PEN-NOTES AND PENCILLINGS.

New Zealand Mail, 27 September 1900, Page 24

PEN-NOTES AND PENCILLINGS.

THE ANNEXATION OF THE TRANS-YA-IL. The Transvaal uranla is nearly playerl eat, ic wiU Vat be long before the curtain is rung down for ever. Lord

Roberts showed fully two months agoi that the Boers were beaten. The annextion of a few days since illustrated that any further fighting will be of a character hardly worth notice. The Transvaal was a donkey when it challenged tire British Lion, and it has'been ‘'don-key-licked" in consequence.

ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN BARONET. -Australia- lia< produced another na-t:vi*-bom baronet-. Sir Rupert r 'larke, or Victoria, was the first, and Edward Samuel, of New South Wales, is the second. The latter succeeds his father, the late Sir Saul Samuel, wno represented the parent colony for some years as Agent-General. As the late baronet died an exceedingly rich man, it is probably that his successor will find a more agreeable atmosphere on the other side of the globe. Baronets, like peers, are fond of luxury, and if they have the money are more likely to find their requirements satisfied in countries where they are catered for specially. Sir Edward Samuel received his first notification of having succeeded to the title on coming off a jury. At the time the cable arrived he was acting as foreman to a panel which was under the lock and key of a sheriff's officer. As is common in all cases cf" sudden local importance, everyone appeared to know of the event a long time before the person most interested. Sir Edward Samuel is the second son of t!ie late Sir Saul Samuel, the eldest son having died in 1887. The new baronet was born in 1862, and married in

1891 Miss Ray Cohen, daughter of Mr A. Cohen, of Sydney. He resides at “The Grange.'’ Strathfield, and is sa : d to live the life of an ordinary well-to-do gentleman. THE MOON AT ONE’S ELBOW. Mr Charles T. Yerkes is the founder of the Yerkes Observatory, Chicago. Until the erection of a certain great instrument at the Paris Exhibition, this contained the finest telescope in the world. It was built by Mr Yerkes as a mark of gratitude to the city in which lie had made five million pounds. The

telescope was erected on the sw.nging principle, and the regulators were approached by a spiral staircase about forty feet high. By the aid of the Yerkes instrument the moon was brought within a seeing distance of sixty miles, the

magnifying power of the lines being given as “4000." The Paris telescope, which brings the moon within a seeing distance of little more than thirty miles.

has put the “Yerkes” in the shade and excited its founder to envy. As a result, the latter is said to he looking around for someone who will build him a telescope that will bring the moon practically against the outer glass of the instrument. A prominent American paper says that Mr Yerkes doesn't care how much he pays for his privilege. All he wants is to succeed, and if the builder requires a quarter of his fortune he is prepared to pay it. All the same, the building of a telescope such as this American plutocrat desires, though it may be accomplished; requires a great length of time. The lenses in the present Yerkes telescope took four years to grind, and those in the Paris one, even with better facilities, occupied considerably over. The whole, trouble lies in this one direction, as a. lense must be absolutely flawless, and a flaw may not be discernible till the very moment of finishing it. Of course, it is presumed that the new telescope will be on the reflecting principle, as against the swinging, as it is hardly - likely that the risk would be taken of swinging a “glass” the weight of which would exceed a hundred tons. LADY ARNOLD. SOMETHING ABOUT SIR EDW..aD ARNOLD’S FAMILY. The statement that Sir Edward Arnold’s second son is “wanted” revives the rumour that Sir Edwin himself is going to vacate his native country and take up a permanent residence in Japan. As everyone knows, the brilliant author of “The Light of Asia” prefers Japan to any other country in the world, and as he is married to a Japanese lady this preferenceijias sometliing of method. For - a long time fhe story has been current that Lady Arnold does not get on at all well with English women of her own rank. Simply because she is a Japanese lady they rather look down on her, and, in any ease, will not admit her to their closest friendship. Being of a highly sensitive na-

ture, Ladv Arnold, otherwise Tania Kurdkawa," has fretted over this considerably, and her husband lias become embittered and anxious to change Ins national allegiance. For some reason or other, the "New York papers have been

verv busy lately with the great writer’s domestic" affairs, perhaps as a result of the application to the Supreme courtat Washington to extradite Sir Edwin’s second son for embezzlement. One of them in particular says that it is positively aware that Sir Edwin and uacly Arnold will take up their residence, in Yokohama before the new year, with a view to staying in Japan for good.

