, 1894-11-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
Spectator Octbr. 2Oth.1

A newspaper published at Lahore states
with much detail that, according to baz"ar
report, the Ameer OF Afghanistan Is dead
that before his death he nominated his eldest
sou Habibullah Khan, his successor, and
that he advised him, if he would keep his
throne, to remain a friend to the English.
The Vjceroy a Simla has received no con-
frmation Of this report, but it appears to be
certain tlat the Amer is very i'll with
disease Of the kidneys, and as he has been
out Of health for years, it IS probable that
this attack will prove fatal. In this event,
anarchy ia feared in Afghanlstan, where the
clan chiefs will almost certainly rise, probably
on the pretext that some other Barukhzye
has a better claim 10 the throne. 1t IS feared,
with reason, that the populace OF Cabul may
attack the Europeans, who Will have 10
ride for their lives, and are tempered by the
presence Of four ladies. The Government
has therefore despatched D column INTO the
Khyber, not to invade Afghanistan, but to
protect the fugitives should they appear, and,
we doubt not, has warned all commanding
officers or the frontier to be ready for active
service We trust Lord Elgin, who is still
untried in such matters, will keep his head
cool. refuse to seize Candahar, rs he will be
pressed to do, and recognise IiablbuIlah, VINO,
with the British subsidy at his disposal,
ought 10 be able to hold down his capital
and win the fight for his throne. All de-
ponds, however, upon his capacity, and the
situation is d most anxious one.
Nothing whatever is accurately known of
what is occurring il the Japanese war with
China. There may be means Of recohclling
the kilograms. but Judging only from inter
hal evidence, we should say that they are
drawn or inspired by japanese and Chinese,
and that they are deliberately intended to
conceal facts. Nobody knows where the
Japanese Fleet is, and as to Count Yamagata,
he il renreseuted by one bulIetin-maker as
preparing for a great battle north Of the
Yaloo. aud by another as having just cap"
tt,red the Chinese ARSENAL at Port Arthur.
The only thing certain is that the Chinese
are bringing up great numbers of soldiers
to defend Pekin; that. there is II war party
aud a peace party in the Palace; and that the
peace p~arty:which is headed By Prince Kung,
has been allowed to make some overture
10 Jauan. which was contemptuously rejected.
No great event, it is clear. has occurred; and
Of course all delay tends to the advantage OF
the Chinese, who are repairing their FORTH
cations and collecting men. while the
Japanese invaders lose soldiers every day.
There has been no disorder in Pekin; and
all accounts describe the young Emperor
who is, by the way, twenty three. as trying
hard to obtain information. He wants to
know whom to trust.
The Times Of Thursday gives an interesting
account of Mr.. Edison's latest invention, the
Kinetoscope. It is described as being to the
eye what the phonograph is to the ear,-that
is, it reproduces living movements Of the
most complex and rapid kind. Suppose a
person eating his dinner. While he is doing
this, forty-three Photographs are taken in
succession on a band Of celluloid, and within