The New York Herald Newspaper, May 23, 1870, Page 8

The “Armed Peace” of the Old World. Franco, Austria, Russia, Haly and North and South Germany at “«Atten- tion” and “Make Ready.” Exhanstive Drain on the Industrial Resources of the Peoples. Bighteen Wundred and Twenty-three Thou- sand Troops Ready for Operations onan Ontbreak of War. ©uz special correspondent im Berlin snpplies the following statistical cxbibit of the muster rolls of the chief sianding armies whica are just now main- taincd on the Continent of Europe. This special leuer is of great value as setting forth fully to the American people the condition of “armed peace” which exisis in Europe and the very unstable foun- @ation on whieh the thrones and financial and fendal interesis of the Old World stand in presence of the impoverished and exhausted peopies, BRRLIN, May 4, 1870. in presenting the following comparative s\ate- Ment showing the strength of tbe prominent milt- Austria, Rus- ia, Italy, France and North and South Germany—I Would remark thar the figures, for the most part, though re cat it to be and 1a topre Like this should only be of jnterest in case of Impending war Laduilt that ther: is no direct Judication of sach an event, though Mt cunnot be denied that ihe political aspect 13 less obce:ing than tt Was some mouchs past, and certain undercurrents appear to agitrte the peoples of the Continent. Instead of indulging in introductory re- marks I prefer presenting che reader with facts and Agures at once, and commence with Lhe exnibiis of tary Powers of the Continent, viz: Bre from autilentic and oficial sources, it must be recollected that governments gencrally prone to state thelr num strength as they would wish Ot as it is tm reality. the force of THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE. ‘The reorganization of the Austrian army was sano- toned by the law of December 5, 1868, and made Known by his Apostolic Majesty Francis Jogeph in @ pr clamation containing sentences such as:—"'Both parts of my realm have now an equal interest in maintaining tts magnitude, power and security, My peoples, obejient to the law, without distinction of Yank, will Mock tomy sta! rd with just ambition and pride in order to fulfll the noblest of duties, A mew elewent, the landwehr, is added to the army, serving for Une same purpose, composed of the same elements and partly originating froin it.” Some of the principal featares of the new Army Jaw are: gqneral ltavility of all citizens to serve in whe reguiar army Uiree years, in the reserve seven years. Those not serving in either have to enter the landwelw for twelve years. The strength of the army on a war footing is xed for the next ten years at 800,000 men, inclusive of the reserve, The strength of the land and men of the second ban, land sturm, is regala‘ed by distinct laws, The share of Cisieithania im the war strength of 600,000 men is, for ¢ being, fxed at 470,03 men; that of Hun- Gary at 029,682, The minimum age for entering the standing army is seventeen, the maximum age thirty-six . Those Who possess collegiate ation are entitled to enter a3 volunteers, cloth- equipping aud matntainiog themselves; if in the they have to furnish their own lorse and Volunteers need to serve but one year in the hen they are admitted to the re- » may become al returns Mt 13 feed. regular ranks, ¥ serve. aud, giving pro oMicers of the Landwet seen that a very low degree of intelligence is prevalent in the years, from 1863 to 1863, the average num- ber (deducting 44,000 non-commissioned officers) Of privatcs was 492,689, and of these only 54,530, or e.even per cent, were able to write, being one out of nine. The prop mn <difers considerably in the various species of arms. Of the engineers and Dioneers foriy-three per cent could read; of the ar- tillery twenty-eight per cent; infantry, seven per cent; cavalry, tour per cent, and im_ the Quarier- mucter’s Department only two and a half per cen The greatest tguorance waa observed tn the dr oons, Of Whoin two per ceut only, and m the 'yrvle-e rifle r-gimenta, of whom oue-half per cent only were able w write thelr name , Ji the pndget of 1860 f Aad thi {mperial standin, army pumbering 278,740. In the military schoot there were 3,483 cadets, The number of horses wad 38,169. Included in this total strength of 278,740 ave 62,249 officers and non-combatants. The army expen-e ‘Ws estimated forthe year 15) at 72,250,000 florins, ‘and 6,500,000 florins for the extraordinary clat. Ac- cording to the present 0. ganization the war stren:th of the Austrian infantry, including riflemen, ts fixed at five eighils of the aggregute $00,000, though there are fizuring, at least on paper, 622,304 men—an ex- cess of 22,404 meu not Warranted by the new law, he reorganization of the Austrian army and the entirely new feature of general liavility to military duty have been in operation from the éarly part of 1868, though it would be erroneous to suppose that the empire has reaped already any benedt from it, ag the etfect of such alterations cau be felt only after a long series of years. If Austrta’s army were to be Called to the fleid at present it would not materially differ from what it was in 1866. Inde@!, the nation- uty question and otuer internal dificaitics of the mpire justify the belief that her acitve military strength would prove still less edictent than at thit tume. Her Northern army in 1868 nombered about 240,000, the Southern 70,000, In a war at this mo- ment Austria could ly dispose of an army of Amore than 300,000 fighting men. THE RUSSIAN ARMY. Corresponding to tts vast area and population the Russian empire bas a numerous army, composed of the Lest rural clement, combining pi Austrian army. During four With that endurance aud perseveran rene rally belong to a primitive Buro- pean Russia, with 107,200 geograplical square Tuiles and 72,900,000 inhabitants, lias 671 souls to @ square mile; Asiatic Russia, with 270,000 graphicul square miles and only eight millions Mhabitants, ony thirty souls toasquare mile. If the army were egually distr.buted throughout her terrliory there would ve but twelve soidicrs to a aquare mile, and a s.ngie army division would have to be stretched out over 1,000 miles, making it {in- possible to collect any force in case oi need. The army consists, therefore, of solld imposing groups in different sections of the emptre, each au army of itseif, reflecting the peculiar local and national char- egical system of its own. pply to the European por- tiou of the Russian army only:—It consists of regular and irregular troops. The former are annually ievied by conscription, an imperial ukase Oxing the quota of cach 1,000 male iuhabitants, The exemption of the nobility, officers of government and merchants of the firstand second guild has ceased; but sub- wiitutes are adm.tted, the military department sup- plying them at the charge, ior 1889, of 670 roubies. ‘The recruiting age is trom twenty to thirty; the ‘Ume of service in the ranks, ten: in the reserve, five yeers. A late ukuse grants a reduction of the ime of service to those who voluntarily oer themselves previous to the Uwentieth year of age, For recruiting purposes ie Russian empire 13 di- Vided tuto an Eastern and Weste lepartinent, and a levy is to (ake place alternately in each of 75,000 men or five men per thousand. In the year 1854, during the Crimean war, the levy in both depari- Ments was nineteen per thousand, ta the following year twelve per thousand in the Westera ana ten a2 thousand in the Eastern department, not count- log the Drusiina or jandwenr, for which thirteen per thousand were