EARLY CHINESE. IRONCLADS. . The old Corean print from which the accompanying illustration is taken depicts two vessels of anc.ent design, which belonged, perhaps, to the first fleet of ironclads ever built. They are called tortoise ships, and were constructed by the Chinese commander during the war between Corea and Japan in 1619. Only one of these vessels is now in existence. It was found at Yong Yong, corea, in 1884 or 1883. The illustration shows the ancient warship equipped for war, her men being covered in and protected oy a deck built like the back of a tortoise. The vessel could he used with or without the toitcise decks, whith fitted snugly on the upper part of the hull, an rested on the line of protruding timber heads, and were probably also secured from the inside. Naval war was carried on in those days with crude weapons. Combatants used small firearms, pikes and swords, while attacks were made upon each other’s

vessels with grapnels and long punching pikes. The fighting men stood unon the galleries, just within the gunwkales, and fired through loopholes and casements in the sides of the tortoise hack. Here they were protected, on top and

at the sides, by a plating 0 f wrought iron, thick enou»h : t nd ' the low-powered weapons ° o f ll re , Hst 0,. the top of the deck were applied in a pattern • ,la .tes e;l the 11 ,,1nt0., of he tto!« "£“**• the sides they were m bn M lle 011 These ships varied, apparently yf,.Pa--?ls-ty to sixty feet in length w^ 0 ",' toras wide as they were Ton-- . U iH 1 crew of 100 to 150 mem ’ aud had »

'THE OTHER SIDE. HOW JOHN CHINAMAN VIEWS TmSITUATION. ' bTHi ; . Every question has two sides-that k hut fair. When news came througn of that massacre at Pekin we con'd ! only our side. Now, however that tT' report is shown to be a lie cirnil with a dishonest motive, we caii°!Sr tliat John Chinaman has a side as weif Probacy if he were allowed to explain himself his case won appear as southing like the accompanying sketch The great Powers hunger for ~.s country or rather, certain of them do, and the others have to fall in as a matter of expediency. Not being able in decencl to descend on the territory without excuse, they or some of them, invent and issue falsehoods which they wive to t world for the purpose of blindiim honest criticism. Then they advance on the capital, and, being unable to con-t-inue the falsehood, acknowledge it and start, same of them, to loot evervthW they can lay tlieir hands on. One £5 but to run through the last six weeks’ papers to feel honestly ashamed of the entire business, the only broad justification for which is the necessity of the fittest, or the strongest, surviving The massacre being a lie, the act of‘avenging it was consequently unjust, and no quibble of tongue or pen can make it otherwise. Probably if John Chinaman could be heard in his defence he would present a case in the nature of the accompanying sketch a land-hungry monster with six hands, representing the Powers, Russia bowing to the applauding audience as the designer of the entire thing, and civilised militarism, its bags full of loot, standing over a prostrate and helpless celestial.

HIS MAJESTY THE KING. ; The chief factor in naval warfare is always the same coal. Consequently 7, when any country starts buying this commodity in large quantities the world gets alarmed. Russia, it is said, is inquiring for 3,000,000 (f) tons of coal in America, aiid the British Admiralty has given orders for 300,000 tons in Hales. It makes one ieel inclined tosing—■ A fig for a King of flesh and blood, With a mockery of a sway; He comes with the tide and goes with the flood And the world forgets his day— A bubble at best wli.cli the first near SClld Mav blow in air away.

Oft is the ebony King whose thrones all earth, And vassals all mankind; He came with the world’s tempestuous bivth ' . And will follow her liearse behind; He’s the King of strength whose mignty girth , , . , Has a belt in the worlds rock rind. The people he favours grow more strong, The people he does’nt grow weak; No arm of conquest is ever long That cannot his favour seek. ’Tis he alone who can right a wrong. And a deadly vengeance wreak.

This- hua.«i|y , » chiefs as they pns S Af lO tlie k foot of his steaming throne; % Srn«ces roar in then- shells A°i areat wheels turn and groan, And the King measures each shdfleets his own. A fig for a king of flesh ancl blood, VFn<r k C(ml°h.v the'ocean flood Stiles through the live-long day. Thf others pass out with each fleeting send But lie shall rule alway. THE NEW COMMANDER IN INDIA. The new commander of India is Gen_„l si r Power Palmer. His first notification to the outside Empire is to warn if naainst withdrawing any more Indian soldTers for China. Naturally that Empire asks a question, “What s up? Is it the usual Russian bogey, or is it that India not too certain itself? Probably, when ail is considered, it is simply the natural precaution of aTommander not to have Ins command weakened. India, in addition to being the chief jewel in

the British Crown, is, and always must be, to some extent an unknown quantity. He is a wise captain who, under these circumstances, won’t take risks, for'particularly in warfare precaution is ever the better part of valour. Sir Power Palmer, who has taken the place in India of Sir William Lockhart, Sir George White and Lord Roberts, in that order, is a noted fighter, and wears on his breast no less than nine campaign medals.

