The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-29

strong or the fighting too severe to make
the attempt in boats, then the forces
should have marched up the east bank of
the river, along which a low, but contin-
uous watershed runs; thus for the whole
march they would have had the river be-
tween them and the Boxers, who were
busy tearing up the railroad.
Chinn's Bad Water.
The relieving force suffered from lack
Of water and this is one of the greatest
dangers to be encountered in campaign
ing in China. The country has been SO
thickly populated for so many centuries
that it is one vast graveyard, and the
graves are not made by interment, but by
setting the coffin on the ground and heap
ing the earth up around it Then, too,
there is no system of sewerage or drain
age, except into casspools, which often
stand almost alongside the wells that sup
ply the various communities. The water,
therefore, is always reeking with the
germs of typhus, TYPHOID and that fear
full oriental dysentery that makes living
skeletons out of the strongest men in a
few weeks. The Chinese only manage to
escape these epidemics by boiling all their
water and drinking it hot, and the troops
campaigning in China must follow this
may taste when so treated. or they will
ose a hundred by the dread disease men,
toned for every man that is lost in
lighting.
Quarantine is unknown in China. and
it is common to see men all broken out
with smallpox lying along the streets.
The Chinese regard smallpox much as
we do chicken-pox. as something that
everybody must have; in fact, among
them, measles is much more feared
The troops moving in China at this
season will find the country full of the
finest gardens and many will doubtless
yield to the temptation to sample the
numerous greens and vegetables, but let
them beware for the method of fertilizing
the fields and gardens is such that all
green things are poisoned with the same
germs that faint the water. As a rule
vegetables and fruits are safe to eat in
China after they have been thoroughly
cooked.
1t will be particularly trying on troops
who have been serving in Cuba the Phil
ippines or India to be transferred at this
time to North China. The rainy season
there is over by the last of August, and
the falls and winters are dry and cold.
while frequent storms of wind sweep the
plain and raise such clouds of sands and
dust that traffic is stopped. These sand
storms have played no unimportant part
in the history of China. Both the Mon
gols and the Manchus, being northern
men and accustomed to them, have reaped
great advantage from them, more than
once successfully attacking the southern
Chinese while the storms were in pro-
gress; the singing sand and gravel of the
storms demoralizing the southerners ut
terly.
Winter in North China.
Frost comes about the middle of Octo-
Der, and about the last of November the
steady cold sets in and freezes I'D the
river which stays closed until the last of
February or the middle of March. There
are no SHOWS to amount to anything a
few fiurries. perhaps, which amount to
six inches, say in a whole winter The
mean temperature for the winter months
is not much over 20 degrees. 1t seldom
warns up enough to thaw, while it fire.
quently drops to near zero, so the men
will need generous supplies Of warm
clothing and bedding.
Most OF the troops now going to North
China will doubtless have to winter there.
for it is unlikely that quiet will be re-
stored before the closing of the river in
November, and after that it will be i'm
possible for them to leave the country
before spring. The wintering of such
forces about Pekin will be a difficult prob
lem, for there are no decent camping
places about the city. They might he
placed on the top of the city wall which
Is fifty or sixty feet wide and wei paved
but to keep the troops In the CITY would
only be TO initiate the people and endanger
the health of the men. In the hills about
ten miles north and about fifteen miles
west of the city, however there are ex-
tensive temples which are used as summer
resorts and stopping places for pilgrims,
and these structures would make excel
lent quarters for the troops There. too
are magnificent springs which would fur
nish an ample supply of the best water.
and the coal mines at the foot of the
hills would give plenty OF fuel A short
military road across the plain would place
them in close touch with the capital.
So lktle interest has been taken in China
by this country that an adequate man OF
1t is not to be found in the United States,
ever the War Department has no map OF
value, and has been at a loss 10 know
what provision to make for our troops
that were being sent there II is amusing
to read that the transport Port Albert
carried 100 mules to Taku, when North
China's mules are probably the largest
and most plentiful to be found in the
world.
Much OF the hostility toward foreigners
that has been displayed in the present
outbreak has been due to the harshness
Of the foreigners in dealing with the Chi
nese, particularly that of the German in
Shantung and unless great care and con-
sderntion ia shown toward the non-com-
batants the occupation Of Pelkin, instead
OF bringing quiet, will inflame the whole
empire. The Chinese are not savages
nor even barbarians. and. while their Gus.
toms and manners may seem peculiar to
rs, It should be remembered that they
have been in force for many centuries
longer than ours have prevailed. Their
preiudices and supersutons must be re-