comes within their charge. The number of bannermen in Peking, under pay, is estimated, inclusive of the before mentioned divisions, at eighty thousand men, as it is the policy of the reigning dynasty to exercise a kind of espionage over the various high officials at the provincial capitals. There is a Tartar General commanding the garrison, which consists of bannermen and their families. Special quarters are assigned to them, to isolate them, as it were, from the Chinese inhabitants; but, despite the precautions taken to insure their loyalty and purity of descent, they have mixed and intermarried among the citizens, and adopted the Chinese language, manners, and customs. As soldiers these men have become useless, and their maintenance costs the Government large sums of money. They are seldom called upon to drill, either at Peking, or the outstations. Receiving but small pay, they are permitted to engage in any occupation or traffic. Their allowance from the throne is paid to them in rice or grain, by a system of orders upon the imperial granaries, which orders they sell to the highest bidder. The arms in use among the banner force are swords, bows and arrows, spears, and a few muzzle-loading rifles. They, in their turn, served to drill the men forming the force. Beside these foreign guns, a brigade of one thousand men use the obsolete swivel-gun, fired from a bench, or tripod, and carrying a ball weighing from four ounces to a pound. A camp is in existence at Hai Tien, in the vicinity of the summer palace of Yuen Ming Yuen, composed as follows: Three battalions of infantry, each eight hundred and seventy-five men, armed with Remington rifles; two thousand cavalry; one battery of field artillery of four twelve-pound guns, and one howitzer battery of four guns. These troops, which are all foreign drilled, are composed of native Chinese alone. They are kept as a sort of reserve in the event of an attack on the capital. The available force for the defense of Peking numbers: Within eighty miles from Peking, is the city of Tientsin, the residence of the Viceroy, Li Hung Chang, the joint commander-in-chief of the Chinese army. The troops at Tientsin are a large body, and may be said to be mainly composed of men from Anhwei, a province of Central China, the home of the Viceroy. With few exceptions the whole of the officers commanding the force are natives of this province. Owing to this fact, the Central Government at Peking have some reason to fear a popular émeute in favor of Li, and, as a rule, adhere to any decision or conform to any suggestion he may make. The garrison is quartered in and around the city, in camps surrounded by high walls, and strongly fortified. At each angle of the structure, Armstrong, Krupp, and Vavasseur guns are The regular army of the capital consists of natives of the provinces of Chihli and Shantung. The infantry is constituted as follows: Four battalions of eight hundred and seventyfive men and officers, each armed with muzzleloading rifles of Russian manufacture (these battalions are well acquainted with European tactics, each man having received instruction at Tientsin before proceeding to join the force); one battalion, or cadet corps, under the authority of the Hei wu fu, or Court of the Ha- | rem (it is composed of five hundred young men, and their arms are bows, arrows, and spears); three battalions of eight hundred men each, mostly armed with matchlocks, swords, and shields. The Prince of Chun, father of the present Emperor, has a body-mounted. guard of two hundred men, armed with various Chinese weapons. Their size varies from twelve to forty-pounders. At the more exposed positions, such as over the gates, Gatling guns and mitrailleuses are to be found. Within the inclosures there are mud huts built for the soldiers, and wooden buildings for the officers. The most rigid discipline prevails. Opium smoking is punished, on the second offense, by The cavalry are mounted upon stout, wiry Mongolian ponies, supplied to them from the imperial stud grounds. There are also five divisions of one thousand men each, armed with Enfield carbines, Chassepôts, and spears. The artillery consists of twenty-four field | cutting off an ear; on the third offense, the reguns, nine and twelve-pounders (two horses and six men being attached to each gun; the guns are mostly brass, smooth-bore, of Russian manufacture), and six Armstrong breech-load-gambling is also prohibited. The drill of iners. The necessary instruction for working the guns was given to the sergeants attached to each gun at Tientsin, by an English instructor. maining ear, and should the person be detected a fourth time, he suffers the death penalty. Women are forbidden to enter the camp, and fantry and artillery is upon the German method throughout. The cavalry force still adheres to the old Chinese style, intermixed with a little arms. Since the year 1865, European drill instructors, of various nationalities, have been engaged in teaching the Chinese foreign tactics; and those men who showed in any way a proficiency in their attainments were dispatched to various points, where garrisons existed, to impart the knowledge acquired. The German successes in 1870 led the Viceroy, Li, to adopt the tactics then used by the Prussian army. A sub-lieutenant in the German army, who was well versed both in infantry and artillery drill, was engaged. After a service of ten years, during which time he made the Chinese acquainted with the science of artillery and with field duties, he has returned to Europe. Traveling southward, we come to the treaty port of Chefoo. Here, again, a Prussian officer is occupied in drilling the soldiery. The number of men of all branches of the service at this post is: nese army are only approximate, as each viceroy has the immediate control of the soldiers in his province, and a larger number exists on paper than is actually available. The actual command, as to the movements of the men, is vested in the Tsung Ping and the Titu, or the commander-in-chief and brigadier-general of each province. Each battalion carries a number of triangular flags bearing the surname of the general in command of the division, so review or escort duty, is turned into flag-bearthat a major portion of the force, when seen on ers. Owing to the lax system of payment prevailing, numberless