The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-12 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

well, I can rest satisfied with this assurance, for I know
it gives me unlimited power over the future fate of
this courageous stranger."
"I do not understand you, father."
"It matters not—but an idea occurs to me: in aid-
ing you to marry the heiress of M. Lecour's fortune,
I deprive my Church of her wealth. She has from her
birth been destined to the cloister, and of course her
fortune must fall to the house in which she takes
the veil."
"I have thought of that, and it is my intention to
devote one-third of the estate to the service of the
Church—that is far more than the old curmudgeon,
her grandfather, will ever give her if he is permitted
to make a will."
The emphasis on the last words was so marked, that
the priest looked up, caught the eye fixed penetra-
tingly upon him, and, as if the thought which
dictated them was read in that glance, he said, in a
suppressed tone—
"Why should an old imbecile like him be con-
sidered capable of making one? Go on, my son; HOW STANLEY PALLS STATION WAS
unveil your purpose more fully. If M. Lecour is LOST,
prevented from executing a will, and this young
Mr. Walter Deane, who was in charge of Stanley
lady turns out not to be his descendent, what
Falls station when it was attacked by the Arabs, has,
then 1"
"If she is not the veritable Mademoiselle Durand, while passing r through London, been interviewed by
then she is— But, no; I cannot reveal that the Daily
News: Three months before the final
now; it is too uncertain. Understand me, father, struggle at the Falls according to Mr. Deane's story,
Ido not say that no will is to be forthcoming. a slavewoman came into the station one morning to
the contrary, when this old man dies there must be seek protection from the persecutions of her master.
one which will give his reputed grandchild possession She could not show any signs of corporal punishment,
of the estate whether she holds that relation to him or and unless slaves can prove that that they have been
ill-treated in this way it is a rule at the station not to
not." interfere, but to send them back. This was done,
'Then it is your intention to marry her imme-
diately ?" drily questioned the priest.
"By no means. I must win her first, and my though the poor woman begged and prayed to be pro-
tected. About ten days after she returned to the
efforts to that end will depend on the prospect she has station one mass of wounds, her master having tied
of inheriting this large estate. I offer you a magni-
her up to a tree, thrashing her unmercifully many
heed
ficent bribe to aid me, for the accumulations alone of hours a day till her back and limbs were bloody p
raw. Mr. Deane now resolved to keep her. This
M. Lecour must be enormous." ' act was the primary cause of the hostilities shown by
"You reckon on my devotion to your interests to a
great extent, my Bout' the slave-dealers. Money was offered to buy the
woman from her master. But the Arabs were sullen,
M. Mendon's lip haughtily curled, and refused. The Arabs eventually fired on the settle-
"l merely appeal to your own interests, Father
ment. Mr. Deane, Lieutenant Dubois (his Belgian
Eustase. They will be best consulted by aiding me
in the attainment of my purpose." colleague), with a handful of Houssas, attacked and
finally drove them on to their own village, which they
"And have you no scruples of conscience at wrest- burned, capturing some weapons and banners. The
ing the bride of heaven almost from the altar, and in-
steamer Stanley, with stores, came up to the Falls
ducing her to utter the profane vows of devotion to
about this time, but without the expected fresh ammu-
an earthly lover? And are you aware, my son, that
nition and reinforcement of Houssas. The appear-
you are proposing a forgery to me, an anointed son of
ance of the little steamer, however, created consider-
the Church ?" asked Father Eustace, in his softest tone,
able moral effect on the Arabs. Mr. Deane, though !
but with a look of severity which alarmed M. Mendon
for the success of his scheme. often threatened that if captured he would have his "I
throat cut, went alone into the native camp, and sue-
At that crisis the servant, who had been corn-
(seeded in bringing on their chief to Stanley Falls to
manded to follow them with the horse, overtook the
have a palaver; but when the steamer left the Arab
two, and the inscrutable priest mounted the animal,
promises of friendship were broken, and hardly had
bowed calmly, and rode away without further cone._
the smoke trom the little boat disappeared in the
mittieg himself. dense foliage of the river aide than the Arabs closed in
upon the settlement. Stanley Falls station is
situated almost in the centre of the river, and is an
CHARGE OF HERESY AGAINST A island at high water. Just at this period the river
UNIVERSITY PREACHER. was exceptionally low, and the Arabs could easily
approach from the mainland on one side; on the other
The charge of heresy in a sermon preached before there was six hundred yards of water from shore to
the University of Oxford last term, brought by the shore. All men in the little station had been busy
Rev. E. Ffoulkes, vicar of St. Mary's, against the erecting barricades and earthworks for the three small
Rev. C. J. H. Fletcher, rector of the city church, and Krupp guns. The garrison consisted of thirty-eight
one of the select preachers to the University, has Houssas and forty Bangles, cannibals trained by
been disposed of by the six doctors who were re- Dubois and Deane. The fight commenced about ten
quested to investigate it. After a good deal of o'clock on the morning of the Tuesday. Mr. Deane
consideration they were equally divided in opinion, worked two of the guns, and Dubois took the other.
