, 1881-03-09

% pOeiAlOn w ia TIC luNu Ou AoiS,
ia, which SO once threatened, but will
have the utmost difficulty 10 holding their
own the momen a few thousand we'll
armed Russian troops move south and
cut off the Kashgar force from it's commu-
nications east. Chinese strength In Central
Asia has been just as much exaggerated
by European writers as their strength in
China proper for, to tell the truth they
are as unprepared for a campaign OF the
frontier as they are admittedly unable to
cope with Russia on the seaboard.
Concentration Of troops at Shan Hal
Kwan goes or apace, Tnirteen thousand
troops have been sent from Hankow III
steam trans ports, but all are armed with
matchlocks. This is u perfect example
of Chinese progress in military matters.
OF the absufdity Of h~urrying together a
crowd of undrIlled men armed with rusty
old gingalls for the defence Of the country
against a Power like Russia they know
nothing, bat they dwell with great CON-
placency on the fact they have steam vessels
at their command tor the transport of their
soldiery. The commander. in-chief is Tseng
KuOchuan, a brother of the late celebrated
Governor-Genera at Maxim, Tseng Kuo-
fan, and uncle OF the present popular Min
lister to England. | have seen several
letters from Chinese officers at the Shan
Hal Kwan camps hut the news current
there is mainly founded on translations of
paragraphs from European papers. Refer
ence is made, tor example, to tho
recall of M. Botzof to St. Petersburg, aud
to the utter impossibility of ever giving in
to Russia's demand for the cession Of the
island of Formosa,
Regarding the prospects of war, or plans
for war, the Chinese military msndarins
with whom I have conversed know very
little. The following is the substance of
a conversation I had with an admiral the
other day, a man Of more than ordinary
intelligence, as military mandarins go:-
The Viceroy has sent me a list OF the
Russian feet. of the size of its ships, the
weight of the guns carried, and the num-
Der Of their crews. They number about
10000 men in all, and are stationed at a
place | never heard of, calledVladivostock.
How far is that from Russia Is it 10
ChinaP The Russians caunot possibly
come up the Yangtszc, and Peng, our
Admiral-inchisf, has written to the Emper-
or not to be afraid /; Peng guarantees with
his head that not a single Russian ship
will ever go up the Min (to Foochow), the
Wanpoo Ito shangha), or the Yangtsze.
The embouohure of the grand canal
at Kwachow, and the commanding posi-.
tions Of. Cbinkiang are being we'll looked
after; and Lin Kuniyi, the Viceroy at
Nankin, has orders to stake the Yangtsze,it
necessary. II your foreign merchant
steamers are stopped, it can't be helped.
You need not laugh at our troops being
armed with matchlocks. l consider it u
great advantage. If we fight, we shall
beat the Russians and capture their rifles
and eur soldiers will use them, because
they know rife drill. But if the Russians
beat US, and capture our matchlocks, they
won't be able to use them, because they
dou't know matchbox dill. So the
advantage is clearly with US, / am a
Human man, and nine-tenths of the Chinese
army officers and men aresHunan men.
Over 200 600 men have been enlisted 10
my province during the last few.ysars. and
there are plenty more of US who do not
fear death. The recruiting agents of three
provincial Governments are busy getting
more men now. The war party, as against
the anti-war party at Pekiu, is simply
against the rest of China. AT The present
moment ia our empire. there are four
governor generals, eight Imperial commits