THE CHINESE AND THE RUSSIANS.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 129, 15 March 1879, Page 3

THE CHINESE AND THE RUSSIANS.

Recent events on the Russian aim ►Chinese frontier have aggravated rathei than diminished the difficulties in the way of the success oi vffiung How s mission to St. Petersburg. Ah along the Tjnc there seems to have been a growing irritation on the part oi ine Chinese against there neighbor, and a fixed determination to put a stop to ox podititions which under various disguises, such as " scientific," «tc., have geneiaby ended by a loss of territory to China.. At both extremities of the frontier the ill-feeling lias become more especially apparent, and this, even if we knew nothing of the. facts, would suggest the presence of the same disturbing cause in Manchonria and Tvnlja. At both points the Chinese have much which the Russians want —a free seaboard on the one hand, and a fertile province on the other. The long strip of sea coast from the month of the Amoor to tne Cucean frontier which Russia acquired from China during the war with England and France in 1860, was not enough to satisfy the Avants of the Czar’s Government, and it is reported that for some time there lias been manifested a disposition to encroach further into Mancbooria. In revenge, Chinese banditti have been carrying on a border "warfare with the inhabitants of the Russian province of Hankoi ; and a correspondent from Ylauivostock states that in June last a regular engagement took place between a sotnia of Cossacks and a band of Chinese robbers near the town of Hankoi. After a well-sustained fight, the banditti crossed the frontier, hut continued to menace the Cossacks, and eventually dispersed on the arrival of a body of regular Chinese troops, whose assistance was challenged by the Russian commandant. From Orcnbcrg it is reported that life and property arc totally insecure on the Chinese frontier, and that a band of 7-50 Kirghese Kibitkas, ungratefully regardless of the advantages they derived from Russian rule, recently crossed over to Chinese territory, cutting down a Russian picket on their way; On the Kai Mountains, near <he Kara Knh Pass, an exploring expedition dispatched from Fort Yernoe only escaped a similar fate by a judicious retreat. And the ‘ Turkestan Gazette’ states that a reinforcement of 1900 men has been added to the army destined to operate against Knidja. Meanwhile a force of 7000 Russians have advanced over the Pamisto within five marches of Yarkand, thus giving color to a report which has of late been current at Fekin that the Russians are. preparing military operations for the .occupation of Yarkand and K.hoten. As from both of these --rilaces practicable roads lead to Ladakh, their importance to the Russians will be readily recognised, as also will he the fact that the success of the venture would be a matter for even greater concern to ourselves than to the Chinese. .Altogether, affairs in Central and Northern Asia arc in such a critical condition that a crisis must soon he reached ; and since it is inevitable the ■sooner it is brought about the bettor.

A selfish man’s hoartis like his coffin, just liis owir measure, long’ enough and broad enough to liold himself, with no room for any one else. The case of young Mortara, which some 25 years ago attracted so large a degree of public attention, may not have been forgotten. Mortara, who belonged to an Israelite family, had been secretly baptised by a maidservant, and grave difficulties having afterwards arisen between him and Ins family, the Pope, Pius IX, took him under his immediate protection. He is now canon of the Cathedral of San Giovanni in Latcrano, and he has been residing for some years past in France, in the diocese of Saint Dio. He is one of the four regular prebendaries who officiate at the santunry of Mattincourt, a well-known place of pilgrimage. During the bunting season a Scotch laird was favoured with many visitors. On one occasion there assembled at bis house a party more numerous than usual, and such as to excite the fears of his housekeeper for accommodation during the night. In this quandary she applied to her master,—Dear me, laird, what am Ito do wi’ a’ time folk 1 1 wonder they hae nae mair sense than come trooping herein dizens ; there’s no beds in the hous for half o’ them !” “Keep yourseT easy, my woman,” said the laird ; I’ll just fill them a’ fou, and they’ll find beds for themsel’s.”

