The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-28
CURRENT TOPICS.

:l uo ofacts of the present system OF
~, tbc health of the infantry SOL
dier state in their second report that recent CAM
na;cns especially the Bohemian ana ltaiah oi
.oce oho,- that il is of the utmost Importance TO
L,,.bond in every way the marching power ana en-
,..~.,co of the soder while the introduction o.
A.. h,ooch-loading systcm compels the soldier to
CORY an increase il the amount OF ammunition, In
consequence of the greater rapdlty OF the nre
rh;cb takes place The latter necessity, OF course
must involve an increase OF the weight areaoS
carried, unless some special counteractlng pro-
Visions be made The committee set to WORK 10
reduce the weight OF the carrying apparatus
(knapsack) as much as possible, ana 10 ais'riou'e
the weight absolutely required TO De carrieu
in such way as to give the muscles VI the
chest-wall and all the shoulder full ana 1ree
plsy. Tile weight that soldier is comPeiieo
TO carry. irrespective of the carrying apparatus,
tho rifle the haversack for provision, water bottle,
md blanket varies from 20 lb. to % h., and is
made ND as follows The kit (whose contents differ
from, those of the old one, by the omission Of
tronsers and b!acking), 6 ID. to lb.; the great
coat, b.. ammunition, 80 rounds 1.-THE fullest
amount requircd), Q lb. to 10 lb.; the canteen,
To-; the bayonet, To-; making total OF from "a
lb to "a h. On ordinary occasions less amLluni-
ton nigh; be carried. The weight o. the carrying
apparatus has been reduced from 10 h. z o. 10 :
lb. 3oz. Now as to the mode in which the Kit Is
recommended to be carried; the Old knapsacA is
| discarded, and in place OF it bag ID lntro-
duced; this is placed low down, and suspended
from leather yoke, similar in principle to the
yalise proposed some time ago by Sir L. IRou-
| nRrper. The weight Of the kit bag Is us-
tributed in three directions-Q) the yoke' Dy
means of straps passing before and behind
- studs on the yoke; (2) to the large Dohe COLI
Meeting the two hips and (S) to the belt, by means
of additional straps. The weight OF the ammuni-
| ton is also distributed The committee have re-
commended the use of two long and narrow
pouches, each capable of holding 80 rounds and
made of soft leather. In time OF peace one only
would be worn, exactly in front OF the waist-Det'
aud suspended from the yoke. In time OF war
two would be worn, and, in addition. two small
pouches in the kit-bag for ten rounds each nave
been made and these might be filed. and ten
more loose rounds would be contained IN little
bag worn on the right side. The great coat is
worn on the back, and strapped to the yoke. Inc
new carrying apparatus, at all events, IS about SIX
pounds lighter than the old knapsack, and as lar
as the health and comfort of the soldier Is con-
cerned. tie novel mode in which the weight ls
carried offers an immense advantage over the old
system.
MARK TWAIN cat large in Italy," writes to the
New York Tribune: 'This is the vilest nest OF
| dirt, yermin, and ignorance we have got into yet
except that African perdition they call Tangier
which is lust like it. The people here live in alleys
two yards wide. II is lucky the alleys are not wide,
because they hold as much smell now as person
can stand, and of course if they were wider, they
would hold more, and then the people would die.
These alleys aro paved with stone, and carpeted
with slush, and lecayed rags, and decomposed
vegetable tops, and remnants of old boots, all
soaked with dishwater, and the people Bit around
on stools and enjoy it. They arc indoent, as
general thing, and yet have few pastimes. They
| work two or three hours at time, but not hard,
and then they knock off and catch aeas. This does
not require talent, because they only have to
grab-if they don't get the one they are after they
get another. It is all the same to them. They
are not p ,rticular. They have no partallties.
| Whichever ono they get is the one they want.
They have other kinds of insects, but it does not
make them arrogant. They are very quiet, un-
pretending people. They have more of this kind
of things than other communities, but they do
not brag They are very uncleanly, these people,
in face in person, and dress When they see any
body with clean shir on, it arouses their scorn.
The women wash clothes half the day OF the pub
lie fountains, but they are probably somebody
elses; or may be, they keep one suit to wear ana
another to wash, because they never wear any that
have ever been washed. When they get done
washing they sit in the alleys nurse their
cubs. All the women in Civita Vecchia have large
families They nurse ono at time, and the others
scratch their backs against tho door-poss and are
happy. ALI the people scratch. 1t is their de-
light. There is rusty shrine here and there
along the streets, where the people can watch and
pray; but they don't do that they scratch and
pray. Thoy like it better. All this country is
presided over by the Pope. They do not appear
to have any schools here, and only one billiard
table. Their education is at very low stage. One
portion of the men 60 into the military, another
into the priesthood, and third into the shoemak-
ing business, aud tho balance clay round"
ASr. LOUIS GENTLEMAN, Mr.. S. Fl. LEATHE, has
this year ascended to the top Of Mont Blanc. He
was two days in accomplishing the feat, having
been driven back the first day to point half way
up the mountain by binding snow-storm. He
thus describes his sensations when on tho top
most peak: "My first feeling was disappointment
that it was not higher. Ihad not realized we were
30 near the top until within ten steps of the high
M Tctn for faw a
the magnificent view spread out on all sides. AL
fatigue was forgotten in the excitement; in fact,
never felt better in my life; never cheered louder
or jumped higher. II there had been good
hotel, should probably have remained for
the season. The day was glorious; bright
sunshine without cloud, except low down in
the valleys. On the Swiss side the view is unin-
terrupted from the Mediterranean to the Rhine,
embracing all the Swiss and Italian mountains,
with lakes and rivers. None Of my guides had
ever seen go fine view from the summit. The
wind was bitter cold and fearfully strong. Iwo of
my guides suffered great deal from the cold. One
had two fingers frozen, and another was as black
in the face as a negro. The blood seemed ready
to burst through the pores of his skin. We stepped
down few PAGES under shelter, and the guides
removed their packs to prepare lunch, but found
everything frozen solid except bottle Of brandy
and flask OF sherry. Claret and champagne
were so frozen that we we're obliged to break the
bottles and eat the wine. had intended making
a sherry cobbler at the summit, but the water and
lemons refused to 'cobble and drank the sherry
vithout them. A bottle of coffee, which one Of
my guides carried for me in a pock It next his
breast, was frozen solid Pretty cold weather for
the season, July Goth. Wonder what it is in jan
uary!"
The NEW YORK TINES of Wednesday, speaking
of SIclEs, says: The ''axe' which fell upon the
necks of SHERIDAN and S1cKLEs is, we imagine, but
dull affair to other ''axes'' which these gallant
Generals arc expected to grind. 1t is somewhat
difficult, in reading Of the popular demonstrations