levied throughout tue empire. A ukase of November, 1869, orders tor the present year @ levy throughout the empire and in Poland of four men per thousand. This does uot apply to the province of Finland and to tte Irregular Cossacks, tue former having retained {'s old Swedish organi- vation of @ miitta namvering 16,000 men, and the latter being employed at the same time as colonists on the Souther frontiers and other outposts. Only @ moderate portion of the army 1s supplied with breech-load’ng muskets, and several years must elapse before a sufficient quantity can be obtained. The Minies changed tnto breech-loaders are con- sidered useless; hence contracts are said to lave been made for 800,000, of these 300,000 of the Berdan sysiem at the Colt factories, the-others of the Carl gystemand the invention of Kruka. The improve- ment in the artillery since the year 1896 has been far eater; the Russian factoriés have furnished in 1809 no less than 650 rifle bored guns, and the two | however, 114,430 men on furlough. ‘and one at Brjansk establishments at St. Peterstu ve, 1,310 bronze aud have farnisbed in 1868-9, uel 609 cast Iron ordaai. ‘Yhe strength of the Kassian army 1s not easily esti. | it to double “NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, MAY 23, 1870.—TRIPLE SHEET. Denahea, Nittes were #oized?, 1,300,000 men; tor im 1866 but whl Suobhaut in nog eer Tang a and In 1864 aver Jee 1866 1 Mind official ac- counts giv ‘the foHow ing figures:—30,507 officers of alt A og 708,151 neu-commissioned otticers aad iva ex, These were divided tuto— Oavairy, . or 1 i. arutiery + $4,302, or 11 per cent, . 19,082, or 2 per cen ‘Total . nah - 798,153 Of whuch, after ie deduction of garrison, lecal troops, &c,, there would remain, 1p case of War, $74,413 mien for active duty. In the Russian military journale the strength of the army Was stated, January J, 1867, a8 719,045, In- ciuding 21,908 officers; Jauuary 1, 1868, 714,000; Jan- unary 1, 169, 726,000, Owing to extensive furloughs the nambers of the reserve have been greauy inereased, amounting at present to 640,000 men. Of the Cossack countries it might be remarked (hat with a populauon of over 4,000,000 they aloue furnish 307,000 combatants, of bernene 172,000 can take the deaving 156,000 in reserve. Anotier and recent account of the military and politcal power of Russia gives @ glowing account of her army and its kprovements if tactics and inan- agement, in Europe Russia is sald to bave 47 divi slons, each of 4 regiments of iniautry, witi an ag- Sacnl to Sears men; 30 rea Sado png 4 5} regular cavalry, % arililery, Adi batteries, 1,128 yuus, 28,000 men, and engineers, 11,500 men—muking the sum total In Europe 034,500, With 1,128 guns, Ji to 1mis add 103,000 men and 176 guus how in Caucasia she wields @ force of 656,000 regular combatauts, With 1,004 guiis, exclud- ing all the men cmp.oyed tn the adtministrative, san- (tary, quartermaster and other departinents. It is also Mentioned that “corporeal punishment” has been aboiianed “in principle,” though (he author dees not say how fur it bas been Qune 10 pr ‘The best erttics agree on one puint—naim siuce the year 1864 the Kussian army lias greatly improved in quality, and is now very strong in tie Gefenalve eluent, hough Wuch jes8 $0 in the offen. ve. La the foruer the dun soldier evinces great endurance and bravery; in the latter he can- not a8 yet compele With otier Continental troops, aud Ube Guceally of mobilizing her army Would pre- vent Russla, for years Co cou, obtaining much ad- vauiage irom ber numerical superiority, It ts sup- posed thet after (Wo mouths of preparation Kussia Inight Concentrate at the utinost 200,000 men at her West.rn Jrocter, and in tw months more increase 14 Aumber, Bub wiih the present sys- tom of Warfare even @ four week's campaign ts Im- probable, as everything is decided by a rapid con- centration of forces aud quick act.ou, The clinae of the country also & great impediment dunng fully seven Wihtor mouths in the year, 4H JUALIAN ARMY. The nucleus of the Malian army 18 the former Sar- dinian force, In the campaign of 1545 Piedmont nad but 54,000 Aust: men, Which were @. vanquished by a, Alter being reorganized we see the Picd- se amy im the year 1300 number 62,000, with e@ ve of 40,000 mea, etrengibened the Garl- bila volunt-er-. After tue peace of Viltafianca and the gnnexauons in the year foliowing the army numbered 148,009, though it should have been 174,000, In the year 1863 the whole army counted 380,000, of whom 273,000 were reguiar troops and 1.7,000 re- serves, the weil disciplined Pledmontese army being now em) died with tne Laain, which was thereby much improved ‘n quality, Tue reserves, however, were insufficiently driil-d and not to be relied upon m active oR. We will not dw lt on the many alterations whch have been ad pted on that ac- coun!, but sp.ak a! once of the pian of :eorgaulza- tion of 1829. ft prov.des for an active army of 400,000 aod a reserve Of 220,000, entrance of recrutts ofiweaty ye rs of age and abolishe: stitution. The annua) quota from taree categories, of which the iirst serves mine years, four in the ranks and five on furlough, after which it ius the reserve for three years, The cavalry serves years oniy, ve of which, however, tu active duty, The second category is drilied during one or several years, but for only five months altogetner, and ts Habe to duty, though on furlough, for six years. The same isthe case with the third cate- gory, Which is drijled but forty days and belongs for six years to the reserve, Tose of the first category on fi ugh are wot permitted to marry untll the completion of the tweuty-stxth year of age, of the Second category until the twenty-fourih year. Volunteers having the requisite education are ad- mitted for Gne year’s service provided they are able to maintain (heuuselves- ; The ficld army of Italy 1s computed by the Minister of War according to the new law as fol.ows:— Men, Ordinanza and remnants of the discharged... 38,000 Nine classes of the Lrst category...... + 278,000 Six cla-ses of the second caiegory. + 108,000 Cavalry and train.. 6,000 TOA), oss .-veccsnnescsacinaserss ++ 425,000 ‘The nanber ready for mobilization and to c:oss the ironuer is given” at 270,009 to 280,000 men sup- ported vy the reserve, consisting o-— »¢ of tho first catego 8 of the tiird category. W Was Lo come into op: January, 1870, but it is diMeull to tell how much of it has been executed and how much, owing to the Nnaucial stress of tie government, remained a dead lett treng?'h of the Italian army ona peace foot- Ing Was, January 1, 1868, 283,927; at the close of 1863 if Was only 170,800, showing @ reduction during that yeat of 64,000 men, Tue uew organization of 1869, establishing the army on @ War Tovting at 400,000 and the reserve at 220,000, limits the ruulltary budget Lo 140,000,000 Lives, thus compelling the goverament to restrict the army on a peace footing to 173,000 men. ‘Yhe mihtary budget for the current year amounts to 148,145,000 lives fer the ordinary, aud 6,644,600 lures for the extraordinary WaNis of the department, The number of actual combatants in 1866 was about 23,000 men. ompiitation of the Italian Munister of War, aHowing for 1869 an activa force of 270,000 to 230,000, must be considerably reduced by deducting the troops requisite for keeping up inter. nal order and checking the brigands in the Souta. It Wowd be near the mark to estimate the available itaitan force at 200,000 combatants. While it would be unjust to judge of the quatity of the Italan army he unlucky Campaizn of 1866, the battle of tozza and the defeat of the