The inquiry into the circumstances attending - the sad doatli of Colonel Gorton’s youngest daughter; Hylda St. George, briefly referred to in our previous issue, took place at Colonel Gorton’s residence, near Bulls, on Thursday afternoon, before A. Boss, Esq , J.P., Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr. 8. Fagan was chosen toreraan. The facts of the case, as detailed in evidence, were as follow :—On Tuesday afternoon, the elder sister of tire deceased girl had been riding about the paddock near the house, on a horse belonging to her father, a particularly quiet animal. The poor thing, cut off so suddenly, begged for a ride too, and her sister assisted her to mount the horse, which she led about by bridle for some time. The deceased girl then begged hard to have the reins in her own hands, in which wish, after some persuasion, she was gratified, being told to hold on to the pommel. The horse walked a short distance, and then broke into a trot, and from that into a canter, the little girl letting go the reins, and clinging tightly to the saddle. The screams of herself and her sister brought assistance, the man who was milking close by running out to stop the horse. Just before begot to it, the now frightened animal came to a blind creek, over which it jumped, and the poor child fell off, her foot being caught in the stirrupiron, or leather, by which she was dragged about 100 yards. When released, she was found to be insensible, but it was believed that she was only in a swoon. The. parents and elder members of the family being away from borne, the man’ with praiseworthy promptitude, remounted the horse, and rode post-haste for Dr. Donahl.-on. The doctor could not be found for some time, and when be examined the body be pronounced life to have been extinct for about an hour. Strange to say, although there wore a few slight injuries'about the bead and face, with some trifling abrasion of the skin and effusion of blood—the place where the sad affair occurred being free from stamps, and covered with grass only—the medical man affirmed that no physical injuries bad been caused sufficient to induce a fatal termination, which must therefore have been brought about through shock to the nervous system. The jury brought in a verdict of accidental clentli, and added an expression of the deepest sympathy with the parents and other members of the family under the inexpressibly sad surrounding circumstances. —‘ New Zealander. OuniKATIOXS AT Si, MICHAEL’S. —Ordinations were held yesterday by His Lordship the Bishop of Christchurch, at the church of St Michael and All Angels’, where morning prayer was said at half-past nine, and the harvest services at eleven. The ordination service commenced with the singing of hymn No. 353, of hymn ancient and modern. The preacher, the Very Rev the Dean of Christchurch, having read the “ biding” prayer, gave a discourse from the tenth chapter of St Mathew, verse 24 and part of 25. The Dean afterwards presented the candidates for ordination, one of whom, Mr Eliot Chambers from Boss, in Westland, was to be ordained a deacon, and the others, the Be vs J. B. Inwood and G. Fynes-Clinton to be admitted to the priesthood. The usual service then proceeded, the Bishop saying the Litany, and the responses being chanted by choir. The epistle was read by the Dean, and gospel by the newly ordained deacon, the Rev. E. Chambers. The solemn service for the ordination of priests then proceeded. The Very Rev the Dead and the Rev. E. G. Penny joined the Bishop in the administration of the imposition of hands on the candidates for prCsthood. The service concluded with the Holy Communion. The Rev Eliot Chambers, who has been acting as lay reader at Ross will now be, licensed for the district of Ross and Okavito, Westland. A Sisteu’s Love. — There is no purer feeling kindled upon the altar of human affection than a sister’s pure, uncontaminatcd love for her brother. It is unlike all other affection; so disconnected with selfish sensuality ; so feminine in its development, sodignifiod, and yet withal so fond, so devoted. Nothing can alter it, nothing can suppress it. The world may revolve, and its revolution effect changes in the fortunes, in the character, and in the ’ dispostion of her brother ; yet, if ho

wants, whose band will be so readily stretched out to supply bim as a sister's ? And if bis character is maligned, whose voice will so readily swell in his advocacy? Next to a mothers unquenchable love, a sister’s is pre-eminent. It rests so exclusively on the tic of consanguinity for its sustenance, it is so wholly divested of passion, and springs from such a deep recess in the human bosom, that when a sister once fondly and deeply regards her brother, that affection is blended with her existence, and the lamp that nourishes it expires only with that existence. In all the annals of crime it is anomalous to find the hand of a sister raised in anger against her brother, or her heart surturing the seeds of hatred, envy, or revenge in regard to that brother. Glass Eyes.— Practice simplifies everything—even the manufacture of glass eves. The workman is provided with a number of thin glass rods of the colours required, and, beating the end of one of these by means of a blowpipe, be “ gathers ” from it sufficient for his purpose on the end of a wire—this first gathering being generally of white or colourless glass, to form the white of the eye. Ho then takes the rod required to form the iris, and “gathers” from it on the white ; and, lastly, a little sport from a black rod is added to form the pupil. During the process, the gatheringon the rod is rotated in the flame of the blowpipe, and occasionally pressed against a smooth surface, to obtain the most perfect evenness of outline.