aiping rebellions, conspicuous among them being an
organization called the Black Flags. And when in 1882 France sent troops
to Tongking to restore order (the Annamese government having failed to
fulfil its promises in that respect) China began to protest, claiming
that Annam was a vassal state and under her protection.

Troubles with France.

France took no notice of the protest, declaring that the claim had
merely an archaeological interest, and that, in any case, China in
military affairs was a _quantite negligeable_. France found, however,
that she had undertaken a very serious task in trying to put down the
forces of disorder (see TONGKING). The Black Flags were, it was
believed, being aided by money and arms from China, and as time went
on, the French were more and more being confronted with regular
Chinese soldiers. Several forts, well within the Tongking frontier,
were known to be garrisoned by Chinese troops. Operations continued
with more or less success during the winter and spring of 1883-1884.
Both sides, however, were desirous of an arrangement, and in May 1884
a convention was signed between Li Hung-Chang and a Captain Fournier,
who had been commissioned _ad hoc_, whereby China agreed to withdraw
her garrisons and to open her frontiers to trade, France agreeing, on
her part, to respect the fiction of Chinese suzerainty, and guarantee
the frontier from attack by brigands. No date had been fixed in the
convention for the evacuation of the Chinese garrisons, and Fournier
endeavoured to supplement this by a memorandum to Li Hung-Chang, at
the same time announcing the fact to his government. In pursuance of
this arrangement the French troops proceeded to occupy Langson on the
date fixed (21st June 1884). The Chinese commandant refused to
evacuate, alleging, in a despatch which no one in the French camp was
competent to translate, that he had received no orders, and begged for
a short delay to enable him to communicate with his superiors. The
French commandant ordered an attack, which was repulsed with severe
loss. Mutual recriminations ensued. From Paris there came a demand for
a huge indemnity as reparation for the insult. The Peking government
offered to carry out the convention, and to pay a small indemnity for
the lives lost through the misunderstanding. This was refused, and
hostilities recommenced, or, as the French preferred to call them,