“LETTERS OF SEA CADET JEAN” AS A SOURCE ON TAIWAN HISTORY DURING SINO-FRENCH WAR OF 1884–1885
Sino-French war of 1884–1885 on land and at sea was significant as the beginning of a new stage of active French colonial policy in the Far East. It was a continuation of the Second French-Vietnamese war of 1883–1886, more known as “Tonkin Campaign”. France wanted to occupy Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and entrench a protectorate there. Tonkin belonged to Chinese sphere of interest because of Hong (Red) river which connected China’s southern provinces with the sea as an important trade route. Armed Conflict between France and China became inevitable. Military operations of the Far East squadron under the command of Admiral Amédée Courbet (1827–1885) become an important part of the campaign: Defeat of Chinese fleet in the Battle of Fuzhou, capture of Keelung, blockade of Taiwan’s ports, occupation of the Pescadores. This article for the first time introduces in the Russian language the “letters of sea cadet Jean” — letters from a sea cadet of Courbet’s squadron who depicted different episodes of the campaign, including landing and stay at Taiwan, relations with local authorities and population, Chinese and aborigines. For the first time the letters were published in 1890/91 in French and re-published with some notes in 2005; there is no translation into any foreign language so far. Written by a young seaman under a culture shock from a completely new and surprising world these letters are valuable for the sincerity of the story, freshness of the impressions and certain literary merits.