LATE EUROPEAN NEWS [CABLED TO AUSTRALIAN PAPERS.] London, January 31.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1500, 14 February 1882, Page 2

LATE EUROPEAN NEWS [CABLED TO AUSTRALIAN PAPERS.] London, January 31.

A very uneasy feeling exists in the Austrian army now operating in the insurgent provinces. Many troops sympathise with the Slav rising, and object to fight against their fellow nationalists. The Dalmatians are deserting from the army in large numbers. There is great excitement in Berlin, owing to the alleged assistance given by the Russian Government to the insurgents in Bosnia anil Herzegovina against the Austrian Government. It is believed at the Vatican that the negotiations of Prince Bismark with the Italian Government to enable the Pope to remain at Rome are not likely to succeed. Russia is making great warlike preparations, with the evident design of interfering in the complications that have arisen in Eastern Europe. Large bodies of troops arc being massed in the South, and everywhere they are being held in readiness tor immediate action. It is rumored that with a view of strengthening its position in the war with Austria that now seems imminent, Russia has concluded a secret treaty withßoumania. Great alarm is felt at the prospect of the rice crops at Mysore, Southern India. It is feared they will be a failure, and there are grave apprehensions of a famine. Great indignation is caused among the Austrian troops operating in Bosnia and Herzgoyina at the barbarities practiced by the insurgents upon the prisoners that fall into their hands. Some soldiers were found to have boen shockingly mutilated. Great excitement is caused throughout Russia by the intelligence of enormous frauds having been discovered in the Customs Department of that country. From iuvestigatious made it has been ascertained that defalcations exist amounting to 70,000,000 roubles, or nearly £10,000,000. Ayoub Khan, the defeated rival of the Ameer of Affghanistan, has, since his expulsion from Persia, taken refuge with the Turcomans, and has endeavored to incite them to attack Affghanistan, but up to the piesent with not much success. An attempt has been made to assassinate Prince Nikita, ruler of Monteuegro. He was shot at, but fortunately escaped without injury. Intelligence from Natal states that fighting has again broken out in Zululand amongst rival chiefs, whose dissensions have been prompted by Boer intrigues. A telegram in the Times states that the Russian troops are occupying Merv, the principal town of independent Turkestan. This announcement has occasioned much comment, especially in view of the recent assurance given by the Russian Government that there was no intention to take any such steps. The Caspian Sea has been visited by a tremendous gale. At the mouth of the Volga the force of wind did an immense amount of damage. Fishing boats were scattered in all directions, numbeis of them being destroyed. Many lives were lost, no less than 600 fishermen being re- | ported as missing. The storm that swept over a large part of Russia wrought great destruction everywhere. Moscow experienced the full force of the fale, houses being wrecked, steeples lown down, and a vast amount of property destroyed.