om it must not be overivoked that it is but a young inst.tution, without glorious tfadition, and suffering materially from per tuaucni political aud duancial embarrassment, TUE ARMY OF FRANCE. The many reforjs 1p the French army from the time it was considered invincible under the great chieftain Napoleon f, up to the present dynasty can- not be the subject of Uiis inquiry, which looks to recent events only, such as the reorganization in 1868, consequent upon Prussia’s successful stroke against Austria and the establishment of the Norch German Coutederation. The imperial government, desirous io maintain the milury rauk heretofore occupied in Europe, thought necessary to frame a Jaw which would enaple it to wield an army of 800,000 men, ready in all cases of emergency to protect and march beyond the frontiers. The Jaw of February 1, 186%, eo a recruits for the army and organization of the Garde Mobile, was ‘intended to carry out this object. iis principal features are those of the law of 1882, but it increases the time of service to five years in the ranks and four years in the reserve. ‘Tue iniiiiary age 13 twenty-one; substitutes are al- lowed; measurement of the height 1s reduced by one centimetre, and the men of the reserve may contract marriage during the last three years of their ser- vice. A material alteration ts the grouping of the different categories, there having been drawa formerly 23,000 of the first class, while the number at present is 63,000; the oid system giving after a period of seven years 161,000 experienced soldiers ‘and 252,000 of only five months’ drili, while with the present system there are obtained 441,000 experienced and only 84,000 raw soldlers. ‘The real strength of tie peace establishment of France ts at presen! about 400,090; to these must be added, in case of a war footing, Nine categories of the second class at 12,000. .108,000 Four categories yolunteers, or of those retaken trom the reserve, at 7,000... seeeeees 28,000 Four categories reserve frat class at 60,000, ...240,000 Meking a grand total of... . 776,000 AS the average cost of asoidier in France is 866 francs per annum the war budget will amou 672,000,000, the peace budget to 846,000,000 francs, Deducting from the above aggregate 80,000 for gendarmes, arsenals, powder manufactories, &c., 60,000 men for Algters and 55.000 men for 249 depots: in the interior, there would be left for active ope tions at or beyond the frontier a force of 680,000 men, The eficiency of the Nattonal Guard, or Garde Mobile, need not here be discussed. We will only give the ditierent Views as 10 the development of that or- ganization. Of the 322,000 young men Who annually aitain the age of twenty years, 60,000 are taken for the Garde Mobile. ‘his gives 300,000 men for five years, But owing to the abolition of many exemp- tious the number will be increased in five years by 200,000, making a grand total of 5v0.000. The plai is to form 250 battalions of infantry at 1,600 men and 125 batteries at 200 men—a forceof no less than to 25,000. tu order to provide tor the cavalry France has, in case of war, to import horses from Other countries. Thus in 1867 she purchased 38,000 in Germany and Ausiria, Of these 14,000 were farmed out to agricul- turists, who might work them, but are bound when calied upon to return them in good condition within fourieen days. by ‘The artillery brancu, the pride of the first Napo- leon, counts 169 batteries, with 1,014 (ad With reference to the much vaunted mitra e, OF e- voiving ordnance, iInuch secrecy has been observed; it is said to possess less precision than the Gattling gun, but to excel it in rapid fire. it may be mentioned that the whole number of ordnance manufactared by the government from 1852 to 1868 was 8,846 of both rifle and smooth bore. In the year 1868 the government manufactured 100,000,000 Chassepot cartridges, and the same quan- tity was furnished by private industry. he strength of the French army on the gt Octo- ber, 1867, was computed at 868,769 men; in Algiers, 65,263, ‘Totai, 424,032. Of whom 40,000 furloughed, leaving 384,032; reserve, 226,466, Total, 60,498 men. The oficial revurns on the 1st December, 1868, the active force in the interfor as 378,852; in Algters, 64,691; in , 6,828 men, The reserve of 108,546 and the Garde Mobile of 381,723 swell tha total to 1,028,080, From the active force should be deducted, In April, 1869, Marshal Niel reported the strongth of the army to the Senate, as follows:—Eiective force March 1, 880,000, with the requisite nnmber of horses. In the event of a war footing it would mated. [tis said) nave numbered im 164%, when the | require we purhace of 26,000 Lorses, No Power iu Furope could bring its forces into the fleld with the same yee ‘The whol nuimber belonging to the Tanks ta 400, ) aad \ th well drilled reserver imperial decree the Ga.d. Sous haa ot uh 28, 1868, respecting been followed by sitisfactory resuits. ‘The number of organized battalions waa 142, batteries #1 and two Diouver bodies, abd tic force 1m future Would amount to 2,000 batiaiions, representing a force of 000 men. bis argued by wiose Who would deprecia’e me Military power of France tat these Ngures 106k very Well on paper, but should they come to be tested would fa conaldsrahiy short i the CN ae esprit de corps of the Uarde Mobile ext 1 , and the new creation of Marshal Niel ie looked upon by them as a failure. On the Ist Octeber, 1800, 1 naa the actuad force stated as follows:— Tn the interior, in Alghors... In the Papal Dominion.. ‘Total... ‘The average number of furiongis was. Leaving actually tn the ranks,... ae $25,526 ‘The reserves aniounted at the same time t0.. 212,316 Total... wate ee eneeeperseterentenseseees 1 willconclude with an estimate of ths strength which France could br.ng readily into tire field, le ..- ing the Garde Mobue out of th question, It may possibly be regarded a8 a low estumate, but experi- ence has abundantly proved how easiy one muy err to the opposiie d.reciion. The fleid army, consisting of eight army corps or twenty-four d. visions, and composed of 216,000 in- Tantry, 27,000 cavairy and 600 guns (mot including twenty-1 ba te: les of six Mitrailieuses each), uiay be esthmated at 286,400 men, ‘Trausport. seseeres 6,400 The reserve, three army corps, pine divicious, 93,600 F eid troops rem iintug behind... 50,000 Depots, fortresses, caginecrs...... see 85,000 Total.... ....++ sey ee 15,000 To these should be ‘added ‘Oni ors on ‘isave gen darme:, Workines, ofii¢iais, &¢., about 85,000, mak- ing 4 round number of 600,000, if a war Were to break out in the second half of a year the above total would be increased by te an- nual levy. THE AKMY OF THE NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION. The Band constitution of Germany places the army, Whether on war or peace fooung, under ihe cht f commend of King Willlim of Prossia. Saxony has been permitted fo retain an army adininistration of her own, «nd by mutual ag eement, applying, wevor, to tines of peace only, the Sixon monarch have a votce MM uny IMp rant alleritions. By special convention with the Grand Duchy of Hesse jis troops fort # division of the Kieveuth Prussian army 6 rp, npd are consequently wader the com- mand of the King of Prassta, byery ciuzen of the confederation ts iable.to duty and subsittutes are tnadmismble, The period of entering tie service hes between the (ventieth and twenty-ei;hih year of age; he must serve three years in the ranks, four years In the reserve and tive years in the laniwetr, Volunteers matatatnmg themselves serve in the ranks one year only, and are then adinitted for six years longer to the reserve. ‘Tue miitary état for 1870 allows 225 thalers per head for the army on @ peace footing, it representing one per cunt of the population; hence, according to the census of December, 1867, 29,970,478 souls, 299,704 men, 67,433,400 thalers, During the time of peace the strength of the army is computed at $15,526 me: 307 horses and 898 guns. WwW. ength (incinding the Hesse divisio1 Miers, 12,777; ofiicia's, men, 584,054; 1 $96 horses and 1, reserve:—Oilicers, (22,545 orses an: gui Officers, &c., 6,376; men, 193,68; 16, 234 guts. Recapitulation—Ofiicers, 28,645; men, 915.676; horses, 193,930; and guns, 1,¢50. The Increase of 640,000 men necessary to place the army ‘rom a peace to a war fooung 1s obtained as follows:— Nine annual courses of well drilled men at 90,000 PEL Year... .e..eeee Deducting 16 per cout for loss. i} 675,000 20,400 Leaving for the increase to war footing... 