Wo translate the following from the Saigon Indépendant of the 4th instant Preparations are continued for th tacka on Baouinh and Sontay. Admiral Courbet has made various reconnaissances in order to ascertain the strength and the positions of the Chinese, In the direction of Sontay the reconnaissance was conducted by the Admiral in person and was made by water. The gunboat advanced to with: in four kilometres of Sontay and ex-the one side or the other, The garrison of Sontay is estimated to number ton or fifteen thousand m On the Bacninh side two reconnaissances have boon made, but were not pushed within a distance of eight kilometres from the town. These reconnaissances were made from different directions, one by the Hanoi-Bacninh route and the other by amall Bacninh river, which debouches at Thai to the town, atrong with amy's positions and fell back in good order.
According to such advices as it has been possible to get from the town of Bacninh, the walls have been repaired and the place is defended by excellent artillery, ing of the best Krupp guns obtainable from the Chinese arsenals. he artillery posts are rendered bullet-proof by works ist which only siege and mari lery could effectively operate, Outai first enclosure are four others, the defences of which are carefully planed and well supplied with everything which the art of war could suggest in order to make the approaches of the town difficult. It is said that these outer lines of defen flanked by a certain number of blind forts and casemates which will be difficult to take otherwise than by assault. The g risen camp! t least 15,000 an perfectly equi disciplined, wonderful to relate, they do not rob the neighbouring popular tion,—Daily Press.
It would be disastrous if such a ned, us there are only four troops loft at Hanoi, and that ight therefore readily fall into the hands of a large Chinese force. The situa tion is curious and not too assured. Will the French advance on Bacninh now, or merely try to subdue Sontay, and wait for reinforcements so storm the stronghold at The Pross Correspondents were not, I Lear, allowed to follow. the expedition to, sontay. though a little
Maiphong, 13th December.
Press Cor. to be going on
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.