Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Gazette, 1893-10-26, Page 3arm to st one ;i De ion to ierally Niue - ;re ac - assert iag for spends .ace of t of a power 13 pur- , gland ,a such- .e uch.e that very of the yell, at 'dstone peened i. The terms in de- ! Salie- nce, in- .as die - in the nstairs. 1 her in er side, ed her newnat seeusa- reckless account he in- t safely • Cath- asoning imanity Knee the Posed to ause it hence it ler ab - vein of traits in vabie at subtle rites an view of meet a ho were e strata 'riend of ttlement ed with t r opolis, d found ed ever re bad. of brick nements e wood riuenceS we have itor. It resident e was a national epor ting Chicago escrihed ted that rge for - (z1, " the habited showed e lowest re mark - e Ameri- eigeers. assess the is knock assurance sed, that e darkest d by law ady ; " it ery muni- orce the is to en- s of the ea to com- • icipal cor- spoke with rs of "the o are lead - more hope to a sense nity than they are, a recent the I; nited e began to i1 who was rrepressible utbursts of a the young y when the been sorely e the girl a •ral punish- ys inflicted cane, in the hand, he ad- de" ed. nr hand." she remark- = Egfor me. ;Possis in pub- P&Pten td ° The Mail Vinke--" No, i .him. Iain ate: es in Chi- r au r, t lheScariet Tu a wrong. They . were promised that their lands would not be taken from them, but that fair treaties would be made in solemn council—promises the faithful fulfilment of which has saved Canada from Indian wars. Before the end of 187 Worn by Canada's Northwest Mounted Police it is the Zymbol of Law and Order - From the Rei River to the Roc',ies•—A Segni-1_'tliiita'ry .Organiza- tion -Which Has Won the Admiration of the World. By J. G. A. Creighton, in October Scribner's. In 1873 the Dominion of Canada had a serious problem to face. It had bought Rupert's Laud from the Hudson Bay Com- pany four years previously. The establish- ment of the Province of Manitoba had re- quired the Wolseley expedition of 1870, and the maintenance of a garrison at Win- nipeg, which was just springing up round the wooden palisades of old Fort Garry. But all beyond the Red River was practi- cally unknown, and 30,00) Indians held the plains over which the buffalo herds then roamed. An army of regular troops, seemed necessary to take and keep poS essi°g- This was done by a force of three hundred men, which for years practically ruled a region as large as. France and Germany, dealt with unruly populations and most exacting conditions, and really brought_ about the civilizing of this vast district by personal bravery, judgment, and character. This paper proposes to tell something of the story epitomized in - the badge and motto of the Northwest Mounted Police, whose scarlet tunic is the symbol of law and order from the - Red River to the Rocky Mountains, and from the United -States border to Peace River and the Saskatche- wan. Though organized when "the late Hon. Aleirander Mackenzie.. was premier, the Mounted Police were one of Sir John Mac- donald's inspirations, and after his return to power, in 1878, they always remained under his own eye. The red coat was no mere concession to historic sentiment, but his crafty appeal to Indian tradition of the good faith and fighting qualities -of the "King George's Man," whose ally their brethren in the East had been, and to whom even the great Hudson Bay Company owed allegiance. The nucleus of the force was got together in Manitoba, in the autumn of 1873, . under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel French, of the Royal .Artillery, who had done Can- ada good service in organizing her artillery choels, and who, after winning fresh dis- largely due to the services of the Police in preventing annoyance and attacks on work- ing parties by the Indians, maintaining law and order among the thousands of nav- vie& employed, and preventing entirely the introduction of liquor. An army the camp- ' of es— oc for their expected harvest, but were kept in perfect order. The Police did _ Colonel Macleod was able to report that 1 followers—gamblers, thieves, and ked i � the Western border Suedes— fl the whiskey trade was completely suppress- ed, that an unarmed man could ride safely over what had been the battle -ground of those hereditary enemies the Blackfeet and Crees, and that the only Indian difficulty to be apprehended was the meeting of war parties from the different tribes. The best result of the expedition was the: immediate establishment of a prestige which bas served the Police in good stead in many a "tight place" since, and has enabled them to disregard immeasurable odds against them. Colonel Macleod succeeded to the com- mand upon Colonel French's resignation. During the next two years the Police were busy building themselves posts, establish- ing supply farms, and exploring the country. Those were the garden days of the force ; the life was one of constant excitement and adventure, and the duties were almost purely military, for no settlers then went beyond Manitoba. The great herds- of buffalo still ranged the prairies, and it is strange now to read in the old order -books. prohibitions from shooting