100 what like were tro returned from a foreign expedition, and curious to see how the pestilence was progressing with which
cluded, one day last week, to visit the we arothreatened by their presence, I con-having found two other mon if, proceeded to put were various 8 to lend interest to the stroll.
ant joy at returning home, which found expression on first landing in Knocking off Foreigners' hats, bruising ladies' feces, hitting ponies over the head with rifles, presenting empty pistols at unwilling jinricsha men, and other playful eccentricities, was probably expended but there rom: rumours of filth,
Foreigners who had contagion, of in occasion to pass the neighborhood—and I had been even assured on the previous day that forts wore being thrown up, Detokening a lengthened occupation and serious military intent. All this seemed worth investigating, There was not much difficulty in finding the place; for the country is dotted with fags between Overweg's bungalow and the South Gate. We strike inland at hazard, and soon find ourselves at the first camp. And hero I grieve to have to demolish the "fort" theory. The Chinese have a habit of camping by battalions, or regiments, or whatever name it may please your military readers to give to a body of some 500 mon, A flag, bearing the surname of the commandant, is planted in the centre; the tents are pitched in square around it, and round the whole are constructed a' wall and ditch, the former about Git. high, the latter about about foot deep. It would be perfectly easy for an active man to jump the latter and vault the former. But there is no other trace of a fort, except the one constructed last year, after the Ningpo Josshouse riot, and noted by youatthe time, That, as we all know, is occupied by some 500 of the Feng-wan-shan force, whom we shall cee drilling, later on, We present ourselves at the gate of the camp, and are summarily repelled by a door-Keeper. There was no admission for idlers, sightseers, or any other class of intruders; and the rapid exit of a small boy, who had somehow wriggled in and was being ejected with a volley of slaps and adjectives, warned us that the discipline was real, "Well, where is your ta-jeu?" "Over there; pointing tos farm blouse. And we may'here remark that, not only did the Colonels appear invariably to refer house to tent accommodation, Settlement to the country. They had mut that they also seemed to prefer the
always gone down the horse-road," when we asked for them. However, we made our way to the farm house and asked to see Colonel Ho, He had gone down the horse-road. We regretted this, as we had wanted to ask him to let us see his camp. There was no difficulty at all about that. Some one in white clothes was shot out from the crowd of orderlies or staff officers, or whoever may have been the very civil individuals occupied in drinking tea in ashed at the entrance and he forthwith conducted na forbidden threshold, and left us with invitation to kan-kan to our hearts' content, We looked first of all for the filth and" disease and other indications of Bottloment, in defiance of South-castorly silence that was being blown over the
winds; but we couldn't find them. The camps seemed very fairly cleanly. I won't say that the mats spread in the tents had been washed that morning; nor that the soldiers had all just bathed and dressed for dinner; but of filth in the sense of garbage &c. there was none. perceptible smell was an odor of garlic when the men crowded round to talk about Formosa, and the only insolence was an tation by one of them that we would ho had killed 30 savages with his own hand, out of 1,000 who had been annihilated by the united efforts of the Army. They did not like Formosa ut all; were very glad to get back; didn't
suffered much from disease, but the one in wish to go again, Their battalion had not the adjoining camp had lost 200 mon. The savages had largo ears, and—horror of horrors in a Chinaman's eyes—wore no breeches. They themselves were Shantung men; thought it likely they might stay at Shanghai two or three months. Didu't know exactly, till their General came. Ho was expeciod in two or three days.
The tents were rather slight, but not bad; they apy intended to hold ten men' each, judging from that number of spears which we saw sloped against several. Others had less, but in that case there were muskets lying about—not first-class weapons, one could spe, though we did not handle them, The men themselves were the reverse of smart and soldierly they were unkempt and slovenly; but were quite civil and conversible, and scemed rather amused by our intrusion.
'A gentleman who visited the Camp on another occasion, was fortunate in finding an officer at home; and had some conversation with him about Formosa, But he did not prove very much more enlightened than his men. Ho scouted the idea of China having paid an indemnity. The mandarins might have given the Japanese something; but not with the Emperor knowledge. They had not seen the Japanese; fortunately for the latter they had left before the Chinese landed. The savages were not like men; did not even understand the use of fire, and so on; suggesting a doubt whether the savages had been seen at all.
Well, we nodded, and passed out of that camp and strolled towards the next. Here are twelve howitzers outside a little temple on the way. Obviously this must be the artillery quarters, Is the Colonel in?" No, he has gone down the "horse-road," How far can they hit a man with the howitzer? Four li, Have they used them in Formosa? Yes, dragged them up hill and fired down—expressive pantomime of descent and effect of a shell. A priest comes up here and volunteers some in formation; but is told that as a priest he can know nothing of d is laughed down, Well, we arri where the doorkeeper is trifle sulky in his refusal of admission. Wo exchange a few words with the soldiers, who quite concur with the others in their delight at getting away from Formosa, and sy there are four aborigines at their Colonel's quarters, We think we. should like to seo them, and conclude to call there, But other men on the way declare there are no aborigines; and we fail to make out very clearly whether they have come, or are only coming up with the expected General, or exist only in our informants' imagination, And as our attention distracted by some spoarmen drilling, we give up the pursuit This spear drill is a great institution it is hot, the men are very sensibly bein Grilled in undress. Thats to ay, they have nothing on but a sort of loose singlet and a it of breeches. They are drawn up in me, some 50 of them armed with spears about three times their own length. The spear consists of a long bamboo with spike at the end; and the drill consists in advancing by Datches of fours to the sound of the gong, leaping forwards, backwards, causing the spears to vibrato furiously; advancing, thrusting saragly with a yell; and retiring as before. The and the exercise must be gymnastic process, The spear ead, too, would be a nasty thing to run inst; but as a weapon of offence it should have been abandoned when muskets are invented, to say nothing of breech loaders, A little further on, we ce the They go through their movements with very croditable precision; but with " slowness and bank of sere that suggest collapse at the first strain. They would never do what they are ow doing, in face of an enemy, but would resolve into a mob. I would back the Volunteers, with all their loose Grill, to keep their cohesion better in face of danger It is gotting dusk now, and we tum homewards; looking into the real tortas we pass, and noting that the interior seems clean and orderly. Wo did not enter avy 0 des and all men evidently sick with fever, but able to get about, and saw nothing to imply that there was any serious amount of disaas that could be considered a danger to the health of the place. How far the late xain may alter the condition of the camp, is 8 question.—Forall that, thornen are rough looking lot, and I would rather a mist derstanding did not arise when I was in their midst. Very certainly it is better so many of them should not be encamped s0 near Shanghai, Gorrespondence,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.