grievances have to be heard, and risings among the soldiers are numerous and frequent. The real standing army of China, in which is comprised the soldiery of the treaty ports, provincial capitals, customs barriers, and guards at the high officials' yamens, are known as the Luh Ying or green banner division. They render purely nominal service, leading a lazy life, and engage, under the cognizance of their commanders, in trade. Should the general commanding, or the viceroy, order an inspection, they are drummed together to pass muster. The viceroys and officials have of late years made extensive purchases of foreign breech-loading arms and artillery of modern construction. It may be safely asserted that nearly every pattern of rifle is in the hands of the Chinese troops; but by far the greater portion of the army have the Remington rifle. Owing to its simplicity, accuracy and simple mechanism, it is the favorite arm. The artisans at the arsenal near Shanghai and Tientsin turn out, by the aid of machinery, about five thousand rifles weekly. The various gunmakers of Europe and the United States have agents in China, who are pressing the respective qualifications of the rifles in their charge upon the officials. Winchester, Sharp, Albini, Snider, Chassepôt, and German rifles may be seen in the service, but the Remington has the lead in The ships compoint of the number in use. prising the Shanghai and Foochow squadrons are all armed with this gun. The artillery in use is also of a mixed kind; some of the batteries being composed of brass smooth-bores, and others of Armstrong muzzle and breech-loaders, and a few Krupp and Gatling guns. There are no cavalry stations at the southern ports whatever. The officers of the army are all mounted, and carry the short curved sword as a defensive weapon. During actual warfare the commanding officers generally are in the rear of the army. In case of service proving too arduous, or the number of men being insufficient to repress customs, whose services are available at a short notice. The capabilities of the Chinese as to their soldierly qualities may be summed up briefly. The history of Colonel Gordon's small force during the Taiping rebellion plainly shows that if they are properly armed, trained, and led by officers enjoying their confidence, they furnish material for admirable soldiers. Fru gal and temperate, hardy and enduring, they undergo hardships and privations without complaint. With men like Gordon and Giquel to lead and spur them on, they make formidable soldiers. The total of the Chinese army may be put down as follows: any brigandage or insurrection, there are in | tionalities, are in the employ of the imperial the empire a number of disbanded soldiers. Their services were in requisition during the late rebellion, and they gain a livelihood by hanging around the mandarins' residences. These soldiers are called Chwang Yung, or braves. When no longer required they are disbanded. These gentlemen are the principal actors in any agitation against foreigners, and are to be hired for any purpose whatever. The best men for soldiers that China can boast of are natives of the province of Hunan, Honan, and Anhwei. They form the major portion of the army of the north-west. Averaging five feet in height, they are strongly-built, and are capable of bearing great fatigue and hardships. These men have always received great attention in Chinese military circles, as they are considered very brave. As to the qualifications of the officers of the army, the old-fashioned trials of strength, sword and spear exercise, are still in vogue in the service; but a number of young men who have received, and are receiving, instruction in Germany, France, and England, and who have also profited by the lessons of instructors in China, have changed, and will doubtless improve and regenerate the tactics of the army. Infantry. Infantry in the North-west. Cavalry in the North-west. Artillery in the North-west.. Total... 320,000 150,000 80,000 20,000 20,000 10,000 .600,000 This strength, by calling out the braves, can be at any time brought to a total of one million men. The army of the north-west is now receiving reinforcements from the south, and a large number of troops will be massed upon the Mongolian frontier to repel any attack made in that quarter. In addition to the above force there are upon the inland waters of the empire about two thousand small sailing gunboats, each armed with one gun and manned by twenty-five or thirty men. Their discipline is lax, but their services might possibly be available in war time. They are principally employed in the suppression of smuggling, in conveying native officials to and fro, and convoying powder and warlike stores into the interior. Their locomotion is effected by a large striped blue and white sail, and also twelve or more oars, or long sweeps. The pay of these men is very small, being at the rate of two or three dollars a month, but this is eked out by making the most out of any unfortunate that comes into their clutches. At every lekin (inland-tax) station, two or more of the boats are to be found, to aid the officer in charge in his collection. Turning to the army in Kansuh and Northwest China, under the command of Tso Tsung | Tang, we find, according to the latest advices, that it consists of about one hundred and eighty thousand men-one hundred and fifty thousand infantry, twenty thousand cavalry, and ten thousand artillery. The best guns are in use in Kansuh. Krupp mountain guns, siege guns of twenty and forty-pounders, and Gatling guns are to be found. Here, again, the infantry are armed with Remington and Martini - Peabody rifles, and the cavalry with Remington revolvers and Sharp's carbines. The munitions of war are in great quantities, and supplies to the force are constantly on the road from Shanghai, Nanking, and Tientsin arsenals. This body of men is in a good state of efficiency. The only drawback to warfare in China rests on the vile roads, want of bridges, and slow means of transport; and this state of affairs is extremely apparent in North-west China, where mountain passes and gorges are numerous. Should Russia attack the Chinese in this quarter she willed find her work difficult. The passes can be defended by good men to the last extremity. The number of foreigners engaged in