but the Vice-Chancellor, while agreeing from the This brave little band of eighty men fought against
ambiguity of the language used there was reason- enormous odds till the following Saturday, when their
able cause of suspicion, sided with the doctors ammunition fell short. At dawn on Saturday, when
who took a view favourable to Mr. Fletcher, the enemy were largely reinforced, they "rushed"
and he was therefore acquitted. On Sunday the little position, charging right into the station.
evening Mr. Fletcher preached another sermon Deane's men had by this time only three cartridges
upon the fall of Adam (the question upon left. These were soon expended, and they clubbed
which his orthodoxy was challenged) at the the enemy with their rifles, driving them out of the
city church. In the course of an able discourse station, but the Arabs had succeeded in capturing a
he said they had begun that day to read the early No. 4 Snider; pivot-gun. There was now just
chapters of the book of Genesis, which described the breathing time to look round. Three Houssas had
creation of the material universe as well as of animal been killed, seventeen were lying wounded,
and human life. This part of Scripture was of deep andmany Bangles had disappeared. At last
interest, for it answered a question which every think- only seven Houssas remained, and they promised
ing man asked himself, viz., "Whence he and the faithfully to stand by the two white men. With this
things around him have come?' But it was made small force, and no ammunition, there was nothing to
more interesting to them of the modern world by the be done but to retire. All the stores were piled
fact that for about three centuries science had been together, petroleum poured over them, the breech-
investigating the same problems, and had thrown a pieces of the guns made useless, and the place was
flood of light upon them. In the seventeenth century set on fire. Stealing away along the slippery bank of
she lifted her eyes to the heavens and taught as- the river, hiding in the dense shadows caused by the
tronomy ; later she scrutinised the structure of the blazing station, Mr. Deane and M. Dubois, with their
earth and taught geology; and in our own day she sergeant-major and a few Houssas, tried to pass
had studied and was still studying the evolution of through the Arab lines. In attempting to cross some
life, together with the history of primeval man, slippery rocks both Mr. Deane and M. Dubois fell
Now all truth was from God. The garde Divine spirit into the water. The former succeeded in reaching
of truth made one man a prophet or organ of re- the shore, but Dubois was carried away by the current
velation, and another man a scientist or organ of and drowned. Wandering by the banks and under
scientific knowledge. Revelation and science could cover of the jungle when the sun was up Deane took
not therefore be at variance. Each had its own his clothes off to dry. While his things were drying
province, and one supplied the deficiencies of the there was a discharge of firearms from the wood in
other. They must read Genesis by the light of both. front of him, and he saw the Arabs closing ;round
While their chief aim must be to learn the moral and him. He snatched up his revolver and fired
spiritual truths which revelation alone could teach I right and left, and rushed through the lines, and,
them, they must at the same time listen to what running for dear life, he at last distanced his pur-
science had to tell them about those parts of creation suers. Now he was hunted, tracked by the Arabs,
that fell within her province. Before considering the for 30 days, with nothing to cover him but the
first three chapters of Genesis there were two prin- blanket he wore to keep the sun off while his clothes
ciples of interpretation which must be clearly under- were drying. Barefooted, a spear wound in his left
stood. In the first place, the contents of these twin, one of the fingers of the hand split with a slug,
chapters were poetry, a work of the imagination, not a and a flesh wound in his thigh, he wandered from
literal history of facts. Their letter killeth, but their day to day through the jungle and by the river,
spirit giveth life. They were to be read in the spirit, living on ground fruit and locusts, till at last he found
that was they were not to regard the form or out- some friendly natives, who got him a canoe, and he
ward story as their essential part, but they were to arrived safely at Bangala, 500 miles lower down the
eek the ideas or truths of which the story was a frame. river.