625,400 Or an excess 8 til of 55,400 men and swelling Wie War streugth to just 1,000,000. SOUTH GERMAN STATES ARMY. It is well Known that conventions es between these States and Prussia for a similar organization of forces and joint act.on In case of war. The de- tails as to service, &c., are thus very stuliart» those whic have been given above. @ will therefore conde ourszives to giving the nu:nerical stren zth. BavaRia.—Peace footing—Otlicers, 2,139; oiicials, 7 |, 34,662; 5,647 horses and 192 jun: ‘Oicers and men, 69,004; re. garrison troops, 22,614. Together with 17, guns, TEMBERG.—Peace footing—OMcers, 610; om- ctals, 91; men, 13,463; 2,782 horses, War footing— Oulvers and men, 22,076; reserve, 6,540; garrison troops, 6,084; 6,630 horses and 66 guns. Baven.—Peace footing—Oillcers, 652; 87; men, 14,189; 3,003 horses and 36 guus, fooilag om and men, 1 $ garrison troops, 9,640; 6,181'b TH Leaves... Sesecee Oif, Volunteers for one year. Wai 25, 236 horses: oficials, War * E It now remains to recapitulate the figures in tne above statement, in doiag which we lave addeia column containimg the supposed reai avaliable strength which each Power would have a its dis. posal on the sudden outbreak of hostilities, ligures in this column ave, of course, not abso- lutely to be relied ou. They represent the opinion of partes Well versed in military matters; parites who holi a8 @ maxim that commanders-in-chief have gvod reason to be satisfled if at the critical Mmomeat they can lead into the field fifty per cent of the aggregate force allotted to them in the archives of the War Department. We muy furiher admit that the views ¢Xpressed in this colamn are principally thove of German tactician’, who are apt to see othor armies in @ less javorable light than theirown. But one thing seems certain, namely, that the formidable figures in the cotumn “war strength” should be understood only a3 more or jess nominal, approachabie only after several months of urgent preparation, and that in couniries unembarrassed froin finaactal or other causes, THE CHIEF CONTINENTAL ARMIES. Available on actuat Peace Field = =War outbr'kof Estav'nt. Army. Sue hosttities. — _ 833,700 300,000 — 1,206,000 *309,000 425,000 620,009 290,000 647,271 1,350,009 870,000 651,993 944,321 546,000. South Germany., 66,540 107,496 184,406 107,000 r operations on the Western frontler. Jt will be seen from the above table that North Germany shows an available strength almost large enough to cope with France and Austria together, but it must be taken into account at the same time that she comes nearest to the condition of a country un- embarrassed from any causes and tiat hence almost her enttre field army can be made avatiabie at any time. Such favorabie view of her military power, and especially her numerical strength, may lend to the underrating other Powers, bat we are fortified tn our opinion by those whose judgment is deserving of credence—we mean active members of the army. GERMAN POWEK AND PRUSSIAN WPAKNESSES. Apart from this, certain circamstances exist to support such opinions; they are kaown not only to muitary men but to the people generally. Lreferto the systematic training of the Prasstan and German soldier, who at the very outset of his career is taught to consider himself and his calling as “a State within @ State,” who must keep aloof from civilians, who owes blind obedieuce only to his superior, whose honor 1s a different honor from that of a private cit'+ zen, Who 18 judged by a dilferent code, who must never divest himself, under heavy penalties, of the King’s badge, bis uniform; must always carry his side armis, wheter in barracks, tavern, public place or drawing room. Such rigid organization, carried out without regard to the feelings of Quman- iy. at avast expense and regurdiess of the groans of the people, pervades the whole military de- partment: there 13 an iron despotism; under it everything moves like clockwork ‘at the Hifting of @ finger; in this city all the barracks connect by telegraph wires with bo'h the King’s geet and the War Department. Many regiments, u fact Whole army corp, Stand in readiness, ‘The morale ot the soldier may also be mentioned. He 18 taught to believe that the army 4s not only to protect the State against foreign foes, but also to secure the throne against internal opposition. Such is his blind obedience that we venture to say without hesi- tation he would not flinch, in case of an émeute, at the word of command to fire upon and Massacre his own mother, wife or kindred. These qualities, engrafted as they are upon the German soldiery, make the pride of military men here and justly their assertions as to the efticiency in power and Gumerical strength, GERMAN CONSTITUTIONAL VIEWS, These vauutings, especiaily with respect to the latter, have roused the liberals to energetic calms for reduction in the army establishment. They say, with @& great deal of justice, that as “disarmament? 13 the generat demand of the people of the Continent, ant as North German} has ab army numerically equal to both France an Austria togetier, it behooves her to take the first step in that direction. The loyalists are in a ditem- ma for counter arguments, for in this case the fa- yorable statements and figures have originated with military men, who, of course, are royalists pur et aimpie. 4 But again, if the estimates in the last column of the table are worthy of some credit, they furnish almost conclusive proof that unless North Germany shouid all at once turn into an aggressive power, NO war 13 likely to take place on the Continent, and that even the entrance of tho Southern States into the Northern Confederation, viewed as it 13 with great hostility by France, and treated with supreme Indifference by Count Bismarck, would not result in open war, AN ADVENTUROUS TRAVELLER,—An Iowa paper tells of an adventurous traveller starting from Keokuk to New Orieans ina canoe:—Jim Brown, oad afternoon, stavted for New Orleans in an ndtan canoe—one which he brought home with him Some time ago from the head waters of the Missourt river. Kefore starting he provided himself with everything necessary to make the trip enjoyable and comfortable. Besides a good supply of rations and clothing, he had a tarpaulin, Dlankets, fishing tackle and a shot gun. As ne shoved out with bis narrow, contracted craft we felt sol.citous for Jeems’ welfare; but he seemed to understand how Wy manage Ie PERSIA. The Flow of Commerce and Channel of Trade by Bushire. How the People Live—Mosquer, Prayer and Public Schools. Piracy, the Bastinado, Cotton and Qpium. By special correspondence from Bushire, Persia, we have the following ample and highly important exhibit of the state of