China consists of one German at Chefoo, one German at Shanghai, one Frenchman in the North-west, two Englishmen, one at present traveling (General Mesney), and one at Formosa; but a large number of old officers, and men of various na What the ultimate position, or personnel, of the Chinese army may be in the future, if drill by such men as Colonel Gordon, it is difficult to surmise; but there is no doubt of the fact that, until a uniform method of arming, drilling, and general equipment is established throughout the empire, in lieu of the present system, which permits each viceroy to adopt his own ideas of military matters, the Chinese army, taken as a whole, cannot cope with European force. HENRY D. WOOLFE. OPPORTUNITY. This I saw once, or dreamed it in a dream :- And stretched to reach the rolling globes of down A laggard saw him from the distant road, Or if it had been yesterday—just there I stood, and flew my goshawk: 'tis too late." He twirled his scarf, sighed, hummed a foolish tune, A whole hour passed: the daughter of the king And this I saw, or dreamed it in a dream: A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel- E. R. SILL. twelve feet high. It extends in a similar manner northward from the court-house, thus barring on both sides the only approaches there are to the jail. Behind this wall is the outer yard of the jail. In the wall north of the courthouse is a large double door, seldom opened. The approach to it is rarely used. The wall on the south (next the hotel) has two doors-one, rather small, for persons, and the other for wagons. The prisoners are never admitted into the outer yard, for the wall inclosing it could not have been intended to afford security of any kind, unless to prevent the passing of anything through the grated windows of the jail by persons outside. The inner court of the jail, in which the kitchen and pump are situated, and where the prisoners are frequently admitted to find sunlight, is upon the north side of the jail, and is surrounded by a high brick wall. The eastern wall of this court faces the rear of the courthouse, and the western wall forms one of the four sides of the Big Tank. There are four entrances to the jail confines -the main entrance, through a hall that leads to the jailer's office; a door on the south side, opening into the jailer's apartments; a heavy iron door that communicates between the inner court and the outer yard; and another that is never used, and the existence of which is known to but few. This door fills an important part in this history. Criminals held for minor offenses, and women, and insane persons awaiting examination by the Commission of Lunacy, are placed in the large, well aired compartments in the second and third stories. Those charged with or found guilty of graver crimes are placed in one or the other of the two divisions of the Tank. This latter is a prison of remarkable strength. It is divided into two compartments-the Little Tank and the Big Tank-separated from each other by a wall about thirty feet high, that reaches a roof lighted through corrugated glass set in iron. The walls surrounding the whole are made of brick, and are thick and massive. Imbedded in the center of the walls, and running their entire length and hight, is a network of heavy iron bars, crossed and riveted. It would require a persistent bombardment with artillery to demolish such a wall; for, if the brick should be thrown down, the iron would stand. Both the Little Tank and the Big Tank are arranged on the same plan. The former contains four cells, and the latter, fifteen. The description of one will apply to the other, with the exception of this difference in the number of cells. Those under charge of murder, horse thieving, or rape are assigned to the Little Tank. The four cells in this are in two rows, back to back, the rows being separated by a narrow passage (for ventilation and drainage), strongly grated above and at either end. The cells are eight feet by nine, seven and a half feet high, and are covered with heavy granite slabs. In the rear wall of each is a small grating, to admit air. The doors are made of heavy plate-iron, doubled and securely riveted. In the upper part of each door is a small wicket, that closes with an iron shutter opening outward and barred on the exterior. Sometimes a prisoner is favored by being allowed to attach a string to this shutter, that he may close it at his will. When once closed, he can not open it. Surrounding the group of cells is a wide passage. Prisoners are generally permitted to exercise in this area, but are always locked in their cells at five o'clock in the afternoon, when supper is served. Each Tank has a door communicating with the jailer's office. These doors are secured by a heavy grating that opens inward upon the Tank, and a solid plate-iron door that opens into the office. Neither Tank has a window. In the arrangement of this costly and secure prison there is a single defect-another door in the Little Tank, a superfluous and unnecessary thing. This is the door that is never used. The wooden wall that blocks the entrance to the outer yard of the jail is but a portion of a wall that runs almost entirely around the jail, Tanks, and court, the only discontinuation of it being the court-house wall. The court-house and jail run back in the direction of Market Street about half the depth of the block. The wooden wall behind the jail forms the rear inclosing fence of several yards, belonging to cottages facing on Market Street. One more fact must be mentioned as showing the absurdity of an attack upon the jail. The court-house is two stories in hight. To each story there are eight windows looking down upon the approaches to the jail. These windows are provided with iron shutters. Four men, armed with rifles, could have been stationed at each of the thirty-two windows. Furthermore, the windows of the St. James Hotel could have been similarly filled with men; and in addition to all this, armed defenders could have occupied the windows of the jail that peered over the wall, and could have swarmed behind the parapet of the jail. Taking all these facts into consideration, it is not idle to assert that it would have required extraordinary strength and determination to make the jail disgorge in open fight. But there was another way of doing it. |