The Courrier d'Haiphong publishes an account of the attack by pirates on Mong-kai and Hakoi, from which it ap) that only a portion of the French Delimitation Commission was present at the time. The account, which is not very clear, is as follows?
Mong-kai is an important Chinese market town situated at the confluence of the Song-Thack-Mang and the Hai-nine canal, the two streams constituting the boundary j between China and Tongking. On the other side is the Chinese village of Thoungus Hin. At low tide there is dry land between this place and Mong-kai, but at high tide considerable depth of water separates them.
To the south of Mong-kai and at a distance of about 700 mitres is the Village of Hai-nine. The citadel is situated to the east of this at a distance of 100 metres. The southwest angle of the citadel is connected by a covered way with a hillock 28 metres high which dominates the whole district. At the top of this hillock a blockhouse was in construction, and the Chancellor and the Chef de Poste were to have had their quarters there.
The Franco-Chinese Frontier Delimitation Commission was to have met at Mong-kai. M. Haitce, a member of the Commission, had been sent there by the President to await His Excellency Teng, Presi-dont of the Chinese Commission. He was accompanied by Lieut. Bohin, who was attached to the Commission as topografad no suspicion of the inhabitants, the phical officer. _M. Haitce and M. Bohin
district being apparently quite tranquil, and they took up their quarters in one of the houses reserved for the Commission. On the 28th November Lieut. Bohin left with afew men to make a topographical examination of the frontier district near Cape Pack-lung.
The citadel of Hai-nine was at this time occupied by M. Perrin, Residency clerk, and M. Ferlay, in charge of the Engineer department, with a score of chasseurs and tuilitiamen, M. Haitce had seven or eight men with him at Mong-kai.
On the night of the 24th the citadel was attacked by Chinese pirates. Shortly afterwards the house occupied by M. Haitce was also attacked, and towards morning 'M. Haitce had to leave it to seck refuge in the citadel. On the way he met M. Perrin, who was coming to his assistance.. The attack was continued on the 25th and 26th and until seven o'clock on the morning of the 27th, by which time the provisions and water of the little garrison were exhausted and their ammunition was fast diminishing. Amongst the assailants, Chinese wearing the uniform of regulars' were observed, and these largely increased in number towards the end. The total of the attacking force was about 1,500, Only a few cartridges remaining, it was decided to make a sortie, which took place at half past seven, when the defenders of the citadel, twenty-three men in all made for the south. Arrived at the confluence of the Song-'Thack-Mang and a creek running to the sea by the old custom house, the small body, hotly pursued by the Chinese, broke up and attempted to save themselves by swimming one or other of the streams. Ferlay was drowned in crossing. Those who were making for Hakoi, amongst them MIN. Haitce and Perrin, had hardly reached land when they were surrounded by a band of Bizaian which had crossed before them. his head was cut off. M. Haitce disap-M. Perrin fell, pierced by epeer wounds and peared amongst the Chinese. When last seen he was trying to blow his brains out, but his revolver had got wet and the cartridge would not go off.
uring the few days previous, several couriers had been sent by M. Haitce to Lieut. Bohin, who was continuing his topo-other Grandpitrre, whose devotion was tical work, Letters from the Rev. admirable during all these events, lo M. Bohin aware of the gravity of the situation at Hai-nine at the moment when he was himself attacked by Chinese pirates in the uniform of regulsca. His departure was delayed by this attack, but at last, at Coum-Ping, he found a more pressing letter from Father Grandpitrre, and on the morning of the 27th he embarked and arrived at the mouth of the Hai-nine river on the 28th.
Eight chasseurs and five militiamen escaped the massacre, Ha-koi and Hai-nine were burnt. Lieut. MacMahon, shut in with 200 men in a blockhouse at Ha-koi, is attacked daily, but he is well supplied with provisions and munitions and can hold out until relief arrives.
A shipment of arms has been landed on the coast. It is supposed they were carried by the Danube, on the line between Bang-Kok and Hongkong.
'Wo cannot throw the responsibility of these unfortunate events on any one in Tongking. They must be avoided for the future, without useless recrimination as to the present. With regard to the pirates, they ought' to be given a sharp lesson which they will not forget. We cannot be exposed continually to attacks of this kind, authorised if not actually assisted by the Chinese Government. What are we to think of the Taot'ai, the idle witness of the massacre If he did not contribute to it he at all events did not try to stop it, although asiugle word from him would have sufficed. We have spoken of Chinese wearing the uniform of regulars being amongst the pirates. The Chinese will say, as the always do, that these were disbanded soldiers, still wearing their uniform, who had joined the pirates. Nothing of the kind.
is quite certain that the regular troops have operated with the pirates against us. Let us do to China as she does tous. Let us burn for village and demand head for head. It is time to finish the business.—Daily Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.