affatrs—governmental, polttl- cal, inaustrial and social—which existed there during the early days of 1870, Bushire the Main Channel of Persian Trade The “Last of the Private Buggalows— General Features—The Mosques—A Persian Schoo! Sounnecs and Shiyaeces—Tho Bunder— ‘The Bazaar—Twe Men Bastinadeed for Sel- ling Grain Too High—Tbhe Maleck Tadjar— Trade, Cotton and Opium—The Haj Steam. a Busnike, April 3, 1869. Bushire, or Abu-Sheer, or Abu-Shabr—whichever apelitag may be preferred by the reader—ts situated nearly at the head of the Persian Galf, on its north. eastern side, and 13 at present the chief seaport of Persia. Until quite recently, indeed, it was the only seaport in possession of that Power; but during the reign of the present astute and almost enlightened Shah the various other coast towns along the eastern side of the gulf, which for several gencra- tions had been held and governed by their local sheikhs, who acknowledged the authoulty of the Shah in a very doubtful manner, ana who even fre- quently entirely repudiated tt, have been brought under the direct control of the Teheran government. ‘This has, however, only added to the prosperity of Bushire, which can now boast, if the estimate of the British Resident can be~relied on, a commerce of £4,500, 000 ($22, 500,000) annually. Perhaps tt ts as well to explain at ouce how this estimate is made up. The Governor of Bushtre farms the revenues of the place from the Shah for an annual payment of 80,000 tomanns ($75,000)—that {3 to say, the Gover- nor pays that sum yearly to the general government and takes the chance of the receipts from all sources, customs, octroi dues, land and poll taxes, and bribery and corraption of every conceivable description, repaying him with intere: ‘The Resi- dent supposes the Governor to make 1 tomauns profit, while his subordinates make 5,000 more. This 13 a very moderate computation, and as at least nine-tenths of the; total sum ought to coine out of the customs and octroi receipts, while the recognizea duty on imports and exports is five per cent ad valorem, this would give the amount Stated as the total vaiue of the annual trade of the place. But this is all guess work, and when it fs re- membered that the authorities only ILmit themselves to the modest five per cent when the trader is European, from whom they cannot succeed in getting more, tt ts clear that the basis of the esti- mate is rather shaky. However this may be, the fact remains that Bushire ts exceptionally prosperous; that its trade is the mamstay of the two steamship lines that run from Bombay up the gulf; that it also employs a large fleet of native puggalows, and that its future prospects are rather brijiiant; for, looking at the geographical position of Persia, it will be seen that its ten millions of frugal, industrious, ‘trading’? ine habitants can be reached from Europe by but avery few routes. On the north goods can enter the coun- try only either via Trebizond or Poti, on the Black Sea, to Tabreez, or again via the Volga and the Caspian to Resht, and thence to Tabreez. Either of these routes involves land carriage for hundreds of mules through @ mountainous country, destitute of roads, frequently impassabie from snow, and always nfested with bandictl And yet further to scare away traMc from these unpromtsing tracks the Russians and the Turks have planted their custom houses all over the country, whose exac- tions are simply absurd. On the south the foreign trade of Persia can flow from Kurrachee up the Indus, via Candahar and Herat to Meshed, and on the west it can either go to Bunder Abbas or Bushire, both of which are Persian ports, and ‘within easy reach of the passes leading through the Gombroon Mountains to Ispalan ana Yezd; or again, it can go to Bassorah or Bagdad, or some other port on the Euphrates, and thence cross the country to Ispahan, The first of these latter routes 18 a very circuitous one, and the last, owing to the trouble created by the meddling of the Turkish cus- tom houses and the attention of Koord robbers, is by no means popular. Indeed, every route, except those two direct ones via Bun- der Abbas and Bushire, is open to all sorts of objections, and would uot deserve to be mentioned but for the fact that hitherto trade to Persia has matnly adopted them as Its cnannels, Now, however, since piracy tm the Gulf has been put down by the British gun- boats, the two natural routes have been constantly gaining popularity, and there is little doubt that they will in time be the only ones used. For the Yezd trade Bunder Abbas will be the favorite sea- port, while for tue larger aud more tmportant com- merce to ere and up as High even as Teheran, Bushire wiil prove the natural inlet. Bushire, as a city, varies very little from Muscat, Linja, or Bassorah, or most other Arab and Perstan cities, It 13 rather extensive, certainly, and may boast some 20,000 inhabitants, which in the gulf is an exceedingly great multitude. But in other respects itis but a repetition of the orthodox model—a masa of tumbledown mud-brick houses, faced with chu- nam and with fiat roofs, relieved hore and there by the cupolas of a mosque—the whole enclosed by a decayed wall, the monotony of whose outline is broken by bastions and An occa- sional breach, In the case of Bushire the breaches on one side of the city are More extensive than the wall; forin the attack made upon the place tn 1856 by a British force very nearly all the fortiiicauions on the side most fiercely assailed were broken down, and they have never since been repaued. The Streets are tuo narrow for vehicles and too uneven for pedestrians; the dwellings on each side reek with all kinds of notsome odors, walle eT le pools of water lie in the path and throw off miesmatic vapors which every now and then breed an epidemic of fever or cholera, or some other form of lence, For anything tn ‘the latter direction Bushire is aiways, indeed,a favorive aphere of destruction. Thirty years ago tt was nearly depopulated by the plague, and it hasalmost auntal epidemics of chol- era, dysentery and fever, This year only a few hun- dred persons have fallen victims to these maladies; cholera disappeared after a successfulrun of about ten days, and though half the Persian population and two-thirds of the resident Europeans gre now uifering from a more or less virulent form of jushire fever,” the disease is not of a fatal type, and ninety-nine paticats in a haudred recover, AS & Seaport Bushire 1s very unfortunate physl- cally. There ts oniy an open roadstead, exposed coustantly to the full violence of the heavy gales of wind wich sweep from the northwest and south- east—the shemal or the kosh—and the water is too shatlow to allow vessels drawing more than two fathoms to come within four miles of the city, Not unfrequentiy, in bad weather, vessels have to geek safety on the open sea, while those which re- main are sometimes cut off for days from all com- munication with the shore. And, of course, the expenses of discharging and loading cargo are always very heavy, even if the damage sustained by goods from exposure im an Arab open buggalow, Plunging through a heavy sea and shipping water almost every minute, is left out of consideration. But, inconvenient and aangerous as it is, Busnire 16 no worse than any other town on the eastero side of the guif. There are no harbors or sheliered Toadsteads the whole length of the coast, Landing from the steamer, the attention of the Visitor 18 at once attracted by the remains of a large Arab buggalow securely fixed on a sand bank, which ig just covered even at low water by the waves. This wreck