MILITARY TOPICS.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13379, 30 March 1912, Page 3

MILITARY TOPICS.

Visitors to Russia are no longer regaled with thel sight "of freak regiments (remarks a writer in a Homo papor). When Frederick Loveson-Gowor went to .Moscow in 185G for tho Coronation of Al6xander H. he noticed "opposite our house, as the procession passed, a regiment called Pau'.oviski, all the urn having turned-up iioses, and therefore resembling him. It stems it ■ wan tho f'^hioii to compose regiments of men all having the same .features. The late Krnperor told recruits off according to' their looks.' Thorc, is one ..regiment-, of ' rii-en a'l marked - 'with the smallpox. ■This Paulovski regiment, did a thing which amused me. Just before the cortege came up'they all blew their noses at tho word of command. This,was in order than none of tliem ■might sn-eeza when tho EiiiD-yrpr passed, cs their doing so would bring him bad luck."

As to recruiting a jolly expedient wa« .adopted by an array captain ; in . India J A powerfully-built man and good atlik>t?, ho found in an appeal to the sporting instincts of the Sikhs a_ way of iilling up his regimt'iit. Arriving at a district, he would challenge all. and sundry to wrestle, for a stake which included enlistment, if. his. «npouent lost. This plan not Only won' recruits, but recruits of theI"right sort, since only the fit and athletic ventured to try conclusions with the burly Eng'ish-

When tho sergeant of the guard cams round on his visits the green sentry wsp nowhere to be scon.. The sergeant was about to depart to make inquiries when there camp a rustling noise, from a heap of straw, and the sentry stood before him. minus, his.boots and looking 'very sleepy. "Halloa!" cried the sergeant; "where were you when I camo round just now P" ''Marching round," was .the sentry's reply, given iv tones .of conscious virtue. "Marching round, wero you? Why you'vo got' ycur boots off." "Yes, sergeant. I took them off so's I shouldn't~wako tlio 'osses,"

Tliis incident :. happened at camp. when a corporal, who was making up tho rations, was approached by , the tout orderly, who suggested a change in the dietary. ''We woul'' liko tn have some, rhubarb ," he said. "You may have it," replied tho corporal, who, witli pencil and paper. tl)'-n 'commenced trying to record the order. He began "Jtu," hastily abandoning that for "Rrni," and then put "Rpo" and ''.Rheu" respectively. Thoroughly "xasperatcd at last, tho corporal excfc'nK'd: "Kubub bo blowed! You']! ! ba.vo cabbage."