The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-10-04

The artillery, however, constitute an
entirely distinct branch of the service,
and by their inability to hit any.
thing are a wellspring of joy to the
enemy. For Of all cannon that were
ever invented the Chinese cannon are
the most worthless, and Of all gun
ners the Celestial artillerymen are
the worst. Their native-made guns
are the poorest apology for artillery
that I've came from a foundry. One
English officer tells Of a gun he saw
that had been cracked in firing, and
was nevertheless continued in the
service by being patched up with
strips of bamboo and tied with
strings. The guns have no sights,
for the Chinese 90 not understand
these mysterious appliances, and
often remove them from the foreign
guns purchased for the use Of the
navy, sometimes replacing them with
pieces of bamboo. With the native
guns it is impossible to hit anything,
partly from the lack Of sights, partly
from other faults in the piece, and
partly from the worthlessness Of the
powder. 1t is said the Chinese in
vented powder hundreds of years ago,
and artillery men who have tried to
use the Chinese product are often
tempted to believe that it is some Of
that powder that was first invented.
The Chinese guns merely throw out
the shot and that is about all. Dur
ing the opium val the English,
watching the Chinese batteries, often
saw the round balls used drop from
the gunat the distance of a few yards
and roll away, and even when the
Celestial shooting was at its best, the
balls glanced from the wooden sides
of the e n-of-war, generally without,
throwing off a splinter. Besides
their cannon the artillery men are
provided with bows and arrows, gen.
orally much more effective than their
guns. They have no gongs, the re-
port Of the artillery being supposed
to answer the same purpose, but they
are provided with one weapon, which,
SO far as known, is peculiar to China.
1t is known by a Chinese name.
which, translated into English, sig
nilieS the "stink-pot." and it justit1es
its appellation. 1t is a small vessel
or jar of pottery filed with sulphur
and other combuStibles, and is used
by lighting the inflammables within
and then throwing it among the
enemy. One match, burning under
the human nose is bad enough, but
the general effect of this peculiar
weapon is that of a barrel Of matches,
nnA no UDndar nan no fQlt of tho foot
that, when landed on the deck Of a
hostile ship, it speedily drives the
defenders from the scene. With can-
non, stink-potS, and a bOuntiful sup
ply Of very large tirecrackers to use,
when their guns from any cause fail
to go off, a Chinese battery is we'll
provided for either attack or defense,
and is justly regarded as the bulwark
Of the national independence.
TO what extent the warlike appii-
anceS of ten or twelve years ago have
been supplemented by more modern
and improved devices is uncertain,
but Judging from the fact that Of the
troops dispatched to Corea, some at
least were armed with bows and ar
rows, it is fair to presume that in no
inconsiderable degree the time
honored implements of val still hold
their place in the Chinese bands, and
were it not that the Japanese are
better provided, the international
duel would be about as interesting
and as bloody as if it were fought
with mOps. washboards, and fat
irons.