has ratuer a good story attached to it; it 1s the “last of the pirate buggalows,”’ About fifreen mouths ago tt belonged to Matomed-bin-khuleefa, the Sheik of Bahrein, a potentate of twenty years, Reged who had frequently been admonished by the Kesident to desist from buccaneermg. Of late years these waruings seemed to have produced a salutary effect, but in an evil hour Mahomed yielded to temptation and sent this vessel, the finest and fleetest in his possession, upon. a piratical expedition, She was overhauled almost tn the very act of plunder by a British ganboat and brought tuto Busbire as alawful prize, The evidence of her being Maho- med’s property was clear, and although the Resident did not deem it politic to pumish the sheik as & common pirate, reparation in the shape of a heavy fine was demanded. After along diplomatic squab- bie Mahomed agreed to pay the money, but stipu- lated that the buggalow should be towed out to ea, In perforining this last operation the gunboat—per- haps by uccident, but more probably by hee Hert dragged the buggalow across a sand bank, and as Was impossible to get her off she has ever siuce To: tained there. Winds aad waves have played 4 haveo with ber; sie is now faat breaking up, #0 ae wae ature Tew mare win beset aan not he ne impudently expostulated the’ k closed tne dispute xpostulat taraing bim out of the ‘ihetkdow of Banretl, Pi | Peis WP B, brother, Al bin Khuleefa, in his A stroll thro Bushire should certainly begin ie Cn eee There whatever of activit and bustle are tr the naturally centre. The sea wall is simply @ pile of rough, stones, beld together by very weak cement, which yields readuy tw the action of the waves. At it 9 in pretty good repair, but a few months about Pp by by hg deep, i Aer led by the entrance to the bazaar and a row of mean houses. Tata St Bales of cuion, of wheat, frails of dates, bas- kets of angar, chests of oplum and a choice assort- Hemi ay Sera tae pare ad led jar heaps on over dry edu ine pile is @waiting the inspec- ton of the clearing ‘ofhosr of the Custom another is in of transfer to the warehouses emul ues aante il way Od 0 si fannel still smoking away Off in the distance, & is an beard and pale brown huge turban; there is a Persian peasant, cheeks are as fair and ruddy as your own, and who J clothed 1n dirty bine rags, held about his form by pleces of bot ‘and crowned with a high cylinder of ‘coarse black felt fora headdress; now a gang of negro half of whom are siaves, while the others have been manumitted by the last will and Yestament of their owner, a1 r along with a huge basket of sugar, ing five hundred weight, and suspended from a stout pole, the ends of which rest on the shoulders of the laborers; and ace by an Armenian m European courteous “Good .” In @ corner you may come across @ professis story teller, who is unrolling his stock of brightly colored paintings, and describ- ing to am admiring crowd of Bushire loafers and boys tho wonderfal adventures of some prince or king of the olden time, and haps if you are lucky you may hear some excitiag political crisis discussed by the more daring local busybodies. But whatever and whoever your cye may rest upon, whether merchant, ant. Coolie or Armenian, mer: cnandise or houses, they are all alike begrimed with dirt, and are perfect examples of sloventiness, Mith and unthrift, Aman witia fine turquoise ring on his finger weara a ragged abbas (or long camel’s hair cloak); another man, arrayed in a spundid robe of light blue broadcloth, exbiots a singularly dirty face. Bales of cotton, that might with Little trouple be stacked Up in @ neat pile, are heaped toge her in the most artistic confusion, and frails of dates are allowed to stand in close proximity to a drove of un- cleanly Caravan mules. The bazaar is a long, narrow lane, protected from the sun by a covet of matting. On each side of tnis lane are lines of open stores, divided from each otuer by brick partitions, The goods are displayed on wooden stages; and in a corner of the store sits the gt smoking a kaltyoon (or bubbie- bubble). Before accosting this gentleman, it 1s as well to clearly make up your mind what you tntend to buy, for he 1s very averse to nonecessary trouble apa would curse you freely should you declare your- self dissatisfied with the wares he offers you. He never rises to any appearance of activity except in a Dargain, and among natives the haggling over a cloak or a lamp or @ pipe is well-nigh interminable. But a European can cut the matter short by offering half the price demanded, and adding:—“Say one word; yes or no,”” The “one word’? ts invariably es. In fact, many native dealers ask a European “Shall 1 say one word, Sabin?” So far as the goods displayed in the bazaar are concerned, there is but little to interest one, Coarse printed calicoes, native clothing, rosewater, sweetmeats, pipes and tobacco, and ali the available varienes of human provender are about the only merchandise exhibited for sale. After seeing the bazaar one can wander through the crooked, uneven streets of the city in search of the various mosques, passing every now and then as he saunter along & woman, whose close veil pro- tects her from gg ong @ of Feranzec and Mussulman alike. What curious creatures, by the way, these Women seem, shrouded in dark blue gar- ments from head to foot ! As one passes them the veil is drawn closely over the hail-averted face, but the eyes flash brightly out and seem to protest against the enforced servitude of their mistress. But the mosques are an altogether different matter. Of these there are one of the Sonee and six of the Shiyaee sect of Mussulmans, and though none of thea are very large or beautiful thoy are wortn visiting. Who, indeed, can ever tire of secing Moslem archi- tecture? The many pliliars, the exquisitely shaped arches; the open screens, whose tracery show3 forth some or alt of the bundred flowers of Paratise; the inscriptions from the Koran carved in the stone or in the chu- nam, in those mystic but beautiful Arabic characters; what traveller in eastern lands can help learning vo jlove these expres- sions of the piety and taith of Islam? A good Mus- sulinan is foi io Keep the commandment “not to make unto thyseif any graven image, cr any like- ness,” &c., in ita most literal meaning; he counts it deadly sin to even possess @ photograph; and of course his houses of worship are destitute of carved statues of saints or prupliets, or of sacred paint- ings. He is therefore driven to adorn ins temples only with beautiful forms; all his imaginative con- ceptions of beauty are forced to adopt that means of umerance, RELIGION. Persians are almost exclustvely Shtyaees; that ts, they count All the Lontof God, who married Fatma, the sole surviving daughter of the Prophet, as superior in merit to the three caliphs who im- mediately succeeded Mahomet, Abu Sexir, Omar and Othinan, The story of the massacre of All's grandson, Hosein. by the orthodox caliph 13 well known, and his memory ts still fondly cherished by the Shiyaee, who mourns an- ually his sad fate. Practically, however, the difler- ence now existing been the Soonnee und the Shiyaee is quile a8 much a matter of national customs and temperament as of belief, The Persian is in his theory of life an epicurian, the Araba stoic, The former marries four or five, or, in fact, an uolimited number of wives; the latter restricts hinsclfto a couple, though of course he sees no impropriety In taking unio himself also auy number of concubines be-can atfurd to purchase and maintain. Then the Persian, until be nears the grave, drinks Wine—who has not