The Opelousas courier., 1884-03-01
CHIMES MILITARY FORCES.
Her Preparations for Attack and Defensl
Both by Land and Sen.

f6OLAh DS AsIa anu SCAs ==
China has two separate armies. Tht
imperial army proper is known under
the name of the Army of the Eight
Banners. It is divided into eight
corps, each being distinguished by &
peculiar banner. This army almost
forms a military caste, for it is com
posed exclusively of the descendants
of the Mantehus, Mongolians and Chi,
nese 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 bust
ness, being forbidden only to leave
their city without a permit from the
commanding officer. The officers ex-
eel their men only in gymnastics. Ac-
cording to the Chinese notions, noman
is fit to be an officer unless he is an
athlete. This army numbers 100000
men; of these over -one-half are sta
toned in Pekin, and the rest in a few
large provincial cities. This military
caste can by no means be regarded as
a military army.
The second or provincial army is
called the Army of the Great Banner.
Each of the eighteen provinces of the
empire is obliged by law to keep a GER
tain number of soldiers, and their ag-
gregate, according to the official statis-
tics, is $4,000 men. There are 80
generals and over 10000 officers. The
provincial army is composed chiefly of
'mercenaries, while the majority Of the
officers are of. the military estate.
These two armies, amounting to $780,
COO men, are all the force the Celestial
empire has to rely upon in case of war.
The imperial guard, about $4,000
strong, is the flower of the army. Of
the infantry guard, 5000 men are pro-
vided with muzzle leaders, presented
by the Gar of Russia; the rest are
armed with flint guns, lances and
shields. Half of the cavalry, about
1000 men, are armed with Chasseport
rifles. The artillery has thirty-tWo
bronze guns, bought in Russia, and a
few mortars. There are 1,750 educated
artillerymen.
The army of the governor of Chilly,
about $4,000 strong, is also re%organized.
The men are instructed by English
and French officers. The army has
breech-loading rifles and Krupp ste |
cannons. According to German wri-
tiers, up to 1879, Krupp had sent to
China $50 heavy guns and 275 field
guns. The army of the goverfore of
Zhan-Zu and Shan-Zee, 10000 strong,
is said to be supplied with all themod-
ern arms, and to be drilled according
the principles of Moltke and Manteuf-
fel. This army fought successfully
against Yakoob Beg, and. indeed
proved itself the best disciplined army
in China.
1t is obvious, then, that in China
there are only about 10000 men pro.
perly armed and drilled; while the
rest of the soldiers can be regarded
only as undiseiplined and unarmed
reserves. As to gunpowder and arms
the Cinnamon apparently have an
supply of their own There
are eight excellent a~rsenals, directed
by E~nglishmen. The arsenal of
Jian-Zin, for instance, turns out daily
$500 pounds of powder. At the
arsenals of Nankin and Shanghai the
guns of Remington and
Spencer are manufactured. At the
Fu-tcheu-fu arsenal Submarine mines
are prepared. At the Lan-tcheu-su
arsenal cartridges and arms are
manufactured.
The forts are found at the mouths
the great rivers Si-kiangt Min and
Yang-tse-kiang, to protect the great
Canton, Fu-tcheu, and Shanghai
In the interior of the country all the
cities are also defended by forts.
The capital city of Pekin is, of course,
most strongly protected. It is
defended by Fort Daku, amply pro-
vided with Krupp cannons, and is
surrounded by stone walls from forty
20 seventy feet thick, and about forty
feet high. Nine gates lead to the city,
Ind these are defended by cannon
mounted in the numerous towers.
China has three separate fleets. The
Canton fleet comprises twelve gun
boats, of which nine were made in
England and are in charge of English
The Fu-kiang fleet is COM
posed of six gunboats and a few trans
tort vessels; these were made at Flu
cheu under the supervision of French
men. This fleet is in excellent order,
md it is in charge Of Cinnamon. The
Shanghai fleet is composed Of nine
yunboats, two frigates and several
transport vessels. AL of these were
made by the Cinnamon themselves.