enormous sums of money on her fortifica-For the lst fen years China has expended tions and navy-—yet it does not require the observation of an expert to shew how defenceless she still is, and must remain, until railways be constructed. Take the position of "Port Arthur" as an illustration, A naturally fine harbour, splendidly defended by forts, on which millions have doen inid out for the purpose of sheltering the largest men-of-war, must be a great protection against an enemy intending to attack Taku or Tientsin by water—and therefore it would be the duty of a hostile fleet to destroy the refuge of its opponents. To do this a landing could be easily effected a few miles to the east of Port Arthur, say at Shanpingtau or Talienwan (Odin Bay, so called during the China war of 1860) and the plage could be ao Blocked in or besieged by iand and sea, that it would be completely starvedoutinamonth. Therearenomeans of victualling or reinforcing the garrison except by sea, A railway to Yinstze (Newchwang) would render Port Arthur almost impregnable, The wantofit places itat the mercy of any decent navy. Itis not my object to unfavourably criticise, but I think one may say, en passant, that the works at "Port Arthur" Pook nice but not solid. "However, time w ive one a feeling of undurableness. The} show, and it is to be hoped that the French Syndicate will not eventually lose by a contract which they have had great difficulty inearrying out. At any rate it will be appar rent to the meanest capacity that one isolated fortified harbour would be utterly useless, without means of communication with its commissarist or with centres whence soldiers, ammunition and supplies generally can be forwarded. The wants may be communicated by telegraph, but such want cannot be satisfied, except by rail, if the fort be invested by the enemy's feet, It is very extraordinary that the military and naval advisors of China have not pointed out the fact that ' Port Arthur" as it ix, without the protection of railways, is worse than useless, It would be a cul de sac in case of war, for the grenter part of China's navy, and very little trouble on the enemy's side would keep the navy prisoners, even if it were not thought necessary to starve them into surrender, Oax.
26th January.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.