heard of the Shiraz vintages /—and in other respects he lives a life of pleasure; it is only as he feels the approach of the Angel of Death that he mortifes the fesh. But the Arab, naturally in- clined to Puritanism, confines himself to the orthodox enjoyments of the chibouque, the coffee pot fund the harem. He is not a wine-bibber, he does not slag or dance, and he ever preserves an air a: sober gravity, which is always dignified, but is apt also to become almost funereal, ‘The Persian ts the cavalier; the Arab the crop-eared, round-head of the East. And perhaps it is this wie difference of tem- erament which makes the hatred between the onnee and the Shiyaee so bitter. No wise traveller ever carries a Perstan servant through au orthodox country; for whenever the two sects meet there are frequens and often bloody brawis; while {0 all the outlying religious dependencies of Isiam where the two sects are of equal strength—in India or the Straits for example—a foreign government finds it indeed to prevent them flying at each other's throats. In Bushire, however, the extreme weak- ness of the Soonnees keeps them quiet, and it must be admitied that of the two the Shiyace is much the more tolerant, On Fridays, the holy day of the week with Mussul- mans, no Luro) can enter the mosques, but on any otner day he will find no diMicuity in doing so if he consents cheerfully to take off his shoes—an act of respect among Orientals equivaleut to our taking otf the hat, Generally the mosque 13 used on or- ainai 3 a3 a school. It wiil be long, indeed, before I forget the scene I saw in the first Bushire mosque I visited. Seated cross-legged on the floor was the schoolmaster, an old, old man, arrayed in well-worn and singularly uncieanly garments, with bis beard dyed a bright auburn, a8 @ mark of respect to the Prophet, whose hair waa, according to tradl- tion, of the same hue. So faras one might judge from a superficial examination, his character was a happy combinatton of inactive benevolence, plactd induience and confirmed slevenliness. Around him, squatting on ilttle mats, were some thirty or forts scholars, none of them in age above tweive, Who wer languidiy turning over the pages of their only school book—a mpannscript copy Of extracts from the Koran. Many of them were slave children or the offspring of an African mother; for Mussulmans be- lieve in and practice absolute oquality of educa- tional advantages between the two races. The schoolmaster, as I entered, was busily engaged in the manufacture of some new blank books, and before him was a large box, not unitke a tool chest, filled with various necessaries for pressing, binding and sewing the leaves together. Tne baper was of English make; a little 13 made tp Perala, but it 1s of most execrable quality, and wholly until for being written upon, In these schools notuing 18 taught but alittle reading and writing and the Koran, the latter being considered as the repository of al! human knowledge worth knowing. Every reader of the “Arabian Nights’ knows that good Mussulman children get off the Koran by rote; but, though this 1s still held out as the end of a liberat education, there are but few scholars in Bushire who remotely approach such a pitch of perfection. ‘There is one Onristian place of worship in Busbire—the Armenian church, Itis of considera. ble extent, and in the eee by which it is sur- rounded, & acore of British officials, formerly at- tachés of the residency, lie buried. Oue of these Sih Mehr of Lieutenant Join McLeod, who died in 1823—betrays rather Sree the Anglo-Saxon e epitaph rung as assion for doggerel epitaphs. follows:— ‘When living here, to cach relation truo; Ey ota elfes, bat vinolined £0 refleot! and copy, Tao socal virtues of this worthy SOOIAL SYSTEM. Persians coe three-fourths of the population of x are Arabs or negroes, miany of the Tatver bein javes; while there is a smail colony of 900 or 400 Grmenians. The Persians are industri- ous, for an Oriental people, and their nature and politeness are almost proverbial; but they are the greatest llars on the face of che earth and are extremely disnonest. Eyen their politencss is fre- quently merely veil for msult. The science of @tiqueite has been carried so far that it 1s quite pos. sible to offer a atranger the Kallyoon and its usual accompaniment of the tiny oup of bitter, sugarless coffee, and while carefully preserving in word every Foquirement of courtesy, to really affrout him by the time of the omer or by some half-convealed Mevement of tie hand or the face. In business no Gependence can be placed in their promises; no sensible huropean dreats of es them twenty- four hours’ credit. Proim the Governor of the piace @ | downward cash payments are the only possible . basi of trade. ‘Tho Arabs and Arm probably from this cage 43 much as al are ot class the more prosperous traders of the city. @singie * ? (or Hindoo merchant) : settied in Busnire, which is somewhat siu a i into account the number of taem at abe ‘he government of Buslire 1s very i both im ita theo. y and practice. As before sta the Gove ernor ‘he Shan an annual sum for his place, pays and return takes all the revenue recet,,ta, pos cE eB control over the peo; Of thts Molat post with: his, owu-appointoos, “vars fore years bids are quietly invited: by the Shan tor the vernorship, and the aspirant who the jp eingeag by carr! ane care Every oifive ts openly disposed hest from the Levine or jndgy 4 3 gel | Dut has to take his chance of extorting from pom over whom he 1s in authority a fair return r his services, plus the considerauon he already given for his post. The power of the Gor ernor is absolutely unlimited; he does ‘wh: seems good in his own eyes.” Only a fow gare he gave @ rather singular iilustration of als ideas Seat re Bachan apr aet te oe ‘a few wi rate, and had since, as is stated, combined to the pues. The Governor summoned the poor wretchet him, declared their attempted explanations unsatisfactory and pubiicly whipped them in the bazaar. One of them got fifty and another forty Co | with a hard stick; they were also tlued and warne not to attempt to capo of their goods at more than @ certain stat price. Thts same pastoral system runs Socgach ancey: department of commerce and of social Mle, and it is frequently exercised sunply for the purpose of extorting a present, aa adwinistrauion of justice 18 confided Co a couple of kayees, but all important cases are sent to the Gov. ernor. There are no fixed penalties for particulal offences, though certain puulsnments are almosi traditional—such, for instance, as lopping om the hands for thef$ or cutting off the ears of 6 lewd woman. ‘There 18 only one policeman, how: ever, in the whole city; 80 these terribie sentences are seldom carried into etfect, because the criml+ nals are rarely caught, But, besides the one police. ian, there ly in each row of houses an appoinied headsman, Who ts responsible for the good conduct of himself and his neighbors, THE “PRINCE OF MERCHANTS.” There is a singular seml-official post among the mercantile section of the community, the Mateck Tadjar, or prince of merchants, wno 18 the grand arbiter in ail cases requiring techutcal business knowledge. The present Maleck is the head of a family, in which the oifice has been vested continu. ously for the past half century. He 18 said to ba worth the enormous sum (in Persia) of i{ty lacs of Tupees ($2,500,000); but most of this 13 inherited, aud @great deal of if was acquired by his father, if = speaks truthiully, in @ somewhat dishonor- able manner. His father was a banker, and when the plague broke out some thirty