Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-24
THE STRENGTH OF CHINA,
Composition of the Army ana
Navy of the Celestial
Empire.


given regarding the strength OF the
Chinese army and navy BY the st. Pc.
tershurg Gazette:-"China has two
separate armies. The imperial army
proper is known under the name Of
the Army Of the Eight Banners. It'll
divided into eight corps, each being
distinguished by peculiar banner.
This army almost forms q military
caste, for II is composed exclusively o.
the descendants OF the Mautchus,
Mongolians and Chinese rebels who in
1901 invaded China and dethroned the
old imperial family. During peace
the men of this caste are allowed TO
conduct any common business, being
forbidden only to leave their city
without a permit from the command
ing officer. The officers excel their
men only in gymnastics. According
TO the Chinese notions no man is fit TO
be an officer unless he is an athlete.
This army numbers 100000 men. or
these over one-half are stationed In
Pekln ana the rest in a few large pro.
vinclal cities. This military caste can
by no means be regarded as regular
army. The second or provincial army
is called the Army Of the Great Ban.
ner. Each OF the eighteen provinces
Of the Empire is obliged by law to keep
certain number Of soldiers, and their
aggregate, according to the official sta
tistcs, is 100000 men. There are
eighty generals and over 1000 officers
The provincial army is composed
chiefly OF mercenaries, while the ma.
jority OF the officers are Of the military
estate These two armies, amounting
to 100000 men, are all the force the
Celestial Empire has to rely on in case
Of war.
THE IMPERIAL GUARD.
The Imperial Guard, about $4,000
strong,is the flower Of the army. OF the
Guard infantry $500 men are provided
with muzzle leaders presented by the
Gar OF Russia; the rest are armed
with flint guns, lances and shields.
hall OF the cavalry, about 1000 men,
are armed with Cassepot rifles. The
artillery has 81 bronze guns, bought
In Russia, and a few mortars. There
are 1850 educated artillerymen. The
army of the Governor Of Chilly; about
8O,OOO strong, is also reorganized. The
men are instructed by English and
French officers. The army has breech
loading rifles and Krupp steel cannons.
According to German writers, up to
1879, Krupp had sent to China 100
heavy guns and 275 field guns. The
army Of the Governor of Khan-Zu and
ShanSZee, 10000 strong, is said to be
supplied with all the modern arms
and to be drilled according to the
principles Of Moltke and ManteufFel.
This army fought successfully against
Yakoob Beg, and, indeed, proved it.
self the best disciplined army in China.
1t is obvious, then that in China there
are only about 10000 men perfectly
armed aud drilled, while the rest Of
the soldiers can be regarded only as
undisciplined and unarmed reserves
MUNITIONS OF WAR.
"As to gunpowder and arms the
Cinnamon apparently have an album
dant supply OF their own. There are
eight excellent arsenals, directed chief.
| ly by Englishmen, The arsenal Of
jan Tin, for instance, turns out daily
5000 pounds OF powder. At the arse.
nails Of Nankin and Shanghai the Am.
erican guns Of Remington and Spencer
are Manufactured. At the Fu-tcheu,
fu arsenal submarine mines are pre-.
pared. At the -tcheu-su arsenal
cartridges and arms are manufactured
The forts are found at the mouths O.
! the great rivers Siskiangt, Min anC
Yang-tse kiang, TO protect the grea,
cities, Canton, Flu tcheu, and Shang
hal. In the interior OF the countr,
all the large cities are also defended b.
forts. The capital city Of Pekin is, o
Z course, the most strongly protected
! Il is defended by Fort Daku, ampl,
provided with Krupp cannons. and 4
surrounded by stone walls from fort,
to seventy feet thick and about fort,
feet high. Nine gates lead to the city
: and these are defended by cannon
mounted in the numerous towers.
THE FLEET.
China has three separate fleets
The Canton feet comprises twelv
gunboats, ofwhich nine were made il
England and are in charge of EnglisI
: officers. The Fu.kiang feet is com
posed OF six gunboats and a few trans
port vessels; these were made at Flu
tcheu under the supervision OF French
men. This feet is in excellent order
and it is in charge Of Cinnamon. Thu
Shanghai fleetis composed OF nine gun
boats, two frigates and several transpor
,, vessels. All Of these were made b.
the Cinnamon themselves and ar
rather insignificant. Recently Chin
has got from England eight iron clads
armed with guns Of the largest cAlibre
The strongest and most effective par
Of the Chinese feet is made up o
thirteen small gunboats, named alto
the letters Of the Greek alphabet, o
1850 tons displacement. They ar,
built Of steel, and are propelled b.
twin screws driven by compound en-
gines Of, together, $500 indicated
horse power. They each carry twl
twenty>six ton ten inch breech loadinl
guns, mounted upon centre pivots, on
forward and one aft. Each of thes
.. heavy guns commands q nearly al
around FIRE. The charge Of the gun /
1870 pounds Of powder, the weight O
! prOjeotile 400 pounds, and the pene
trative power equal TO piercing eigh
teen inches Of solid, unbacked irol
plate. They carry besides in eaol
: four forty FOUNDER breech loadin
guns, two Nordenfeldts and four Cat
, ling, and, Furthermore, two steam cut
! ters fitted with spar torpedoes. Tn
vessels are also armed with formida
: bic steel knife edge spur or ram
!, Without claiming too much for thesI
vessels, says the London Times, /
should be remarked Of them that III
: penetrative power and range Of thei
guns, measured by the accepted off
cial standard, exceed those Of any gu
ahoat, except those Of the Englisl
: InAexibles and the Italian Duilio
No unarmored ship that carries gun
can be compared for a moment wit
them, and no armored ship equals ther
: in speed.
j. STARTLING DISCOVERY.
+ One that May Break Up all In