Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-08
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
The Mad Mullah Again Threatening An
Indian Outbreak.


The latest news from the Indian from
tier that was the scene Of the Afrdis
outbreak Il year ago shows that matters
In Baiaur are assuming Il serious aspect
and the fear Is expressed i'm London of
further difficulty with the Mad Mullah,
who was set at liberty about "A month ago.
II seems that the Kahn of Nawagai has
declared war against the Nawab of Dir,
aud that also the Kahn Of Pashat is maxi
ing, raids into the Nawagi land. The
Mad Mullah, who has raised Il large fol-
loving. is now threatening the NawaL's
stronghold of Dir. All this is looked up
on by experts In Indian affairs as being
serious Ia the English position on the
frontier should the Md Nul!ah succeed
In reducing Dir. 1t VIII be recalled that
the NHwdb was good ally of the In
dian troops in their recent campaign. and
as rocompcnse IT was agreed that an
English garrison should help guard the
road from Chakdara to the Lower Low
rairi Pass. The temperance of the Mad
Mullah on the scene IS considered particu-
larry omnous in London, for. after the
disturbance in the Peshawur Valley had
been suppressed by Sir Bindon Blood last
year, the Mad Mulldh was considered per-
fcctly harmless, He was roundly denounc-
ell by his followers. and in prison he
seemed merely frail. weak fallir. with
cred with age, with white beard and hair.
but possessing a marvellous pair of pcne-
tratinS black eyes. He Is said to possess
to a wonderful degree the power of hyp-
notism. and certainly, according to an In
dian officer, his rise in few short weeks
from a disgraced leader and confuted
prophet to potent political factor and
warrior priest with a powerful following,
Is little short of miraculous.
MORTALITY IN THE FRENCH ARMY.
A recent number of lie journal Officiel
Of Paris publishes Il report Of the minister
OF war to President Faurc con-
corning the sanitary condition of
the French army maintained for
period of ten years including
1877. After showing what means have
been taken to preserve the health of the
garrisors, as well as of the colonial
troops, the report shows that from the
year 1896 to 1897 there were less deaths in
the French army than for any other
twelve months in times of peace. The
mortality. which was 1856 for every 1000
in 1875 fell in 1896 and 1897 to i55. Anoth-
er important point in the report shows
that the garrisons which cannot be sup
piled with natural, pure water have clab-
crate and adequate apparatus for distill-
ms the liquid in infinite quantities. This
apparatus Is portable aSd is easily
taken with the troops on their man
ocuvres.
DlRTIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
According to lie Petit journal of Paris,
the dirtiest people in the world. dlrtier
even than Lieut.. Peary found the EsSi-
mo, have recently been discovered by a
Russian traveller and explorer, M. Zieno-
WIFI In the Caucasus They dwell in an
almost inaccessible mountain range in a
strip of territory between the Black Sea
and the Caspian Sea; and for the last
2,5uO years, according to the scientist
they have remained in the same prime
II III pD Had @ Hoo.
and their village, although consisting of
miserable stone novels, without any at
tempt at form or adornment, even such
as nature might suggest to them is not
without certain picturesqueness when
seen from distance Within, however,
the huts are desperately filthy, being fill
ed with rags, skins vermin, and dirt of
every description. Like the Eskimo and
certain Australian tribes and the Pueblos,
they have no fre-places, their cooking
being done by a fire kndled in a hole
scooped out In the middle of the floor
In these houses, many of which measure
only 10 by IA, men and women and chill
dren are huddled together as many as
eight or twelve persons often occupying
a single hut, and in the winter their cat
tie and mountain sheep share their quar-
tiers. Every aperture is closed on ac-
count of the cold. Horrible diseases arise
from this long imprisonment, aggravated
by an abnormal consumption of arrak, q
strong distilled drink of the Asiatics.
Strange as 1t may seem. they have adopt
ed the holiday decreed by almost every
religious sect Thus four days In a week
no work is done. The only industries of
the people are farming. bee culture, and
cattle breeding; and throughout their
territory there Is not a single manufac-
tured article
FOREIGN NOTES.
In recent chancery case involving the
right of agricultural tenants In Derby
shire to mine for coal, the evidence put
in for the right was that given before a
parliamentary committee soon after tho
death of King Charles /. Tho case was
decided on evidence more than 200 years
old
Sea scrpents having gone out of style
in England the octopus has taken their
pacc Constable Holmes, while bathing
at kildysart OH the Irish coast, WAS seiz-
ed by one which twined It's tentaclcs
around his arm. With the aid OF another
policeman he succeeded In freeing himself
from the beast.
signorina Esther Bon0mi. doctor Of