more animals than could be used for food. The grizzly bear had not beat his final retreat to the mountains, and there were antelope in abundance. The Indians often came into conflict over encroachments upon each other's hunting -grounds and were quick to appeal to the red -coats as arbiters and pro- tectors. At that time the Police had the whdle management of the Indians on their shoulders. They had to reconcile them to the coming of the whites, and to protect the surveyors, who had already begun par- celling out the country and exploring the route of the railway. Their abilities as diplomats were evidenced by the readiness with ;Which the Indians entered into the treaties concluded between 1875 and 1877, and their soldierly qualities by the bearing of the detachments that escorted the com- missioners. Convoying the large sums of money and stores of supplies required for the annual payments to each head of a family was- a perilous duty.. The distribu- tion of them required firmness, tact, and insight into the mystery of Indian charac- ter. But these are qualities the Police have always shown in r> marked' degree. - In 1877 nearly the whole of the little force was concentrated on the south-western frontier to watch and check the 6,000 Sioux who sought refuge in Canada after their de- feat of Custer on the Little Big Horn. Fort Walsh, in the Cypress Hills, was made headquarters instead of Fort Felly ; a pos- commanding the trails from the Upper Missouri was established at Wood Mount tain to the eastward, and - the garrison of Fort Macleod was increased. A time of great anxiety ensued. The Canadian In- dians, especially the Blackfeet, werestrong- ly opposed to the presence of the Sioux— the more so as it was already apparent that the buffalo would be extinct in a few years. The temptation was great to smoke the tobacco sent them by Sioux runners, and thus bind themselves to join in an ef- fort to sweep out once and for all the white men, whose numbers - seemed so scanty. Bnt—chiefly. under Crowfoot's influence— it was resisted, and they helped the Police by refraining from hostilities, and afford- ing information as to the doings of the new -comers. Sitting Bull and hiswarriors were met with a quiet resolution that astonished them, and won their immediate respect. They were told that so long as they observed the law they would be pro- tected, but could expect nothing more, and would not be allowed to settle per- menently in Canada, and they were finally induced to surrender" peacefully to the United States authorities in 18S0-81. The coolness and pluck -of the Police during that critical period was awning. Their confidence in themselves is curiously evidenced by a report from the officer in command at Wood. Mountain, recommend- ing that at least 50 men should be station- ed there, as there were about 5,000 Sioux camped in the vicinity 1 On one occasion an attempt by the Sioux warriors to rescue by foree one of their number who bad been arrested, was faced and stopped by 28 troopers. Such exploits -were frequent. In 1377 Inspector Walsh, with Doctor Kittson, a guide, and 15 constables, charged down at daybreak one morning on a war camp of 200 Assiniboines, who after illusing and firing at some Saulteaux camped near by, had threatened to serve the Police in the seine way if they 'carne. Surrounding the war lodge erected in the centre, of _ the, camp, be arrested and took 'away the head chief, Crow's Dance and 19 ,of the =principal warriors. Then assemb- ling the remainder of the chiefs in council, he warned them of the results of setting the law at defiance and ordered them to let the Salteaux go in peace. • de- MP; CANALS. - The Struggles or the Manchester Canal Ca. —An Enterprise Which Dwarfs All Previous Ones. The chairman of the Manchester ship canal has written to Lord Rosebery,foreigu secretary, asking him to make known to British consuls and agents abroad that a new port will shortly come into existence. The canal has been opened to Weston Point for two years ; it - is now complete to the London & Northern railway crossing at Acton. The raiiroadaget $500,000 alleged damages ; they claimed $2,750,00)- The award seems to Manchester a large sum to be mulcted in for the privilege of making ship navigation, for which the corporation of Manchester has pup f2,5 0,00 by addition to the $50,000,000 private capital. The enterprise, says the New York Sun, has had a .tough- struggle for existence against the combined opposition of Liver- pool and the railroads reaching that port. But that struggle is now won, and the struggle for traffic will shortly begin. Dur- ing the last half year 708,169 tons of mer- chandise have been carried over the opened portion of the ship canal,as against 423,579 tons so carried during the corresponding period of the year before. Recently a ves- sel laden with 4,000 tons and drawing twenty-one feet of water sailed from the canal for Calcutta. Amsterdam has had an experience not wholly dissimilar from that of elanchester. At last, after twenty years of straggle against the jealousy of neighboring cities, she has established better communication by the Merwede canal with the Rhenish provinces of Germany. Even now she has had to put up with a less satisfactory route than that contended for ; the canal has only a minimum width on the bottom of 651- feet and a minimum depth of 10i feet. Transit formerlythat h - teen hoursia now done nin seven. The canal is free of tolls. Place or the Plague. The opening of the Corinth canal was .