THE CHINESE ARMY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXII, Issue 3026, 22 September 1893, Page 6

THE CHINESE ARMY.

The Chiiiese army is large. If. ordinary fighting, strength is about 1,200,000 men, though it is not w Bibla to make an estimate i^ - curacy. Each province support! iti own military force, for keeping order for the protection of its own territotv and for national defence in cafe of need. In time of peace the regiment* are skeletonised. Corruption pm. vades the service, as it does every branch of public affairs in that country. Officers give the soldier. indefinite leave and pocket their pat When occasion for fighting arises the baUanns are hastily filled in with linen undisciplined aod unprepared Not long ago there was trouble in Formosa, and recraits were inveigled on board ships by a false pretence When they found out whither they wera going great numbers of thebs jumped overboard and were drowned The regular infantry of the empire numbered somewhat more than 500,000. There are lesa than 100,000 cavalry. There is also an hereditary and privileged soldiery composed oi Manchus aod Mongols, with many Chinese descended from those who joined the invading Manchus in 1643, These 'banner men,' as they are called, are supposed to inherit a strong devotion to the present Tartar ministry. Jn twelve provincial capitals they and their families are assigned to special fortified quartern, in order to isolate them from the other inhabitants as far as possible thus securing the purity of their patriotic stock. Si ity thousand of them are stationed at Pekin, where there are 162,000 troops in all. The capital city has somewhat the aspect of a vast intrenched camp, being under military rule and protected by a series of double and triple walls. The banner men are seldom required to drill, and when called out they muster with rusty swords, bows and speara. Their pay is very •mall, and usually they are permitted to pursue occupations in civil life for subsisV tepee. The regular infantry is armed with Russian muzzle-loading rifles, swords and shields, spears, bows and arrows, and all sorts of queer modi®val weapons. They are instructed in European tactics to some extent. Some battalions are provided with huge matchlocks six feet long—- one tor every two men. When suclr a gun is t o be discharged, one soldier stoops with bis hands on his knees and serves as a rest for the muzzle of the piece while it is fired by his companion. The Chinese cavalry! is armeel with carbines, cha&sepoto, matchlocks, and short swords. Most of the guns used by the . artillery are small brass cannon with smooth bores, of Russian manufacture. They also have small iron cannon, which are fired from, wooden tripods or bendpi, shooting projectiles that weigh from four ounces "to a pound. Nearly all the artillery practice is done with blank cartridges— a method not caU culated to promote proficiency^n marksmanship. The troops employed for the defence of the d istant frontiers are equipped with matchlocks, bows, | cutlasses, and spears. German army | officers have been employed during i the last few years to give instruction in tactics and the use of various arms, as well as in torpedo service and engineering. At present 400,000 of the soldiers have had nnre or less leaching, and modern arms are being introduced to sonn extent.