, 1877-05-16
EUROPEAN NEWS.
(From the Times.)

where In his quality OF Director General OF
the artillery, he will inspect the additional
batteries lately erected for the safer de-
fence of the Straits. The mons 'er cannon
sent by Herr Krupp as a present to Sultan
Abdul Azlz, which has long been an OBJ.
ject of wonder in the artillery ground at
the H%ellespont, will, it is said, soon be
placed in position with the other large
pieces there. This is the frst instance
since the accession of Sultan Ahmed to
the throne in which his brother.in-laW
leaves him for what must be at least o few
days absence, for otherwise he has been,
like his shadow, iGseparabIe from the per.
son Of his Sovereign both at home and
abroad. Many Of the persons at Court
to whom Mahmoud is obnoxious exult at
the radiance, and only wish it would be Of
long Duration
The Turks are aware that they have no
friends in Europe. Indeed, they know
full we'll that they are not liked, and are
determined that there shall be no love lost
between themselves and any Of the Chris
tian powers. There can be, they think,
no other safe policy for Turkey than that
which is grounded on the mutual leaiouses
and rancours Of the Giaour States-that
Traditional policy which. three and a halt
centuries ago, found in Francis |. Of
France a useful ally against Charles V. OF
Austria that policy which, many years
before, induced the Genoese, out of sheer
spite 10 the Venetians, to lend a hand to
Mahomet II. in his conquest Of CONSTANT
nople.
The Portuguese Cortes has placed at
the disposal Of the government &c, 600 to
send out a scientific expedition to explore
the Central African territories between the
colonies of Angola and Mozambique, and
to study the photography Of the Congo
and the Zambcsi.
Prince Bismarck's retire ment has been
withdrawn, aud it now appears hat he
does not even intend to take o holiday
till the summer comes. He will then
have q long rest, but in the meantime
he continues at his post use if moth
ing had happened. The mystery of his
resignation is certainly not diminish
ed by this suppression of it. II is evil
dent that we must dismiss the hypothe.
sis that the health of the Chancellor
was so impaired that relief from the
cares OF Office was an instant necessity.
He is not well; he has been over.
worked he is liable to fits Of mental
irritability-all this we can understand
and believe to have been true for q long
time past, but he has been able to do
his work in spite Of every ailment; and,
as he now proposea to continue his work.
it must be concluded that his ailments
are not more serious than they have
been. If there was an acute attack OF
any kind it must have been as brlet
as it was acute. There is, indeed, q
summer holiday in prospect; but this
relief is a. ways in prospect, and, happily
for the world, not for Prince Bismarck only
What then was the meaning OF last
weeks announcement 1t is said that
Lord Brougham once caused o rumour OF
his death to be circulated that he might see
what people would say of his career. We
do not attribute this excessive vanity to the
German Chancellor; but, if there is any
doubt as to the meaning Of his threatened
retirement, there can be no doubt about
this, that the rumour of it did unloose all
. the tongues of Europe, and set everybody
revealing what be thought of the personal
influence and policy Of the Prince.
The point on which we should like to be
informed is whether, now that Prince Bis
uoaroL rot,,prs IN fha hahn ho docs an rndop