- ted not long -since. This is not strictly a Shocking as are the statistics of mortality among pilgrims to i1Vlecca reported in The Sun from Tunis a few days ago, where of 9,000 who set out but half the number re- turned, the death rate of this year, is but little greater than that of ordinary years. The health officers of Bombay and other Indian cities have for some time been col- lecting facts and statistics to show that In- dia does not deserve the ill reputation it has of being " the endemic home of cholera," but that Arabia is the home of the plague, and they are preparing to make strenuous efforts to arouse the Arabian authorities and convince thein of the fact, and to have them apply a remedy. Some of the statis- tics printed in the Bombay Gazette reveal• a terrible state of affairs. According to the official roturns of the Health officer of Bombay, of 91,000 pilgrims who left that city for Mecca during the past eight years only 60,000 have come back. Thirty pilgrims in every hundred have per- ished in every year of that period, and very many of those who survived to return home have come back only to die of disease con- tracted on the pilgrimage. The facts ad- duced go to prove that the pilgrims do not carry disease with them from India. There is a rigid inspection at Bombay before em- barkation, and every pilgrim is required to pass a medical examination, to undergo a certain quarantining process, and to possess a certificate of good health. The mortality on the voyage from Bomi:ay to Arabia is very small. It is after the pilgrims have entered the holy cities, and during the re- turn, that the mortality is great. A record is kept by the British Consul at Jeddah of the number of pilgrims arriving at and departing from that port, with such particulars as will insure general identifica- tion. The figures of this record fully corro• berate those of the Bombay officials. An average mortality of one-third among the Indian pilgrims in each year, when there is no general epidemic of cholera, is clearly established, and the belief is expressed, founded on such corroborative statistics as are obtainable, that fully one-third of all pilgrims to Mecca perish in every year. The Indian officials assert that the cholera plagues which periodically sweep around the world " have their origin in the filth of Mecca and Medina." There is a great scarcity of water in these places, and the quality of the little obtainable is bad. The famous Holy Well at Mecca offers the most complete conditions for spreading disease. It ordinarily contains but little water. One of the most essential devotions in the pil- grimage is to bathe in and drink of the water from this well, and its brink is always crowded with pilgrims, some drawing its water and pouring it over their persons, others dipping it up iu cups and gourds and drinking it. The water used for bathing runs directly back into the well, and thus diseases are directly spread. The authorities did for a time. this year clme up the well. Drainage in the city there is little cr none, and the mostordi- nary sanitary precautions are utterly disre- garded by the choked crowds of pilgrims. Not alone cholera is thus bred and spread, but the holy cities are hotbeds of small -pox and other like terrible diseases. The same conditions are true of El Tor, Jeddah and Camaran, and the Indian health officials will, for the protection of its people as welt as for the sake of the cauntry's reputation, make strong endeavors to ind ace the au- thorities of the holy places of pilgrimage to take an intere t in drainage and general sanitation ; to have more scavengers even if they have to have fewer priests. They think that the Western nations might prof- itably take an interest in the condition of things in Arabia, and the result of their investigations will be offered in the hope that steps will be taken to crush out the cholera plague in what they assume to prove is its real endemic heme. BADGE OF THE NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE tinction in Australia, recently retired from the Imperial Army as a Major-General. The rest, making the strength only three hun- dred in all, went from Toronto. to Fargo by rail, in June, 1874, and had a foretaste of their work in a march of 160 miles to Dufferin, on the southern frontier of Mani- toba. Weeding out the weaklings, and leaving a few good men to forma depot and send a detachment to Fort Ellice on the Assiniboine, the Mounted Police began their record and scored from the outset. With two fieldguns and two mortars, and relying on their own transport ;.rain for supplies, they marched 800 miles westward through an unknown country. inhabited by 30,000 Indians and a few score white des- - peradoes, till the Rocky Mountains were in sight. Leaving Colonel Macleod, the As- sistant Commissioner, to build a fort in the very heart of 'the country of the ter- rible Blackfeet, where no white man's life was then safe, and sending another detachment north to Edmonton among the Asisiniboines and Wood Crees, the main column turned back.' They crossed the • plains northward by way of. Qu'Appelle to Fort Pelly, but finding their intended head- quarters were not ready they returned to Dtiat 1O Thein the shade when they stood had at 100 c F. ' marched out, marked 30 ° F. belowzero on their return. In four months, to a ` day, ,.