If they insisted on reading them in the letter, if
they would have it that God made the universe TEE BOARD OF TRADE RETIIRMs.
in six days of 24 hours, that His hands moulded
man out of earth-dust after the fashion of a human
modeller, that He put him in a garden, which besides According to the official Returns, the new year has
begun well in relation to trade. Years have elapsed
containing an erect and talking serpent, had in it two since these returns, as a whole, presented such a
trees with wisdom in the fruit of the one and
immortality in the fruit of the other, if he said they favourable appearance as those for the month of
January, which have just been issued. There has
would thus turn the imagery of sacred poetry into been a substantial increase in the value of both jut-
actual fact, intent on the shell of the story and blind ports and exports; and this increase has been, to a
to its inner kernel of truth, they would resemble one great extent, in those classes which furnish an index
who in reading our Lord's Parables should be 30 to the state of our industries. Last month we im-
attracted by the earthern vessel as to forget the ported goods valued at £31,047,422, which was
spiritual treasure it contains. The other principle
£2,364,383 in excess of the value for the month of
which must be accepted as preliminary to a right
January, 1886. On the other hand, our exports last
study of Genesis was this, that the Bible was not
month were waited at £17,808,735, against
meant to teach us those truths which man could by
.£17,212,781 in the corresponding month last
means of scientific inquiry discover for himself. Its
year, the increase being thus no less than
object was moral and spiritual, to set forth the
.£595,954. For years past we have been accus-
eternal relations between God and man. Whenever
tomed to an appreciable diminution in the value of
therefore the Bible referred to things that were
the goods taken from us by foreign countries; and it
within the scope of science it should be read, and, if
Is therefore, a peculiarly pleasant experience to find
necessary, it should be corrected by the light of
not only that the scale has turned in our favour, but
science. On the other hand, the student of the book
that the balance is so decided. We know, of course,
of nature should study it in the light of those spiritual that the period to which these returns relate is very
ideas which lie beyond its range, and which can be
brief, and that the favourable appearance which the
learned only from the book of Revelation. Broadly
official figures present may be due, in some measure,
speaking, the provinces of science and revelation
might be thus distinguished; science had to do with to special causes. But, when all allowance is made,
there seems a solicifoundation of evidence justifying
the laws of matter, including those of man's body,
the belief that the encouraging aspect of the January
while revelation had concern with the inner man, witts
returns is really the outcome of the trade revival
the soul, the conscience, and the heart. The re-A
which has been heralded by numerous signs of umnis-
gentleman then proceeded at length to deal with the
takeable significance.
creation of the universe and the creation of man. When we examine the Import Retiens in detail, we
find that there has been a comparative increase under
five heads, and a decrease in the case of six masses of
goods. But the chief significance of this comparison
is found in the fact that there has been an enormous
increase in the value of our imports of "raw ma-
terials for textile manufactures." During the month
of January, 1886, our imports under this head were
valued at £8,131,106, but last month the value rose
to £9,509,464. or an increase of no less than
.£1,378,358. This increase may be fairly attributable
to an increased demand for our textile fabrics,
and, as the export returns show, the in-
creased value of these goods sent abroad
gives support to the theory that the in-
creased importation is needed to satisfy an increased
demand. There is also a considerable increase in the
articles of food and drink which were imported last
month, though the dutiable articles showed a small
decrease. Those articles of food and drink on which
no duty is charged showed an increased value last
month of £607,586, while the dutiable articles showed
a decrease of £42,856. Of both these classes of
articles we imported last month something over
eleven millions pounds' worth, by far the larger pro-
portion of these imports being composed of produce
which our own country is capable of growing,
while our native agriculture is in the lowest
depths of depression. There was an increase of
£282,060 in the comparative value of last month's
importation of metals, an increase of £329,991 under
the head of manufactured articles, and also an increase
in the importation of "miscellaneous articles" to the
extent of £27,268. The six class of imports which
show a decrease when compared with the imports of
January, 1886, are: Living animals (for food),
£19,730; dutiable articles of food and drink, as we
have already shown, £42,856; tobacco, £55,080;
chemicals, dyestuffs, and tanning substances,
£107,465; oils, £553; and raw materials for
"sundry "industries and manufactures, £35,196.
Turning to the Export Returns for January we find
what has become an almost phenomenal appearance.
An increase is shown under no fewer than six of the
nine heads which represent the classes of our exports.
