The Affray that took place on Monday night in the Settlement was not an unprovoked attack on the part of the French Soldiers. It appears thet on Sunday evening ther- was an altercation in the Soochow Row! between a couple of French soldiers and three British sailors. What caused this quarrel is not_very clear, but it seems that one of the French soldiers got away, and the sailors got the other one down, took away his bayonet with its scabbard, and prodded with scabbard and all, and otherwise him, He was rescued, we are infor by a couple of German non-commissioned elficers. On his return to barracks he told his story, and a party sallied out on Monday night to avenge him.
Everything is being done by the French authorities, Captni 1 of the French cruiser Pascal being in supreme command, find out avd punish the men who were guilty of the disturbance on Monday night, and the French soldiers are cuntined to barracks meanwhile The question of side arms has been considered, but it appears that the German commandant will not consent on any account to his men going on leave without their side arms and revolvers, though the Settlements cannot possibly be considered an enemy's country.
Tt may be noted that there is no French soldier missing, so that it is quite unnecessary to drag the Soochow Creek. But what we wish especially to emphasise is the fact that the French soldiers had received provocation for their action on Monday.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.