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Star (Christchurch), Issue 8120, 20 September 1904, Page 2

NOTES.

A Buddhist priest, who was among -Aa . ■ •survivors of the Sado Maru, states thai when ; the Russians ordered all non-cbs* batitnte to "leave the tdjip; he went belo# to fetch his camera, thinking it might J* of come servioe. - - The hair and teeth of three office?? *nd 66 men felongiag : t6 ; tste Wh^T^m^t'M i infantry; all of wheat were killeid ia tki

ifc-i.e of the Yalu, were buried with impressive funeral ceremonies on the arrival if the remains in Japan. Colonel Beresford, the British military attache, who visited Port Arthur before the war, says that every hill on the land tide has its fort, and the sea front is admirably protected. The protection to the igunners and guns, too, is very effective. The commenioations between the batteries •are safe irom search by enfilade ; and the communications between ell parts of the outlying defences and the dockyard, the artillery park, the old town, and the new town are excellent macadamisad roads, safe from fire. "There can be no doubt," he -says, "that whoever attempts to take;-' ' Port Arthur will have an excessively difficult task." An Imperial message was sent to General Baron Nishi, commanding the Sendai division, as follows: — "The second division has successfully driven off the enemy, double in strength of our forces, who. at ' lacked Motienling and neighbourhood, , trailing themselves of a fog at dawn. It las waged a hot engagement and destroyed the enemy's plan of recovering the position. We deeply appreciate its bravery." , fJeneral. Nishi replied:— "We are m re- ( teipt of a warm message from your Majesty with regard to the engagement at Motienling and its vicinity, and we, your Majesty's humble servants, are deeply grateful. The present victory of our division is solely due to your Majesty's Imperial glory, and it shall be our constant endeavour to perform our proper duties. 1 beg' to present this reply." The Japanese correspondents attached to General Kuxoki's headquarters at Tsakokou, telegraphing under date of July 17, reported that among the spoils seized by the right wing of the first army at Sz'taokou on June 28, were a number of ammunition belts containing "dum-dum" bullets for quick-firing revolvers. These will Lv --- shortly be brought to Tokio and submitted ■hj^te the experts for examination. If they I^Hbrove to be "dum-dums," the uoe of which prohibited by the Hague Convention, , c - Japan will lodge a protest through a third ' Power, -In answer to recent Russian allegations of Japanese cruelty, the correspondent have enumerated instances of Russian' outrages. Russian refugees who left Port Arthur some weeks- ago say that in many cases the soldiers of the garrison, tired out by the incessant fighting, have wounded themselves in order to get sent to hospital. The officers have had hardly time enough to 1 . get -their meais, and had been reduced to black bread and onions and river water. There was a great scarcity of provisions and shoes ; and if it were possible to make the blockade -sufficiently strict, Port Arthur would fall without further lore of life. Even the Russian officers were wearing Chinese shoes. »_— 1 - i-