We have already pointed out the great increase in the
importation of raw materials for textile fabrics, and
referred to exports of yarns and textile fabrics, as
furnishing confirmatory evidence that there is an in-
creased demand for these manufactures. Our ex-
ports of this class last month were valued at
£9,653,912, which was £489,254 more than the value
for the corresponding month of last year. This
is a very appreciable increase, and, taken in con-
junction with the increased imports of raw mate-
rial, is a very encouraging fact. The exports of
metals and articles manufactured therefrom (except
machinery) show a comparative increase of £68,955,
and there is an increase of £120,230 in the value of
the machinery and millwork exported last month.
Other items of comparative increase are : Living
animals, £9649e articles of food and drink, £7757;
and raw materials, £9465. On the other hand, we
find that three classes of exports showed a compara-
tive decrease last month: Apparel and articles of
personal use, £52,402; chemicals and chemical and
medicinal preparations. £24,646: and all other
articles, either manufactured or partly manufactured,
£32,308. The balance shows that our exports last
month were valued at close upon £600,000 in excess
of the corresponding value last year, and that the in-
creased value of our imports was as nearly as pos-
sible four times that amount. This is an auspicious
commeneement for the year i(367.—DaiWes Chr,niele.

(To be continued.)

omllllll

THE SCARCITY OF ENGLISH HORSES.
A correspondent of the Daily Telegraph writes:
In the event of this country being engaged in war, it
would be impossible for her to put two army corps
into the field with Jut laying her hand upon 20,000
more half-bred horses than she now possesses; and if
the war lasted six months she would require an addi-
tional reinforcement of at least 10,000 head of horses
per month. The above estimate, based upon the
oninions of the colonels of three of our most famous
cavalry regiments, is, in our judgment, very much
under the mark. Assume, for instance, that a war
suddenly sprang up concerning Egypt In that event
we should have to send at least 50,000 infantry, sup-
ported by cavalry, artillery, hospital, and commissariat
waggons en suite, to the land of the Paraohs. In addi-
tion, it would bo vitally necessary for us to provide
against invasion at home. The very possibility of
such a contingency suffices to show that
every field-piece in these islands would have
to be utilised in order to prevent the debarkation of
hostile troops upon half-a-dozen exposed points of our
coasts. But what are field batteries worth without
horses fitted to transport them rapidly from one point
to another? Of "general utility horses," capable of
galloping with a twelve or sixteen pounder at their
heels, we have lamentably few. It is a low estimate
to compute that in the event of a war requiring a
couple of army corps to be sent to Egypt, it would be
absolutely necessary for our War Department to get
hold of 100,060 horses of a particular class within a
year. Where are they to be procured? We should
have indubitably to look to the foreigner for our
supply of military machiners and remounts. and at
this moment the exportation of horses is forbidden
from Russia in Europe, with 23,000,000 head; from
France, with 3,000,000; from Austria, with 1,500,000;
from Hungary, with 2,000,000; and from Germany,
with nearly 4,000,000 head. According to the report
made twelve months since to the American Depart-
ment of Agriculture at Washington there were less
than 2,000,000 head of horses in Great Britain and
Ireland in the February of 1886. From the same
source we learn that the United States possessed
simultaneously 11,500,000 head of horses, that Aus-
tralasia contained 1,300,000, that Canada had rather
then Cape,
more than 1,000,000, the Cape of Good Hope 250,000,
and Jamaica 50,000. It is obvious,then,that we should
have to look, in addition to our own domestic re-
sources, to the United States, Australasia, Canada,
te an
adneda
cJian
nmnai
ei cea. toTshuepr
ep I
iye onuort eaqt utinnies
mr eoqmu ierne -
m et
a single cavalry regiment of the British army which
has not more men than horses; and while Europe is
throbbing to the sound of the war-drums, we are
assured that, as regards their supply of horses, our
field batteries at home are at half their nominal
strength. When we sent our army corps to Egypt,
every battery remaining in England was crippled.
Details of a similar kind are well known to Lord
Wolseley and to every intelligent officer in tbe British
army. The only two nations with which we are
likely to be engaged in a sudden and serious war are
France and Russia, and each of these has in one case
hundreds and in the other thousands of available and
kind
w e horsescoul againstevienrY animal of a like
to the field. It is,
then, of the greatest importance to ascertain how,
say 20,000 American horses, can be purchased and
shipped within a month.

.nrios.. lal &U

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