22nd February.
AN anonymous writer in the January issue of the Fortnightly the palm trees and the groves of fruit. Moreover, the masses of men are asarule rude and vulgar, and do not know how to keep their tongues quiet when a well-dressed maiden passes along the street, No girl of any age cares to venture out Review" gives under the above title a most interesting sketch of Sir John Fisher's naval reform—which is indeed a revolution,—with a reference, for comparison, to the German navy. The idea at the bottom of the pew scheme is "the provision of an alone, even for a short distance, for i immense sinking force ready fur imshe is fortunate if she escapes with course chaff, und is more likely to en-mediate use, so that the first paraly-en- sing blow may fall on any foe imme-counter insulting language.
Whilst diately, as it fell on Russia in the the conditions of society are as, they are, there will always be a difficulty of attending day-schools, But it is possible to assume that this tendency will be corrected in That female education is valued where it has been tried, and is u: derstood, is evident from the success of the girls' schools in the British, Colony of Hongkong. These are numerous, well-attended, and syooesful. Therein the students are taught to read, write, and compose, as well as to sew and embroider The girls who have passed through these schools will be quite different from their sisters on the maidand. Moreover, in Canton for example, in connection with the well-established missions, are large boarding-schools for girls, which are popular, well-attended, and entirely satisfactory. In most cases the girls pay for their education, and many of them are daughters of Christian paronte, though not entirely so, These institutions are always full, It is evident therefore that the good of these schools is understood and appreciated. Sometimes girls spend six or seven years in these seminaries and themselves become teachers, At any rate they form friendships and gain an insight into life and the intellectual world which would have been undreamt of forty years ago. Protestant missions, when the idea was unpopular, when there were many discouragements and few encouragements, havoalways, both by example and precept, attempted to advance female education, and this will more and-more redound to their credit. Indeed;-it is difficult to-day to appraise the exact volume of influence which has emanated from these earlier attempts along this line. It is certain thatit has become very considerable. All well-wishers of the Chinese will be glad to believe that, in this regard, a new ere has begun to dawn upon the nation, and though, as yet, it. will not have permeated far into.the interior, where it has come it will make life less a drudgery to: the women, and add j to their experience many pleasure, Far East last spring.
"The British plans include (1) The withdrawal from distant stations of all nonsfighting ships—little cruisere, sloops, and old gunboats—vessels too weak to fight and too slow to run away from any prabable enemy, (2) the reduction of the strength of certain distant squadrons in view faltered political circumstances since the present disposition of ships was settled; the North Pacific Squadron and the South Atlantic Squadron ing abolished and the ships of the North Aimerican Squadron becoming a Particular Service Squadron, used in peace time mainly for training cadets and boys.
"(8) The, provision at the home ports of an efficient organisation which will enable the ships on the War List in the Reserve to proseed to sea prepared in all respects for war immediately the Admiralty issue orders, The officers and men withdrawn, as stated above, from distant squadrons will be utilised as nucleus crews in the Reserve skips, "(4) The reorganisation of the battle fleets in Europeun waters, so as to coincide with the needs of the Empire in the face of the shifting of naval power from southern to northern waters."
It is really the growth of the Ger= man navy that has caused this change. 'The Mediterranean was the centre of naval power in the past, and the North Sea did not require to be considered; but it is obvious that' this is no longer the case. The new Channel Fleet of. twelve battleships, six armoured criisers, and about sixteen protected cruisers, with destroyers, ete., will defend the English Channel andthe North Sea; the Mediterranean Fleet, with its base at Malta, will comprise el ight battleships, with cruisers, ete; while the Atlantic Fleet of eight' battleships, with cruisers, etc, with. its base at Gibraltar, will be. ready. (1) to sit astride the Straits; (2) ce-operate with the Mediterranean Fleet join. forces with the Channel. Fleet; or (4) aet as.an indi -foroe i the: ASlantie: hope wil gee There will also: -be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.