-they travelled 1,959 miles, besides the distance covered by detachments on special service. Once beyond the rich - prairies of • Manitoba, hard work in the gravel drifts of the Missouri Coteau and among the broken gullies of Wood Mountain and the Cypress $ills wa toldheavily on their animals. Many good horses lived -through want of ,water and food in the arid plains where cactus and sage.bruahare the only, vegetation round the alkaline lakes, to die from the effects of unaccustomed forage, or from the bitter cold that came . on early in the au- tumn, though officers and men gave up their blankets to shelter their chargers. Bat the three hundred police accomplished, without losing a life, what had seemed' work for an arrny—the taking possession of the Great Lone Land. One object of the expedition was to drive out the gangs of whiskey traders, outlaws of the worst kind from the Western States, who kept the Indians in a chronic state of deviltry, and only the year before had committed a number of murders and out- rages on their own account. The forts in which they were reported to be entrenched, at the junction of the Bow and Belly Rivers, proved to be merely trading posts, built off togs, and the inmates had taken themselves off without giving the police a chance to lire a shot. Another object was to establish friendly relations with the Indians. :This was soon accomplished, and their _ confidence in the police has las olfi_eat`day to this eir us- -picto�tluickly -ware away, came_eonfkieeke in_ their- expressions of gratitude tillthe Government =for. sending: them.sucli protecfezn. As eine . chief told Colonel_ Macleod, Before you a the nd'i ui creg %ins, no her'is h a£o ere " The weetttett41.eral f awn Viist ha, : thiese vould he hite - man- and Indian- alikee OFFICER OF THE MOUNTED DRESS. preparatory fiourizh with ter whips and the punishment began. The bench, how- ever, proved teat small, and it was difficult to steady the writhing tortured creature. So the Governor-General ordered another bench to be fetched ani a plank to be fixed on either side. One of the soldiers gave the military salute, and with the words, ' I obeyyourexcellency,' hurriedly and humbly fulfilled the great man's instructions. "In the meantime the half -stripped, poor, mutilated creature .remained with scowling brows, eyes cast down, his lower jaw quivering, and his bare legs trembling. When the second bench had been brought he was once more bound down, and the convicts resumed their work. Each mo- ment the scars became more hideous and more ghastly ; the beck, sides, and legs of the tortured creature were streaming with blood, and after each blow the sufferer gave forth a dull groan, which he tried in . vain to repress. Anr2 from the crowd that stood around could be heard the sobbings of wives, mothers, children, and relatives of the dear, tortured one, and the frighten- ed half -cries of those who were era erwat awaiting their turn. The unhappy eral, who in the drunkenness of his author- ity imagined that be was obeying the righteous call of duty, all this` while was counting on his fingers the number of blows as he placidly smoked his cigarettes, to light which an obsequious Adjutant was always ready with a quickly -offered match. When more than fifty blows had been given the peasant ceased to groan or stir, and the learned doctor informed the representative of imperial authority that the victim was unconscious and that further punishment would be dangerous to his life. But the torturing process went on till the seventieth blow had been struck, and then, taking his cigarette from his mouth, the Governor- General quietly said, `Enough 1 bring for- ward the next. POLICE IN FULL CHOLERA'S ENDE 11C HOME. Not India But Arabia is the Real Breeding work, too, in quelling strikes, ch at times threatened to become serious disturb- ances, Mr. Van Horne, the President of the Compauy, has borne the most telling testimony to their services in these words written to the Commissioner : " Without the assistance of the officers and men of the splendid force under your command it would have been impossible to accomplish as much work as we did. On . no great work within my knowledge, where so many men have been employed, has such perfect order prevailed." Till then the Police had Mainly their own safety to consider. W ith the rapid influx of settlers came' responsibility for lives and property scattered over an area of 375,000 square miles. Trading posts developed into towns, new centres of population sprang up like magic, the cattle -ranchers occupied the region at the base of the mountains, and the whole