A TURNED DOWN PAGE. The Paris Exhibition" lias not "been visited by any important Royalty. This is the result of two things—the Dreyfus trial and the insults to the Queen over the Fashoda incident. All the same, there has been one very important visif°r the original of the accompanying portrait. ,A sad-faced woman, she has done the show clad in the black, trailing robes of a widow, and great crowds have raised their hats at her coming in sympathy and respect. It is the Count-

■ •. • V I ■ / on ' ce ™oat beaui*' *ow; one ofthl* t Y°‘ nan , in Europe, i otf.'eartii ri ni , ost desolate creatures j; j that' stands nt' i SI eilt ’ respectful] crowd i T tli'roitgh aS i s^e passes alone j; 'some years temple'; would i ! >itKSo Wers J :| iave , -.strewn- her path ; i .evidence of l, an< r^ pug for the slightest • favour VanityofVam- ' P'refonds lfY nity ’ ' f °. r , the -Countess -fn.; "a widow of Napoleon .The baj th^' E, "ll ross ?? the French. Pretenders float* against the various ' - o ne-time QU <J!f n r ot , ,° perate against this v k i?l>e‘may -® Mleries. Thus . and lie surpnf riS whenever sh 6 likes, though nassiyi a - wo come ) which, even >an item ii, 1S e , ver respectful. It ; was dethmV reflation that she, **:4£Sigf£»* <*’•-«»

OUR MUTUAL FRIEND A hasty glance tliTlioer appears A man of-senses sound; lack a nay, no greater fool Gould well on earth be found.

To see him as Paul Kruger leads, The poor wretch o’er the ground Just wipe your glasses oil your sleeve And turn your paper around. IN COMMAND OF THE APANESE LEGION. The Japanese Legion operating in China is under the command of General Fukushina. un account, of his excellent work against the enemy he is deserving of some notice. Moreover the unwritten alliance between England and Japan makes the latter’s success of more than passing interest. Fukushina is an officer of long experience and admitted valour. _His record includes the Formosa campaign, 1874, the Sasuina operations, 1877, and the war with Cnina, 1894-5. In the latter he was thrice wounded, and on one occasion reported as killed. In audition to being a great-

soldier, the Japanese general is a great traveller. On one occasion lie made the long journey on horseback alone from Berlin to Vladisvostock. Later he traversed Persia, and still later made a general tour, embracing India and Burmah, and' a considerable portion of Northern China. He is an excellent linguist, speaking English, German and Russian fluently.

THE LEADING CHINESE GENERAL. Had General Yuan Sie-Kai been predominant in China during the last ten years, three things would have liappened. There would have been no war with China, there would have been a freer constitution for China, and tliere would have been a Chinese army and navy of modern style and magnitude. The English papers when hostilities commenced were concerned as to whether t- s officer was leading the troops or stagnating in the retirement of disgrace. The “P.1.P.” was of opinion that- if he, was leading, the Chinese army would' make a considerable fight, of it, and perhaps baffle the Allies. SieKai is described as the finest soldier in China, and the one exception among the Mandariiis, in that’ he is honest. He always (it' is said) pays his soldiers, and i-efuses to countenance the dis-

graceful tactics of departmental chiefs for which China is unfortunately notor-“ ious. Soon after the war with China : Sie-Kai was' engaged by the Court to put the country on a proper military footing, and with this object in view engaged instructors from Europe, and

ordered quantities of stores and materials. rile value of his work has been shown in the stand the Chinese have made in the present campaign. Left unhampered to work his will, Sie-Kai judged by its present proficiency, would nave made quite a formidable army in another few years. SOME WAR NOTETTES. Russia, whenever she wants anything and thinks she can get it, is like the wolf m the fable. Wolf; What do you mean by dirtying the stream ? Lamb : 1 dian t, sir; the water is running irom you to me. Wolf : Well, twelve months agSG.you insulted ine. Lamb; I wasn’t born, sir. Wolf: Don’t think to cheat me ihat way. It must have been your rather. And the lamb is led to the slaughter by any means at hand. ‘Tukslinger has lost his position as reporter on the ‘Evening Howler..’ ‘How?’ ‘ln one of his articles he said, “No one knows what twenty-four hours may bring forth,” and it was regarded as a reflection on the editorial intellect. 1 ” One use of bear’s grease is to soften tiie throat of Europe. Otherwise some o- the Muscovite fabrications mightstick. A China Break Fast, Set—The Powers;. Apropos tne statement that the Dowager Empress ha- deposed the Emperor and Prince Tuan murdered the D.E., China etiquette iorbids anyone coming to the throne who is older than the last occupant was at the time of vacating it. The title of ‘Son of Heaven” with the Chinese Emperor is quite logical. The paternal system being supreme, every son is ruled by his father, and every Mandarin is a kind of supreme father. Of all the Mandarins the Emperor is father again, and as he must be the son of someone, hence the title quoted.