Sikkim.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5016, 25 May 1889, Page 2

Sikkim.

According to the Calcutta correspondent of the Daily News of the sth April, Mr Hart, the Chinese envoy who was eent to Calcutta to settle tho difficulty with Sikkim, is likely to fail in his mission. Like the pure blooded Chinese official before him, who' essayed the same task, he probably fails from no fault of his own. The Thibetans are obstinately bent on not knowing when they are beaten, and they refuse all concessions. They have been beaten twice or three times—at no slight cost to the Indian Government, as all operations against them have to be carried on in the clouds, and each time we have been assured by tho apologists of the expedition that the lesson would finally serve. Long before the close of last year our field force was broken up, though garrisons were left at Gnatong and Qantok till peace was signed. They are there still, and now the Calcutta papers wish to have them descend into the Chumbi Valley on the melting of the snows. The Llamas, it appears, decline all discussion until we subscribe to their preliminary article—a recognition ofgtheir suzerainty over Sikkim. Do they know what they mean by refusing it? It seems a email matter as argument of war for another campaign. Our trade with Sikkim is said to be about equal in volume to the transactions of a London tea house j but it may improve.