The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-26 00:00:00

A.FFAIRS AT PESHAWUR.

We are so intent on the gallaat defence of our neigh-
bours, and so full of sympathy for the sufferings
they have been pleased to inflict on each other, that
we have hardly time or inclination to devote much
attention to the fate of our soldiers, some of whom
are, nevertheless, dying like heroes at the call of duty—
their mortal foe being, of course, the stupidity of
the authorities, who, although constantly engaged in
" consideration," are deaf, as is their wont, to all con-
siderations of common sense and mercy. A correspondent
of the Indian Public Opinion gives the following descrip-
tion of the condition of affairs at Peshawur, which he
terms the " Valley of the Shadow of Death All is
sickness and misery (he says) in the Peshawur vale. Every
other man one meets, whether native or European, she :vs
unmistakable signs of having fever about him, and those
who consider themselves well and strong have a very
sallow and haggard appearance. The troops are suffering
fearfully. The hospitals are full, and the doctors, who
themselves suffer in common with their patients, are at
work day and night. . . . I can hardly say whether we
or the natives are suffering most. Yesterday I heard an
officer say, " I have not seen one of my servants the last
2 days; they are all sick." The doctors are most indefa-
tigable in their work, but it is a sore tax upon them all,
this overwork, and they are too valuable to lose. One of
the British regiments here shewed but a sorry appearance
on parade last Saturday for the general's inspection, and
he must have felt grieved to find that actually 1053
than half the strength of so fine a regiment were on the
duty told. Out of 892 there were but 429 duty men.
There were 180 men in and attending hospital,
and the rest (all weakly men) away at a small
sanatorium called " Cherat," near Nowshera. This
regiment has suffered greatly all through the season,
and it is painful to contemplate what it is likely to suffer
if it remains in the valley next hot season. 'WOuld it not
be far wiser policy to limit the service of each regiment in
the Peshawur Valley to one year ? After being
thoroughly prostrated as the men now are, they have not
the stamina lert in them to combat a second season.
Surely the health of a whole regiment is of more con-
sequence than the cost of moving it to a more healthy part
of the country, where the weakly men might regain their
strength. Of course nothing will be done to relieve these
men from the duty of sacrificing their lives for the sake
of the Peshawur valley; but it would be hard to deny
them at least the sympathy of the public, who look with
silent awe on the recklessness of the authorities, and pray
for the time when economy may be extended to the lives
of human creatures.

At the Liverpool Police-court on FrMay, li:
Rogers, cook on bo%rd the steamship Thebes, was fiu ed
2100 for smuggling 341 b. of tobacco and cigars, which he
had brought on shore from the vessel upon her arrival
from Alexandria.

THE ADMIRALY.—IVe understand that a large nu. n-
ber of writers willbe discharged from the Store Audit Divi-
sion of the Accountant• General's Department on the 31st
inst., as the arrears of business on which they are em-
ployed will then have been satisfactorily disposed of.—
Civil Service Gazette.

Li Box DOCTEUR Nolß.—lt is a melancholy
fact, which should, however, be recorded, that the
lamented Dr. Davis, who did such good service in Eastern
France, and died at his post from small-pox, had never
been vaccinated. He entertained a strong prejudice
against the system, which he had expressed on more than
one occasion. On his death-bed, when it was, unfortu-
nately, too late, he did not conceal his regret that he had
not submitted to the operation.—Lancet.

In reference to the late narrow escape from destruc-
tion of her Majesty's ship Hercules, we are informed that
the lamp trimmer was not aware that any powder was on
the half deck when he took up the lanterns, which were
intended for the convenience of the men during the time
allowed for smoking. The officer who so gallantly and
with such presence of mind extinguished the light was
Mr. Henry Neale Scarfe, paymaster, who, it appears
from the " Navy List," has received the Royal Humane
Society's medal for having saved life at sea.—Pall llfall
Gazette.

