NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11798, 30 July 1900, Page 5

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Br Majob Kexnedy

It is not alone in men that India is loft to all intents and purposes practically helpless against an attack from the north-west, for the deficiency of men could soon be made up out of the many thousands of Sikhs. Goorkhas. and Piithans, who would eagerly come forward to fight against Russia; but unfortunately in arms, equipment, and transport the native army is sadly deficient.' After the close of the mutiny of 1857 a scheme for the organisation of an Indian army was inaugurated whereby it was proposed to enlist a native army consisting of double the strength of the European troops stationed in India. It was provided that these native troops should not exceed 3 to 1 in the cavalry and infantry branches, but that the artillery should bo practically all European. At the present time that principle has been practically abolished ns far as the cavalry arm is concerned, for of the Imperial cavalry at present in India there are only five regiments of British cavalry—i.e., the sth Dragoon Guards, and the 3rd, 4th, 15th, and 20th Hussars, while there are 40 native cavalry regiments, each consisting of four squadrons, having a tota' strength of 10 British officers, including a medical officer, and 625 natives of all ranks; whereas (he five British regiments would only number 145 officers and 3120 of other ranks. The native infantry consists of 132 battalions, each divided into abiht companies. The battalion has nine British' officers (including a medical officer) and 832 natives of all ranks

THE SECRET OP A CLEAR SKIN, soft, white hands, and luxuriant hair is found in tho perfect action of (he pores produced by Cuticura Soap, beyond all comparison the most ofTeelivo skin purifying and beautifying soap in tin; world, as well as purest and sweetest for toilet, bath, and nursery. It is a preventive of pimples, blackheads, red, rough, and oily skill, red, ron^h hands with shapeless nail?, dry, thin, and falling hair, and simple baby blemishes, because a preventive of inflammation and clogging of the pores. jj

The number of natives may be increased to 91<2 of all ranks without permission from the lieutenant-general in command of the army corps, as the A.. A. General in each district is allowed to use his discretion in such matters rhc■ munb„ of British officers attached to ca\alry and infantry regiments may be increased by the- admission of any " number deemed necessary by the-general officer com' manding the district. The native artillery Dattenes, and one garrison company The native cavalry are armed with sabre and MarO rm"s aii rJI carbines". In addition to these lho native artillery consists of four British officers and 256 natives of all ranks. There are 22 companies of sappers and miners, including one .submarine company. The Im «t>Mery». India anT armed with ll fon ln^ reech"loadin S S""8' but these are r™i,?fir» m, ran B« t<> compete against the rnpui-nre modern ones with which Russia is now arming ifa, field and horse batterfe Tho number of batter.es and guns of the Imneriil fun? %;? 8 moY ntlS? batteries' "** 3» 1, nfn ii.T also 27 c°mpanies of garrison artillery belonging to the Imperial fray, and eight companies of volunteer artillery lery up to 13 200 officers and men. Th e volunteer artillery have 24 field guns, which cludL thtL n?o mber Of f"» UP n in*™ n I 81! obsolete muzzle-load-India's field n if' 1"1 Ule Mtive of 420 S T - er-r °, a on m"ster a erand tot^ cient m numbers, armed with obsolete wet" men gecnroUe aid of one or morf povverfui nations such as Japan or Germany or it Sia PerSf PT b\ PoSSiblT t0 SeCMe tbe> o

NOTES ABOUT THE MISSIONARIES Jlll:* cV- A< D°n" Cllinese missionary, The appeals by the Emneror'of China to Viceroy Li Hung Chang knows what he is talking about when he says that the A L ' Sfl? es ln I leth Cit7 b^ f°re tu/™S t0 fac* «'* snfX i, ul suryivors of siege can he nSfy5Sl e OUttOTientSin 'itißCmi-Tung-chau, the river port of Peking, 12 miles away, is only 100 ft above the sea winch is 120 miles off by the river. The road is an execrable one, and in such a flat country so easily flooded as to be made impassable for guns and transports. ■ <Jr en mUi dw°u' ,°' L ' missionaries, Misses bearell and Whitchureh, were at a far-away station in Mid-Shansi, of which I have a£ xeady said that it would be "difficult to get out from." The massacre of " 40 foreigners and 100 converts at Tai-yuan fu" reported on 18th inst., in all likelihood included most of the missionaries stationed at various places in Mid and South Shansi, wuere'.the only foreigners are missionaries five weeks ago I received a letter, written by Miss Searell on April 21, in which is not a single sign of the impending storm. Friends of the other New Zealand missionaries stationed in the interior of China are feeling anxious for their' safety. It is now from five to six weeks since the state ot matters at Peking has been pretty widely known among the missionaries; and I think it pretty certain that the others from Ibis colony are safe, or we should by Ibis tune have had word, to the contrary. In a former note Mrs F. J. Dymond (nee Cannon) was omitted, whose station is Chau-t'ung fu, not far from the Yang-tze, in Yunnan province. Ihe missionaries from Yunnan and Szechuan provinces would make for the riverine port Chung-king, and there find refuge either- aboard or protected by the plucky little gunboats Woodlark and Woodcock (each ISO tons), which on May 6 . accomplished the wonderful journey up the mighty Yang-tze gorges and over the perilous rapids between Ichang and Chung-king. At Ichang, also, at least one British gunboat is stationed

Tak-sliiu is Manchu Governor of Kwangtung, not " Viceroy," though he may be acting-Viceroy till Li's successor. Tan, arrives. With the millions of Triadists in his province, he will have his hands too full to move against, the foreigner. To help 'us "see ourselves as others see us," here are some extracts from the Chinese Australian. Herald, Sydney, July 14-: — ."A cablegram says that as Europeans are massing on Chinese ground, each wishing ultimately to swallow the whale to fatten

his own purse and profit himself, there is a clanger that some day there will be a trifling disagreement, as when robber 3 are dividing their plunder and their shares are unequal, then there will certainly be a resort to arms and a mutual war with great slaughter." "A cablegram states that the British State Secretary Grey says that Britain's de-

sire is positively not. to take any Chinese territory nor to agree to partition. In our humble opinion, 'this sort of. thing is smoothtonguedness, honey in the mouth, and a sword in the stomach. Though the speech is not to this effect, one-s heart hears in opposition to one's ears."

The supersession of Admiral Kempff by Admiral -Eemey is .thus commented on: — "The rulers and people of the United States used to be _ known as those with hearts full

of goodness and mercy, continually sending missionaries to guide the itrnorant and preserve the souls of the Chinese people, so that they may enjoy tlie everlasting bliss of paradise. Such people do very great srood and amass much merit. But. alas! there are disciples in name and not in reality. So, when all nations are rivals in nlunderintr China, the Americans who believe in God should do good as formerly, raisins? troops to save and helo China: this would be consistent with their past deeds. But now, not only do they not help: they blame thpir officer for dome- wroner in not plundering like the others, dismiss him, and put another in his plane. Thus may be seen what they have set their hearts upon."