years ago many of the people, who fled terror-stricken from the city, coniided their effects to his care. A great number of these men died, and of course were unable to personally reclaim their property, aud the ciaim of ther heirs was repudiated. Some even of the original depositors returned to Bushire only to flua the Maleck refuse to recognize them as his credit« ors, even though they possessed @ hurriedly drawn, informal acknowledgment of the debt. FOREIGN TRADE. The principal exports of Bushire are cotton, maa- der root, raw slik, gall nuts, tobacco, rose water, assalcetida, salef, gum Persia, wool, wheat, opium, carpets and wine; the imports are chiefly dry goods. There 18 at present only one Kuropean firm here; the bulk of the import trade Is in the hands of the Armenian merchants. Busuire felt the influence of the rebellion of the cotton States as keenly perhaps for its size as Bombay. For years cotton was brougnt down the country from even as far as Tabreez, and paid @ handsome profit. But now even the present high rates do not pay the Persian. cotton cultivator unless his land is within an easy distance of Bushire. A great portion of Per- sia ts available for cotton—from Tabreez on the West to Meshed on the East and southward as far as Bushire; but there are no rivers and no - railroads. Everything taken up or brought dowa the country bas to be carried by mules; and as It. takes six mules to carry a ton the expense of land carriage in this fashion for a few hundred miles is. very heavy—altogether too heavy for cotton. ‘'o see the long strings of mules arriving from the interior one might tnink the cotton trade was of imum F egberey| but it is in reality not 80 very large. ave heard it estimated at 20,000 bales annually, but no one can tell exactly. There is a regular trade be- ‘uween Batavia and Bushire. Jn the roadstead at the present time, Indeed, there are three small Dutch craft, and there are genera!ly half a dozen vessels or more each way annually, Opium, dates, dried fisb ‘and rose water are the principal articles taken from Bushire, and the return cargo from Batavia it always sugar, In dry goods all the fabrics im ported are of English or of Indian manufacture, A steamer will jeave here 1m about @ month with opium for China. She will take at thé least 2,000 chests. Persian opium, however, it spoiled in the manufacture for the Chinese market} the Persians confess they do not know ito to make it like tho Benares drug. The latter, they say, 13 adulterated mn some Way; but it ts just this julteration that gives it special favor in the estl- mation of John Chinaman. On the other hand, Persian opium is by no means pure; the manufac; turers griad up the poppy leaves and mix the dust with thelr oily extract to give Lie article a fictitious weight. ‘There are now two fteamship lines from Bombay up the guif, The regular mail iine—tné British-India Steam Navigation Company—is sue sidized by the Indian government, aud runs every two weeks; the otner runs generally twice a aed but only calls at ports where cargo 1s telegraphe as engaged. These latter steamers fy Briush colort also, though suey. are really the property of the Maleck ‘Tadjar. The lines interfere with each other very little, and all the steamers carry full freights @ud many passengers both up and down the gulf, TO MECCA. Every year there 1s a steamer from Bassaroh, which calis at all the pa pin for Jedda. It car- Ties nothing scarcely but pilgrims who are making the haj or pilgrimage to Mecca. The overcrowding is something feartul. Fifteen hundred passengers - have been stowed away on o steamship of 700 tona, When the month of the pilgrimage is in hot weatn cholera generally breaks out and cicars the dec! somewhat; and when it is in winter and thei is rough weather passengers are frequently swept away r¢ @sea. Three or four years ago @ bundred and odd pilgrims were lost in this latter fasnion, an tne Turkish government mae a fuss about it, an have arranged now that the ship shall be fued it she carries an excessive number of passengers; but of course the overcrowding goes on pretty much the same as before. LITERATURE. Criticisms of New Books. Curist iN SonG. Hymns of Immannel. Selected trom ail ages, with notes. By Philip Schad, D. D. New York: A. D. F. Randolpn & Co. ‘This is the fourth edition of “Christ iu Song,” and this fact of its popularity says as much in favor of ite merita as we could. It would, indeed, be difficult to complie togetner a finer collection of hymns than is contained in this volume. The sacred poems belong to no particular sect. To quote from the language of Dr. Schaf, in this volume, ‘The dissensions of rival churches and theological schools are hushed into silence, Here the hymnists of ancient, mediwval and modern times, from every section of Christendom— rofound divines, stately bishops, humble monks, faithfus pastors, devout laymen, holy women— unite with one voice in the cominon adoration of a. common Saviour.” We agree with Dr. Schaif in the estimate me piaces upon the collection. ‘There is everything in the volume calling for praise—nothing which the moat bigoted sectarlan can object to. AMERICAN POLITICAL Economy, by Professor Francls sowen, of Harvard College (New York: Charles Scribner & Oo.) 15 the republication of a- work which appeared some years ago in advocacy of “protection to American industry,” with an addi- ton which includes the consideration of such tm- portant topics as the national banking tg the national debt, taxation, &c. Except in his oppost tion to the national banks Mr, Bowen's ideas are, in the mata, those which obtained in Europe some bun- dred or more years ago, but which almost every en- lighteued nation, and certainly every great one, with the singie excoption of the United States, has long since abandoned, Howsnr's IL1aD has been translated into English verse many times, but we do not remember to have seen & worse translation than that by W. G. Cald- cléugh (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co.) Mr. Oaldcleugh states in the preface that he submits his work to the public “with much dimdence.” It 1s be regretted, for his own sake, that ue waa not t dimident to publish at all. Homer is one of the most dimoult of clasic writers to translate, and the 1 that of all the translations yet made but two, an those of recent date, have received the approDation. of competent oriilcs, might have warned of tne danger of this “mew version. Swapensone RIT AND THR GREAT MASONIC LBAD- ERS OF THB Etoureenta Cextury, is the rather jong title of a small work, written by Samuel Bes wick (New York: Masonite Publishing Company). The contents, however, are quite interesting, aud the book will repay perusal SKELETON Tovrs, by Menry Winthrop Sargent (New York: D, Appleton & Co.) 18 the Utle of a very small and neatly printed and bound book, which telis in briet the story of ‘tours’ through England tiand, Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Norway, Byeaen, Russia, Poland ant Spain, with various ways of getting from place to place, the time occu- pied, and the cost of each journey to a party of four, ‘with some of the principal t ane w eae pecially tie conniry “houseg,” From the figures given we should Suppose Mr. Sargent to be a some What extravagant tourist, ‘Tar BANISUED SON, AND OTHER STORIES oF THR Heakrt, is the twelfth volume and completion of the new green and gold edition of the complete works of Carollae Lee Hentz, published by Peterson & G , of Philadeiphia, This edition is a really @ one, aa a4 the Works themselves are vie and interesting it Geserves to be popular. ana"