The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-12-23
LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

the gates of Woolwich Arsenal were
shaken by its force. An investiga-
ton proved that the explosion was
the result of an attempt to blow up
London bridge. Fortunately, how
ever, the effort resulted in an absurd
fiasco, and the historical though
comparatively new structure stood
uninjurcd. The principal damage
done was the destruction of perhaps
$500 worth of window glass in ware
houses on both banks of the river
A number of lamp posts were twisted
into fantastic shapes and some
travellers were knocked over. One
pedestrian, who was probably nearest
the explosion, said he was slightly
bruised by being violently thrown
against the stone parapet of the
bridge. Had the crime been care
fully planned and the perpetrators
intended serious mischief, which is
doubted by the police officials, the
result must have been appalling.
London bridge is known to be the
most throngcd thoroughfare in the
world. 1t is estimated that 10000
people from the London, Chatham
and Dover Railway station alone
pass to and fro on the bridge daily.
1t being Saturday, when business
houses close earlier, the crowd was
smaller than usual, to which circum-
stance is attributed the escape of
many persons from injury. At
latest advices the affair was still
mystery, but it was remarked as
curious coincidence that it happened
on the seventeenth anniversary of
the Clerkenwell Jail explosion.
A cable special from London of
December 18th says: The prospects
of the Nile expedition are considered
gloomy by the experts of the military
clubs in London. According to
their analysis of the situation it will
take until the middle of January to
get the bulk of the force to Ambuka:
then it will require fifty days of hard
work on the river to get the troops
to Khartoum. This calculation
brings the expedition to Khartoum
toward the end of March. After re-
lieving Gordon, supposing him to
have held out until Wolseley's
arrival, there seems to he nothing
left for the army to do than to race
back across the Bahinda desert to
Debbeh, as the route from Shendy to
the Red Sea is considered to be too
dangerous to be practicable. The
newspapers complain that they are
not allowed to know the true state of
affairs, owing to General Wolseley's
rigorous censorship of press despat-
ches. A Cairo despatch of Dec. 13
says: The Nile expedition is adj
vancing with much rapidity. Wolseley
thinks that with a favorable wind
the English forces will arrive at
Ambuka sooner than has been an
ticipated. 1t is reported that El
Mahdi's tent is constantly surround
ed by triple line of guards. Heis
harassed by the fear of being poi
soned. His favorite wife or daughter
prepares his food.
The French Chamber of Deputies
has passed the navy estimates,
coupled with Recommendation
urging the building of swift cruisers
and torpedo vessels and the speedy
completion Of large men-of-war.
France has purchased seven British
steamers for use in conveying addi-
tional troops to China. 1t is believed
in London that negotiations between
France and China, through the British
Foreign Secretary, have stopped.
The death sentences of Captain
Dudley and Mate Stephens, of the
vessel Mignonette, for having killed
boy to save themselves from star
walton when shipwrecked, has been
commuted by the British authorities
to six months Imprisonment without
labor
A Hongkong despatch of Dec. Ia
says: 1t is reported from Naga-
saki that the Coreans have rebelled;
that the King fled to the hills and
that his General was killed. The
outbreak occurred during an enter
tainment given by the King to the
British Minister and others. At n
given signal the Kings son and
Ministers were massacred. The
Queen disappeared. A collision oc-
Cured between the Chinese troops
and japanese. The King placed
himself under the protection of the
Japanese. The foreign residents
of Corea are safe. The gunboat
ESpoir has arrived in the Seoul river.
The motives of the rebellion are un-
known. The results are certain to
interest several Powers.
The provisions of the Nicaragua
treaty recently concluded, under
which the Nicaragua ship canal,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, is
to be constructed, are published in
the American papers.
A committee of fifty gentlemen