face of the country was changed. whiteis of the t men theSimultaneously with hcoming buffalo became extinct, ani the Indians, reduced at once to pov- erty, and no longer masters of the plains, felt their position - bitterly. Among the thousands of immigrants there was natur- ally a large proportion of the roughest class, and the thought that a settler's taunt or hasty action might precipitate an Indian outbreak added largely to the cares of the Police. On the other hand, the Indians, accustomed all their lives to look upon other men's horses and cattle as lawful plunder, found in horse -stealing and cattle - killing substitutes for the excitement of the war -party and the chase, and serious encounters were frequent. Another in- stance out of many, which I wish there were space to give, will further show the cool- ness and determination with which the Police always act. It happened in 1882, but is typical of any time in their history. A sub -chief of the Blackfeet, named Ball Elk, -stole some beef from a white man and fired at him. Inspector Dickens—a son of the novelist by the way—ordered his arrest. Sergeant Howe and two constables went with the Inspector to the reserve and took their prisoner through a mob. Though they were knocked down and the Indians began firing, they stuck to their man, while the Inspector kept the Indians back ith his revolver until the rest of the men quartered there—only ten of a reinforce- ment—came to their rescuei The prisoner was to be -sent to 1'Iacleod i>r trial, but 700 Blackfeet warr iors, armed With Winchesters, surrounded the post, taunted the sentries, and tried to excite the Police to fire on them, which, of course, would have ended everything with the little detachment. On Crowfoot's intercession and promise to go bail, the prisoner: was allowed to go for a time. This happened on January 2d, it was reported at Macleod, 100 miles away, by Sergeant Howe, on the 4th, and by the evening of the Gth Major Crozier, with every available man, was at the Blackfeet Reserve, having ordered the field -guns to be ready if wanted, The post was hurried- ly fortified by eleven the next morning, and the pri Boner was sent for. Crowfoot asked if they meant to fight. The reply was, " Certainly not, unless you commence. Crowfoot was then in turn asked whether he meant to do his duty as a chief, assist the Police in their duty, and make aspeech to his people saying the Superintendent had done right. The Indians were evidently greatly impressed, and after a vigorous harangue from Crowfoot endorsing the action -taken. Bell Elk was sentenced and no selfhelp-cabal, haying been -constructed by a private company which got most of its capital in France. This canal does not crass the isthmus at the narrowest spot or even the lowest: The question of surface drain- age was mainly considered in choosing the line. It transpired that almost the identi- cal course chosen byNero's Roman engineers had been followed, for at a dis',anee one from another of 151 feet two parallel lines of shafts were found, forming part of an excavation 229 feet wide between them. A similar system to Nero's was followed on the modern work. French political enterprise in Siam has been quickly followed by engineering proj- ects. The canal which the English declined undertaking is now likely to be built across the Malay peninsula. The selected point is in the Samsam provinces, where the canal could be connected with the inland sea, which could easily be rendered navigable. The French wish, it is said, to secure thirty miles of territory on either side of the water way. This scheme, if carried out, would allow ships to take a short cut to Saigon without passing through the straits of Mal- acca andwould be important from a politi- cal as well as from a commercial point of view. All of these projects, except that of Man- chester, are dwarfed by the new seaway be- tween the North sea and the Baltic now under construction by Germany. The total length of this noble work is about sixty-one 197English miles,the idth at feet, and atthe vthe line bottom, at the toe of the slopes, seventy-two feet ; the total depth is nearly twenty-eight feet. It is shown that not only will two of the largest Baltic mer- chant vessels pass one another without diffi- culty, but also that there is room for a vessel of this type to give way to one of the finest ironclads of the German navy, such as the Koenig W ilhelm, with a displacement of 9,757 tons. Special passing stations have, however, also been arranged at intervals, similar4o those on the Suez canal. The cost of the pork was originally estimated at $39,000,003. it promises to be completed within the estimate. THE HORRIBLE ,DESPOTISM OE RUSSIA. On one occasion a settler struck an In- dian, whose comrades, some 500 in all, not understanding hew such an insult could be atoned for by a fine, promptly proceeded to destroy the settler's property. Getting worked up into wild excitement they soon began firing indiscriminately, and threatening to take the lives - of all white men. Colonel Irvine and his Adjutant, Captain Cotton, happened to be near by. Though unarmed they rode straight into the infuriated