GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 45, 10 August 1878, Page 3

GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

The rapid increase of the foreign trade of Germany is represented by recent statistics, which represent an increase of six [.or cout. in the number of vessels and crows, and twelve por cent in tonnago since 1870. The nnmber of sailing vessols inoroasod but two to throo per cent, but the addition in the percentage of stoamora was 110 per cent, and the tonnage of the latter inorenwd 121 per sent. Tn IH7O the number of German transatlantic steamers waking regular journeys amounted to 28 ; in 1878 to 57. In 1873, [8,593 (toman retoU, of <i,(:io.S7fi tons, " ' • vnriotn foreign norts, while in linommd

to (6, 31.">, and the tonnage to 7,274,;•:;.' tons, an incn use oj 7,789 vessels am. 144,112 tons. The traffic of German vessels shows the following iuerease in tonnage, since lslO; To the East Indies, 107,819 tons, to China and Japan, 79,116 tons ; to Australia 13.421 tons ; to Central America and the West Indies, 607,825 tons.

It would be refreshing to have a translation of the History of Europe written a la Russe. The following is a version of the Crimean War taken from a leading Moscow newspaper: —" Have the bloated shoapkeepers of the North Sea Sand Bank forgotteu the time when the Russian sea heroes drove their porterdriuking Admiral 'Charley' from the shores of fort-girt Cronstadt I Have the purse-proud aristocracy of the foggy, smoky London, metropolis forgotten the day when the serried ranks of Russian steel swept down the slopos of Alma and inkermann, and carried mourning into half the houses of England 1 The war of 1854 was glory to Russia and shamo to Europe. It took three nations to seizo Sebaetopol—a gain of a loss—for they last moro men than we had in all our army. Russia has doubled, nay trebled, her strength since then ; while the effeminate nations of Western Europe have sunk and decayod. Russia defied three nations in 1854 ; she could defeat six nations in|lß7B."

A curious incident occurred at the battle of Toshkassen, when General Baker with 2500 Turks beat off 40,000 Russians. General Baker's object in defending the position and accepting battle was to cover the retreat from Kamarli the main body of the Turkish army there posted, and having done so effectually by his successful resistance to the Russian onslaught, he retired, as pre-arranged, with his own division to rejoin the rest of the troops. Now the day after the battle. General Gonrko, who imagined Baker and his division to be still in front of hirn, scut a Hag of truce and a parlement!.irt> to the general, with a letter calling upon him to " surrender at discretion, as he was completely surrounded.'' The surprise of the p.irlementaire when he could find neither general nor troops, and could hear nothing of the army to which he had come to announce that he was " surrounded," may be well imagined, and General Gourko will next time probably make more sure of the situation, when he has Baker to deal with, before leclaring him t'> be surrounded. It was 1 reneral Gourko himself who told this ■tory to Colonel Allix, General Baker's aide de camp, whom he met recently at San Stefano. It is, therefore, undoubtedly true, and is striking as on illustration at once of General Gourko's boldness in assertion and of General Baker's ability in action. The new-field gun, which has by a tourso of experiments extending over more than two years, undergone an evolution from a 9-pounder to a 12-pounder, without, enlarging its bore or materially increasing its weight, has undergone a further and final development, and may shortly be expected to appear as the model field-piece of the British artillery in the shape and weight of a 13-pounder. Experience has proved that much of the value of a good field-gun lies in the length of the barrel, and accordingly the 13-pounder, although no thicker than a 9-pounder, will be considerably longer than even the 16-pounder, the heavy gun of the field batteries of artillery, the • ■iiiciency of which is now admitted to liavo been sacrificed to the prejudice which existed at its introduction against impairing its symmetry by elongating the muzzle. The 13-pounder has undergone a rigid course of experiments. It is .i compound of all the recent inventions, '.nd it has produced splendid results.

The Postmaster General has officially informed Congress that §900,000 is required to supply the deficiency for compensation to postmasters, and $2,137,787 to supply deficiencies in postal revenues for the fiscal year ending June next. He says these appropriations, are necess '.ry to properly conduct the service of the department.