The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1896. CHINESE ROMANCING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 7587, 5 February 1896, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1896. CHINESE ROMANCING.

When the Japanese were meeting with success after success in the late war with China, it was surmised by many people that the result would be the break-up of the Chinese Empire. It was assumed that the victories of tho Japanese would become widely known all over China, and would encourage those of rebellious instincts to foment insurrection. Nothing of the kind has happened, for the very simple reason that the bulk of the Chinese people know little or nothing about what has taken place. It is stated that in some of the more remote districts the people do not even know that there has been war. In others they think righting is still progressing, and that China is victorious. A proof of the condition of ignorance in which the millions of China exist, with regard to the outside world, will be found in a set of illustrated " history cards " being circulated by the Chinese Government in the inland provinces. As an example of splendid lying it is possibly unique—it most certainly is outside China, though in that country there may be better specimens—and as it is intensely amusing we make no excuses for quoting it in full on the authority of the North China Daily News. The " literary " portion of tho " history cards " is as follows :—

The armies of China and Japan fought until the third month. After peace had been declared, China handed iformosa over to Japan. Unexpectedly the Formoßans did not want to be handed over. The Japanese wont thero and their soldiers attacked them from the fourth month till the laat of tho first fifth month. Formosa's Commander in-Chief Liv fought more than thirty battles. In a word, the Japanese did not win a siugle battle, but, first and last, by a strategy General Liv killed thirty thousand Japanese soldiers and destroyed some thirty odd iron battleships and captured some twenty odd. Afterwards Jap*n sought help from Western nation, English, Frenoh, American, and Russian Jb'-'ech oountry responded favorably the sixth day of the second fifth month. i?ach country and Japan had th'rty iron battleships and thirty or forty voodeu ones. They were all filled with tr_vos—eighty or ninety thousand aud more Tuey went to Taipehfu and Anpingkou and fought a battle. General Liv by the use of strategy began the oonteat sixty li outside of Anpingkou in the sea, on the sixth of ihe month in the evening. Suddenly fire started up on the surface of the water. The foreigners made up their minds that they wanted to set sail and depart. But General Liu's marines under the water bound fast all the ships with iron chains, so that they could Dot stir. On the seventh of the month the fire ceased, for the foreign ships and soldiors were all burned up. This battle was like tho ancient '•Bed wall of fire" battle. Immediately every foreign nation feared General Liv aa one does a tiger. On the eighth and ninth of the month General Liu's braves took ten iron battleships, thirty or forty thousand aborigines, ten thousand odd Blaok Fmge, and attaoked Japan. Th6y Immediately oaptured Changchikou, Taipehfu, Makuantao, and many other places. They also captured Japanese arms without number. The Japanese people of all kinds werekiiled and wounded in immense aura! ers. From such a chastisement Japan casinof; ba at peaoe in a r]av, S.ent from Tientßia. Kuang-Htii, twenty first year, second fifth month, twenty-eighth day.

The idea of China victoriously fighting Japan, Russia, England, France, and America single-handed is decidedly good, but possibly the most delicious portion of this " history card " is that which relates to " General Liu's marines under iha water," That beats anything Eider Haggard _!« over done, and beside it the great victories in japan assume tho form of merely commonplace invention. But the " history card "as a whole is decidedly good.