band. Rifles were levelled at them from all sides,. but their coolness -told, and the Indians sullenly obeyed the order to disperse. Incidents like this, how - r; could be told of every officer lwho has e ran enc served in the Mounted Police, nor ave ank and file beee`behind as then their officers as itis i aratiagmarchethe tribes, off toson. Tne settling them on reserves daring and every -day matter of duty for a I atasteful ndbteachingeio to farm, ras settheeborn oversbut by • Count Tolstoi's Realistic Picture of the Little Father's Discipline. The St. Petersburg correspondent of the London Chronicle has been favored with an opportunity of reading in manuscript Kingdom int Tolstoi s forthcoming work, of God Within Us." It is a passionate de- fense of his favorite doctrine, " resist not evil," and is written in even plainer and more outspoken style than any of nis prev- ious works, and advocating as it does a completellsi, change iletee h otic rdis disorder of ,or as he calls it, P things," it is likely to give plenty of offense in official quarters. It is not probable that its publication in Russia will be allowed—at llyears" t least till Stchedrin's typical y y have passed ; but arrangements are already being made for an English translation. In the twelfth and final chapter the he Count dateoa that on Sept. 29 of last year— which he had written the last linf the s of his new work—he was traveling in one ootthe famine districts, when he happenedstation no- tice the arrival at an in IIQmee General ann of an express train carry in small battalion of troops on their way to Toula to punish some refractory peasants who had dared to resist a flagrantbut n of their rights on the part of a young influential landed proprietor. He says: u<eei nut f pnnishmerit ¢_._.svh they ilpeiv to novv, ou single constable to enter an Indian camp and make an arrest. Momentary indecis- ion, or the display of temper would have often meant not only failure but certain death. In 1880 Colonel Irvine, who had been Assistant Commissioner for some years, succeeded Colonel Macleod in the .command, the latter -becoming Stipendiary Magistrate, and eventually being appointed a judge when the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories was organized in 1836. - Their names will always lee associated with the rapid and successful development of the country, and. a record of the distinguished services which both began as Canadian offievs in Lord Volseley's Red. River Ex- ied"tionf-of 1870, world itself the history e e - orhweat: The modern era of that history :began with.the building of the Canadian Pacific ,Away. The rapid prbgress of this was in great tact the Crees and Assiniboines were - persuaded to move north from e etheaCydpress Sisk to the Q guarded. bythe Police from the Saskatchewan, g the attacks of their old enemies the Bloods, whose war -parties were on the alert to seize such a chance. They did not all go quietly, however, for Big Bear, so notorious after- ward in the rebellion of -1885, and another worthy named Pie -a Pot,gave much trouble. The former led 150 braves to sack Fort Walsh, but the sight of 103 red -coats, and two mountain guns on its wooden bastions,- changed his mind and kept him civil for a time, though soon afterward Colonel Irvine, with one officer and 22 men, had to take their lives in their hands by riding into his eamp of 500lodges to enforce the surrender of some horses stolen from Montana Territory. (To -BE CONTINvVBD. ) "The troops were drawn no before the door of the district court of justice ; a body of policemen with new red melts, foin which hung loaded revolvers, stood marshaled in order around the small band of guilty pea- sants awaiting the jest punishment of their crime. At a little distance off was arrang- ed a crowd ofsilent n t spectators, nd children. Ome n thousand men+ women, om arriving at the district court the Governor- General alighted from his ca ceche and after delivered a short and touching speech, which heoar d bundle of rods a bench to be brought. Awas A previoouslyy prepared pre p produced and the executioners were called to the front. The first of the victims about 40 sy was as the father of a family, aman of age, whose probity had been proverbial, and who enjoyed the trust and esteem of his fellow -villagers- He knew that all prayers were vain ; he therefore silently crossed himself and lay down. A for stood close by in readiness learned docto render medical _ viers first spatin their hands and then gave a world. vi There are about 1,700,000 Christians in India out of a population of about 260 mil- lions; the great majority of Christians in the country are Roman Catholics. The Princess of Bulgaria has won the hearts of her people by her simplicity. She attends the weekly market at Sofia,on foot, going from stall to stall to make her purchases, escorted only by a respectful famous crowd of peasants. Mane. sopranohas twos of her Nilsson,the in Madrid , decorated in a rather novel fashion. The bd-chamber is papered with leaves of music from the operas in which she has sung, and the dining -room with the hotel bills she has collected in her tours through the