RUSSIAN TROUBLE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IX, Issue 2864, 30 March 1885, Page 3

RUSSIAN TROUBLE.

j- L . r ., rr.ic TEr.F-cr.Ai'it —Corvr.i'iHT. .vnciPVTEH eTrlv o i-tbreak A>T OF HOSTILITIES. „ - n P['-SI-\N TROOPS MASSING ° B ON THE CASPIAN. -jifO) BRITISH TROOPS TO TAKE A'- 0) u TIIE FIELD. u . mi >-G ATLANTIC STEAMERS. (KECTKK";* tki.egrams.) r .l/V.r.7, 20, at "> V- m - London, March 28. Times to-day publishes a telegram ~tin2 llissia is missing 50,000 n « ■•t Biku, a fortified town on the 3 Trn"shore of the Caspian Sea. r.„W -Varrh 20, -i',o p.m. London. March 2/. In the Honje of Lords, Earl Granville, Cec-e'arj" for Foreign Affair/!, stated yes(Thursday) that he had had an !' tcr ; iew with M. de Staal, Russian bv „d,.r, on the subject of the commamcation recently made by the Governi Tln«sia respecting the state or Si on the Afghan frontier. M. de Staal stated that his Government had still under consideration the reply to be made to the communication received. jf W Vel 5 - 30 P' m - . 0 _ Bombay, March 20. Intelligence has been received of the arrival of the Vicerf, y at I>indi - Telegrams report that great enthusiasm is being display** throughout the Punjab in connection with his Excellency's visit, anJ 'So expected arrival of the Ameer of Afghanistan. _ At the format reception of tho Rawe Pindi a number of prominent chiefs were present, and the procsedings were attended with much splendor and eclat. Earl Dufferin made a speech on the occasion, which dwelt upon the loyalty shown by varioia native princes in offering military assistance to Great Britain at the present juncture. These offers, his Lord,hip added, proved that the princes fully recognised the firm respect entertained by Eaiiacd for the rights of Indian native states. _____ (sPE' lAt. TO THE rr.ES.-j ASSOCIATION.) gtaiced J[arc/i 29, ai 6.30 p.m. London, March 28. General Stewart, Commander-in-Chief in India, will at once take the field with ffl,<XX> troops. General Hardinge and Lieat.-General Sir Frederick Roberts will command the division, aud H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught the reserves, who nuinI bet 10,000. The English Government have arranged for 30 transports, which are dot being prepared for carrying reinforcements to India. The orders given by the Imperial authorities for canned beef from Chicago have entirely exhausted the market in that country. Recently the Russians have attempted to purchase several swift cruisers in England, bat they have been frustrated. The English Government are arming the steamers Arizona, America, Oregon, i and Aluia, which will be used in the f event of hostilities breaking out with Boatl Several other vessels are also to be armed, so as to be ready in case of emergency. The War Depar'mont are following the steps taken by Victoria, and have adopted the hydro-pnenmatie gun-carriage, and also the solid case cartridge. Jteceiwl March 30, at 11.10 a.m. Lonbon, March 29. The Channel fleet have returned suddenly to Sheerness. In ignoring. Eirl Granville's despatch oE March Kith the Russian Government makes counter proposals. The Novaevremya considers that Australia will form an important sphere for Russian cruisers. The same paper adTocates the establishment of Russian Consuls in the Pacific. Nine ironclads, twenty-four gunboats, and thirty-six torpedo boats are being equipped in the English dockyards. They are intended for service in the Baltic.

PREPARATIONS IN THE COLONIES. (recter's telegrams.) Rxtived March 29, al 5 p.m. Melbo urxe, March 2G. The Evening Herald states that the Governor has received a telegram indicating that war between England and Rnaia I*3 imminent, and that orders consequently have been issued by the Government for a warship to be in readiness to go to Port Phillip Heads. It also states that work on H.M.S. Kelson, now in dock, will proceed throughout the night, 10 a to get her ready for sea without delay. This evening's World announces that H.JI.S. Nehon has been ordered to Sydney to be in readiness for emergencies. The same paper states that enquiries made confirm the belief that unusual activity is now manifest in naval and military departments. fo-y.ii-o! March 30, a 11 a.m. Melbourne, March 29. A proclamation was published in the Gazette yesternight, prohibiting foreign over-sea vessels entering the heads between sunset and sunrise. Intercolonial and other vessels are prohibited navigating 'he channel and bay unless accompanied fcy a qualified pilot. The Victorian gunboat Albert proceeded 'o the Heads last night in order to enforce the proclamation, and the Victoria follows shortly. Great activity is shown in various tranches of the Defence Department. It is announced that H.M.S. Kelson has received orders to be in readiness by loesday next to cruise along the coast. R 'ered March 30, al 12.-f-5 p.m. 3IELi;on:XE, March 30. Pleasures for the defence of the harbor We being vigorously carried on. TorPeaoe3 have been placed in the west and 'cath-iveat channels, and several hulks tave been purchased by the Government, s Uh a view of their being sunk, if necC6S3ar y ) to obstruct the navigation. These precautions are due to the fact that intelligence has been received of the presses of Russian cruisers at Singapore the Cape. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION".) ■p Wei.llnuton, March 29. «p to midnight the Government had '.received .any important cables from

Home. The late3t information received was to the effect that considerable anxiety was felt in London as to the result of negotiations with Russia, and aho that Earl Granville had intimated that England would not flinch from tho stand she had taken in this matter. | March 30. The Government are making all the preparations in their power to place the ports under protection. The surrounding to the harbors are being surveyed, atid immediately this has been done steps wiil at once be taken to place the heavy guti3 in position. The Government have made application to the "authorities in charge of the Australian squadron for a man-of-war to be stationed in New Zealand waters. The Hon. the Defence Minister does not consider there is a probability of war breaking oat. The firm stand taken by the English Government will, he thinks, deter the Russians from crossing the frontier. The Government are, however, taking all the measures in their power to havo a proper defence, and it is probable that, should war be declared, the firstclass militia will be called out. A meeting of all Imperial army and navy officers- and members of Government will be held to-day, to discuss the question of defences. Hi 3 Excellency the Governor will preside, aud among those present will be Major Eccies, Major Cautley, Colonel Reader, Commander Edwin, R.N., Commander Hewitt, R.N., and Commander Horne, R.N. BAKU.

Baku, the port where the Russians are stated to have massed 50,000 troops, is, as described in the cable message, a strongly fortified town on tho western shore of the Caspian Sea. It. is, in fact, one of the chief stations of the Russian navy in that sea. It has a population of twelve or fourteen thousand inhabitants, chit fly Persians and Armenians. There are immense tracti of petroleum-yielding land in the vicinity ; indeed, the oil wells of Baku are among the wonders of the woila. Some of the springs have become ignited, and the existence of these "fire-formations" has caused Baku to be esteemed a h(jly city by the Parsces or fire-worshippers, to whom it is a kind of Mecca. The district was ceded by the Persians to Russia in 1813 A good deal of ship-building is carried on in the town, which is an important centre of trade. The troops assembled at Baku are in a favorable position for descending on Afghanistan either through Persia, if, as is believed the case, Russia is secure of the alliance of the country, or, if not, through Turkestan.