The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-08

numbers of them jumped overheard and
were drowned.
The regular infantry of the empire num-
bers somewhere more than 800 600. There
are less than 100000 cavalry. There is
also an hereditary and privileged sol
diery composed of Manchus and Mongols,
with many Chinese who descended
from those who joined the in
vading Manchus in 1912 These banner
men," as they are called, are supposed to
inherit a strong devotion to the present
Tartar dynasty. In twelve provincial
capitals they and their families are as
signed to special fortified quarters. in
order to isolate them from the other in
habitants as far as possible, TINS securing
the purity of their patriotic stock. Sixty
thousand of them are stationed at Peking,
where there are 1872, 900 troops in all The
capital city has somewhat the aspect of
a vast intrenched camp, being under mill
tary rule and protected by a series of
double and triple walls.
The banner men are seldom required to
drill, and when called out, they muster
with rusty swords, bows and spears
Their pay is very small, and usually they
are permitted to pursue occupations in
civil life for subsistence. The regular in
fantry is armed with Russian muzzle-
loading rifles, swords and shields, spears,
bows and arrows, and all sorts of queer
medieval weapons, TheyIare instructed
in European tactics, to some extent
Some battalions are provided with huge
matchlocks six feet lOng-one for every
two men. When such q gun is to be dis
charged, one soldier Stops with his hands
on his knees and serves as a rest for the
muzzle of the piece, while it is fred by
his companion. The Chinese cavalry is
armed with carbines, chassepots, match
locks and short swords.
Most of the guns used by the artillery
are small brass cannon, with smooth
bores, of Russian manufacture They al
50 have small iron cannon, which are
fired from wooden tripods, or benches ;
shooting proiectiles that weigh from four
ounces to a pound Nearly all of the ar
tillery practice is done with blank car
tridges, method not calculated to pro-
mote efficiency in craftsmanship. The
troops employed for the defense of the
distant frontiers are equipped with
matChlocks, bows, cutlasseS, and spears.
German army officers have been employed
during the last few years to give instruc-
tiOnin tactics and the use of various arms.
as well as in torpedo service and epgin-
eering. AT present four hundred thou
sand of the soldiers have had more or less
teaching, and modern arms are being in
trOduced to some extent.
The methods of warfare hitherto prac-
ticed by the Chinese have been the most
primitive imaginable. Having thrown up
intrenchments and posted their men to
slaughter an enemy in front, they have
regarded an attack on the flank as low
minded and cowardly-very much as an
American boy would consider a kick in
the stomach as an unbelievable diversion
in fistcuffs. When they fought with the
British they were astonished to discover
that their tiger-faced shields and the
clangor of the gongs, cymbals and other
strange instruments played by their regi-
mental bands failed to terrify the Euro
pean enemy.
Their long-respected books on tactics
prescribe, with illustrations, certain
specific grimaces which must accompany
each attitude with the gun or spear in
drill. Those mugs are supposed to
brighten the foe. At Canton, where
arms of American pattern are now being
manufactured, the Remington and
Spencer rifles have been enlarged to a
caliber of one inch, with barrels six feet
long. On being told that such a length
was excessive, a Chinese gun factory
superintendent replied that che knew it,
but the increased size gave the weapons a
more formidable appearance