, being the last house in this dirootion inhabited by Kueopeans. Ie decided by all the inmates of the house that it was advisable to beat a retreat within the bounds of the Concession un of the creek, but whether by friend or foo it would be hard to say. The house of the Yuen Fat Hong is situated just opite, and we hoard afterwards that they juropsan, residing in ® house adjoining the Chinese establishments, were attacked, but had beaten off their assailts, of whom they believed they had fusillade was continued round the semicircle of outposts for about an hour, when the attacking force were repulsed. They retreated by the upper end of the town in a south westerly direction, where, about 4 miles inland, is situated a rocky elevation called Mount Elephant, which i known to, be one of their strongholds. Before leaving us, however, they succeeded in setting fice to_a wooden out station or block-house at the extreme limit of the town, and this, communicating with some native houses, and a junk in the creek, caused a considerable conflagration. Ao: companied by one of my fellow-lodgera I returned to our domicile shortly after
of the native houses beyond our residence found that all the inhabitants had left their habitations and sought safety within the bounds of the Concession nearly all of them, however, returned at daylight. ARS a the darkness it was impossible to make @ correa! estimate of ig uuimber of our' Annamnite assailants, bit it is got erally believed that there were about four' or five hundeéd, probably rather under than over that number, engaged:' Several' spears, military hats, and a sword were found' in the fields just outside the town eir the following morning, from'which it was concluded that a portion of the force were regular Annamite soldiers, nionted by bands of brigands and th They wore provided with some rough pieces of artillery of a not very dangerous natur Judging from the shots fired by our as: aailauts only -a small proportion of then could have carried fire arms.
The morning of the Sth broke with violent thunderstorm and heavy rain, and oven had the weather been favourable no idea was entertained by the Commandant of following up the enemy, as the force at his command only numbers about 300 men all told, b ivilini i habitants of Haiphong who are enroll asa kind of gendarmerie, principal! the defence of their own homes an property.
It was belived that the Annamites must have loot about a dozen mon in the attack, but as they retired leisurely and wore able to carey off their dead and wounded it is quite impossible to say how many were killed, There was but one casualty on the side of the garrison, and that was a wound in the hand, the result of an accident, to one of During the 6th rumours wore rife that the attack would be renewed that night and that the Annamites had received a grow addition to their strength and sev autions wore, therefore, tak the expected attack, Your repr his fellow-lodgers were advised to go inside the Concession for the night, as in the event of the Annamites getting into the town we should be placed in the unau ble position of being between two fires. Onoofimy companions, a gentleman recently arrived from Quinhon, and myself camped out in the dining-room of the Hotel, and, armed with a double-barrelled yun and a revolver apiece formed a most formidable garrison. Everybody's house was put into siege trim and almost every door was cloned by 9 o'clock.
The night, however, passed without the expected raid taking place; but althouyl so far fortunate in escaping another fom the savages, it is believed to be only postponed, as information lias been received from good das soon as they th, A Ga to the Commandant, Captain Morel Beauliou, of the Frouch Navy, for a small detachment of man to be granted them at night as @ protection in case of another attack being made, but they were informed that no men could be spared, Yesterday morning a' custom-house ficial had occasion to go to a house situated on the opposite side of the river to collect a sum of money. On his
him across he gave a bag, containing $60, way back to the boat which, had taka which he had received, to his dog ta ce, when he was suddenly set upon by twe Annamites, one of whom seized him by the throat while the other attempted to take the bag of dollars from the dog. Neither of the rascals appear to have and M, Rach succeeded in beating off his assailants, who were afterwards caught by some boatmen in the Customs' employ. "At the examina tion of the prisoners which took place later in the day, evidence was brought forward to show ti we men had planned the attack, having discovered that the object of BL.' Rochds visit to that locality was to receive a sum of money. The Conrt-Martial, by which th-y were tried at once sentenced them to death, and this summary judgment, considered peceseary aa-9
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.