WAR POINTS.

West Coast Times, Issue 2835, 4 May 1878, Page 3

WAR POINTS.

Osman Pasba is stated by the Russian papers to be recovering from his wound, and can now move ;; : «>ut without the aid of a stick. His suite consists of seven officers, rniorig whom is his assistant in the defence -.f Plevna— Tevfik Pasha. It is regarded »>• a somewhat significant circumstance hut m.iio of 'the officials at KharkofF have pad him any visits yet, and that, contrary to the case with other captive officers, a gendarme belonging to the secret police is always stationed close to the house. ' Rumor ascribes this to the action of the Imperial Government in connection with the private inquiry that is now going on respecting tne Russian prisoners said to have been murdered at Plevna. Several times, on the Pasha quitting his hotel, he has been saluted with abuse referring to the allegation, and no attempts have be?n made by the authorities to check the insults.

Preparations are being made in the kingdom of Poland for a new levy of about 40,000 recruits next spring. It is stated that the losses sustained by the Russian army in the war are much heavier than they have been officially represented to be, and that this was especially the case in the recent crossing of the Balkans, where the Russian lost three times the number stated in the official reports. Notwithstanding the financial difficulties of the Russian railways the Government is laying down at a great expense a second line of rails to facilite traffic on the lines which proceed to the western frontier of the Empire. This measure is supposed to have been taken with a view to a military occupation in great force after the conclusion of peace. A large number of fresh bands have been taken on at Woolwich Arsenal, and the gun factories are as busy as other departments. Throughout the Arsenal night work and extended hours are general, and in the carriage department alone £1000 a week extra is being spent in wages. Three hundred general service waggons are being produced, and unusual activity is also visible in the construction of torpedoes, the speed of which has been increased from twenty-seven to thirty miles an hour. The Alexandra, Teraeraire, and Agincourt are provided with the. c c Whitebead torpedoes, and it is calculated that with such speed as that attained the destruction' of anenemy's ship at 500 ya ds would be certain. The Admiralty b.Bs been informed that the failure of two of these torjjedoes in the bands of the Russians at Batoum was due to defective management

Additional defences ha?e been provided for the Thames. The already powerful armament of the Garrison Point, fort, Shecrness, has just been strengthened by four 38-ton guns, and everything connected with the fort has been put in order ready for instant use by the Eoyal Artillerymen stationed in the casements. <

The annual inspection returns of the Yeomanry force, which is formed in thirty two counties of England, Scotland, and Wales, show that 615 officers, 1,217 noncommissioned officers, and 7,633 men, or a total of 9,465, were present at the official inspection last year, out of a total enrolled strength of 11,399. Only 28 officers and men were absent without leave. The establishment is returned at 18,666, of ■which 2,018 are wanting to complete. Of the 9,485 horses, 7,305 belonged to members, 1,460 were the property of friends, and 660 were hired.

Orders have been received at Pembroke dockyard to commence immediately building four gunboats, named, Tickler, ' Griper, Pincher, and Gadfly,.