"ODDS AND ENDS", FROM HOME, BY SUEZ MAIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 101, 6 July 1877, Page 2

"ODDS AND ENDS", FROM HOME, BY SUEZ MAIL.

jFROM OUR OWif CORRESPNDENT.]

the very day, the 24th April, the Emperor Alexander promulgated his dedcclaration of -war at St. Petersburgh, there were many ,vho kept clinging to the hope that the war would not be unavoidable, and that this terrible scourge would be spared not only to Russia and Turkey, but to Europe. Up to the last moment men hoped against hope that the fatal struggle would be prevented by "the intervention of the rest of Europe ; but now the last word of diplomacy has been spoken, the blundering policy of the Conference culminating in ; a sham Protocol, has quite broken down, and two great military powers are left face to face to decide the question at issue'by the desperate test of war. It may interest your readers to hear something about the armies of the great nations that are now opposing each other. The Turkish army is divided into three classes—the standing army (Nizan); second the first reserve (first Ban of the Redif) ; third, the second reserve (second Ban of the Redif). The Soldiers who have served a certain time in tha Nizan are passed successively . through the two classes of Redif. The organization of the army is as follows:—The whole of the standing army and the reserves is divided into six corps. Each corps consists of 24 battalions of the' Nizan, 24 battalions of the first and 24 battalions of the second Ban of the Redif. There is also a seventh corps called the unformed; or Temen corps. Thus it will be seen that the whole Turkish army consists of 452 battalions, ! and as each battalion cannot bring an average of more than 400 men into line of battle, it follows that the- whole available regular Turkish army in Europe does not number more than' 180,000 men. In addition there is an untrained •■ reserve of 200,000, and from this force Turkey has been forming fresh regiments, and bringing up her several battalions to a war footing. To oppose this army Russia has brought to the front a force of 250,000 men, the greater part, if not all this army, which is in a high state of has crossed the Danube. Russia will be assisted by 20,000 Montenegrians, 60,000 Roumanians, and 60,000 Servians, so that Turkey will have to face in; Europe alone a force of 390,000 men.' What then is to hinder Russia from taking' possession of Constantinople ? The Russian generals will make short work of the Turkish troops that will oppose! them, there, is no obstacle, but the passes of the Balkan mountains that ] will impede the march of the Russians upon Constantinople, and even the Balkan passes, difficult as they are represented, form but a weak line of defence. There is then absolutely nothing to prevent a rapid advance to the Turkish capital ; but yvill England allow Constantinople to fall into the hands of the Russians? Most certainly she cannot. It would destroy the. balance of power in Europe, and would enable Russia at any time to deal a severe blow to the power of England». The telegrams of to-day report severe losses by the Turks, so that at :any moment now we may find ourselves involved in the war, as it is . more than probable will occupy Constantinople, which will be tantamount to declaring war with Russia. England is better prepared to take the field than she .has. many yestrs.

She would be able to send 40,000 men to tlie seat of war at a week's notice ; the question \ with us would be to whom to entrust the command of an army, we are not very" rich in general officers who have proved themselves in the field,' but whenever the hour of trial comes wo may, be certain England will find men able and willing to do their duty. A suggestion has been made to confer Field-Marshal's batons on Sir William Codington, Lord Strathmain, Sir Michel, Lord Napier, of Magdala, and Sir Duncan Cameron. There are only two Field Marshals at present on the list, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. The most sensational event of the month has been the. entombment of nine men in a coal mine at Pontypridd, South Wales. A rush of water had imprisoned the men in a distant part of the mine, and to reach them a great bank of coal had to be cut through. For ten days relays of colliers worked day and night, and at last reached the poor fellows, who had subsisted upon some pieces of tallow-candle and a little dirty water. They were in complete darkness the whole time. , Four were drowned when the water rushed in ; the remaining five were rescued in a very weak state, The greatest possible excitement Eprevailed amongst, all classes. The Queen telegraphed several times to enquire what hope there was of their being saved ; indeed the full account of the accident and rescue has furnished some of the most sensational reading that has appeared this season. ' , The Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal family are doing a great deal to popularise Freemasonry. At the last meeting of the Grand Lodge the Prince of Wales, who is the Grand Master of England invested H.R.H. Prince Leopold as Grand J.W.— The Duke of Connaught has been appointed Great Prior of the Order of the Temple (Ireland.) Great preparations are making for his installation in the Masonic Hall, Dublin. The following anecdote has been going the round of the papers:—A physician in Washington, D.C., was called to visit professionally a young lady taken suddenly and seriously ill. Employed in one of the departments, she was comparatively without friends or resources, and when rendered helpless by disease her condition was truly deplorable. The physician, ascertaining his patient's name to be the same of a brother Mason in Boston whom he had met some years previously, he inquired if she was related to this person. Being told that she was the daughter of this craftsman, whom it should be remembered the physician only knew as a member of the fraternity, he not only gave her skilful professional treatment, but saw that she wanted for nothing of care and proper nursing; and when she was sufficiently recovered to travel he accompanied her on her journey, and was not content until he had placed her in her own Eastern home.. Then exchanging fraternal salutations with his old-time Masonic acquaintance, he returned to his work and calling, hardly conscious, perhaps, of the moving power that had influenced him to so noble a deed, in the exercise of a large and generous charity. This incident is only one of a thousand which might be adduced to prove the power and worth of Masonry. , Brunettes are in esctacies, blondes in despair,' The new fashionable color Is a bright yellow, if has -beeri named " Mandarin." For the next twelvemonths we may expect to see everything yellow, excepting of course yellow or golden hair, which must now go out. of fashion ; will ladies now dye 'their hair black so as to suit the fashionable color? It might deter some ladies from using either golden or black hair dye if they knew that one dye is just as injurious as the other, and that even the effect produced by Kosetter's Hair Wash does not now deceive anyone. When will women learn that paint and dye are always so apparent that they have rather the effect of creating disgust, than admiration. The Wesleyans have built a handsome place of worship in Rome. It is a very beautiful building, of gothic architecture, and was opened by special' services on April 29th. At the last service Jackson's Te Deum was sung to jtalian'words, after which the Rev. Henry Piggot, (Minister,) defended-the introduction of Protestanism into the city of the Pontiff, but declared that his resolve was to abide by the scriptural maxim, Faith in Love. There is looming in the distance what must be. an eventful conflict between Church and State, A large number of thp clergy refuse to obey the decisions of the Privy Council, and the monitions of the Judge of the new Public Worship Court, simply on: the ground that the State- has no power or. authority over the spiritual affairs of the Church, and that all legislation should come from the which is a body somewhat similar to colo : nial Church Synods. -A most important address, signed by some.of the most 'influential and moderate Clergymen praying that steps maybe taken to restore to the Church her rights as possessed for ages, has. been presented to the two Arctic bishops, and has created a.great stir. This is but the beginning of the-end, and that end will be in all probability ■" Disenstabr lisbment." . - , ;