A. small screw-steamer, for service in the Black
Sea, has just been completed for a Russian company by.
Messrs. Yarrow and Hedley, of Poplar. It is 40ft. in
length, 10ft. beam, and is very strongly and substantially
built. Vie understand it is to be shipped within the next
few days on the deck of a large vessel trading to the
Black Sea. This vessel has been built for towing pur-
poses; but such crafts as these only require to be fitted
with a powerful gun in the bow to forni means of attack
and defence not to be ignored.
ADVICE TO A SON.—Do not begin to quarrel with
the world too soon; for, bad as it may be, it is the be t
we have to live in here. If railing would have made
it better, it would have been z eformed long
ago. The worst fault it has is want of
charity ; and calling. knave or fool at every turn will not
cure this failing. If there were not so many knaves and
fools as we find, the wise and honest would not be those
bright and shining characters that they are allowed to be.
We may laugh or weep at the madness of mankind ;
we have no right to villify them for our own sake or theirs.
Misanthropy is not the disgust of the mind at human
nature, but with itself. —Hazlitt.
MORE PRUSSIAN INSULTS TO ENGLAND.—C. 1.
Reilly, the English military attach 4 to the " Army of the
Loire," has just landed in England. He was taken pri-
soner at Orleans by the Prussians, who, far from respect-
ing his nationality, or treating him with the consideration
his position warranted, made things as unpleasant as pos-
sible, and treated him very badly in every way. They
took him all through France, and only released him at
Saarbruck on condition that he gave his word not to re-
turn to the French army. The colonel states that the
Prussians openly assert their indifference 'to the opinion
of the English, and a determination to act as they please
without reference t 6 it.—John Bull.

.AN INGENIOUS DEVICE.—The Independance Beige
mentions a clever trick that has been played off against
the German authorities in a small town of Alsace. A
Prussian officer takes upon himself the duty of supervis-
ing the local journal which is printed in French and Ger-
man. He is only acquainted with the latter tongue, and
contents himself with reading the German division, be-
lieving both columns contain the same words. This is not
the case, however, for they are very differently con-
structed. For instance, the other day the German column
said that the last sortie of the Parisians had only made the
blockade still tighter, and the intrepid Wurtembergers
had entirely beaten them. The King had telegraphed to
Queen Augusta. The French column on the other hand
declared that the Parisians had had a glorious victory, and
the Germans lost heavily. This time, it is added, the
the King will not write to Queen Augusta. The manceuv,T
has been so successful that the number of subscribers has
doubled, and the commandant perhaps ascribes the popu
larity of the paper to is German tendencies.
BRIGANDS OF ASIA MINOR.—I was calm enough
to examine with great curiosity our unwelcome visitors.
They were dressed in the costume of the country, armed
to the teeth, with their guns slung over their shoulders,
and a whole arsenal of small arms in their girdles—a more
awful-looking set of scoundrels it is impossible to conceive;
the only exception I ought perhaps to make being Lefteri
himseif, who was rather a fine-looking man, of middle stature,
well made, and with not quite such a repulsive-looking
countenance as the rest. He was also much better
dressed than his companions, having on a blue cloth
Jacket handsomely braided in black, full red trousers, his
headdress consisting of a fez, with a white turban
twisted round it. I remarked that he wore a broad
silver band high up on his arm, with an embossed
picture set in it of the Madonna, under whose special
protection, lie afterwards informed us, he considered him-
self to be. It was the first time I should think that they
had found themselves in a well-furnished room, the
appearance of which seemed, therefore, much to surprise
them ; and it required some effort on the part of Mr.
S-- to prove to them that the piano, and harmonium
were not money-chests in disguise. - !iron/ "A Lady's
Euceunter with Brigands in Asia Minor," in the "Cornhill
Magazine" for January.

,-,0.

THE WAR.

TIE OCCUPATION OF ORLEANS.

The Ultion Liberate of Tours, says that the fresh occupa-
tion of Orleans is worst than the first. "It was agreed
that the town should not be subjected to any fresh war
contribution, but that the soldiers should be lodged and
fed by the inhabitants. This stipulation is exacted most
rigorously. From Monday morning private houses were
literally taken by assault bythe soldiers,'who came in worn
out with fatigue and still furious for battle. Nothing,
it is said, could convey an idea of the scenes of the
first day. Since that time the occupation has become
regular without becoming lighter. The town, already
ruined by the former occupation, is in the deepest
misery ; bread is at seven sous a pound ; no more tobacco
is to be found ; and numbers of the most necessary
articles are not to be had. We are assured that the
Bishop of Orleans i 9 a prisoner in- his palace, guarded
by Prussians. About 150 guns are posted on the quays.
A curious detail is given as to the ingenuity of
Prussian espionage.. Before having been retaken, the
town was inundated by Prussian officers, when
in the afternoon of the 4th December, our sailors seeing
the retreat commence, began to drag off their great guns,
25 of which they contrived to save, and notwithstanding
a hail of shells, a great crowd asssisted and watched them.
They were obliged to cease their work when they learned
that the Prussians had forced the gate of St. Jean and
were approaching ; immedi ttely a number of these curious
gazers threw off their cloaks and shewed their uniforms.
Thoy were Prussian officers or soldiers, who, unmasking
of a sudden, threw themselves on the French and made
prisoners of them."