WAR BALLOONS AT THE CAPE;
A TALK WITH MR, A. 'D, DELMARD..
&is & Wary: shipping all round bar and of Grand Canary; us, the brilliant blue of a calm Atlantic on ons side; on the other volcanic mountains-reach ing, range upon range, far into the interior-of the beautifulistand itself. We-that is, Mr. A. B. Delmay, the well-known war ballooning expert who was sent out by the Maxim-Nordenfelt Com. pany to Italy to superintend the formation of the ballooning corps for the Italian expedition to Abyssinia, and who worked for some time with
Commandant Charles Renouard, the head of the French Balloon, Corps at Meudon, and myself were pacing up and down the deck of the fated-bansport the Denton -Grange, which laden with Colonel Templer's mumerous scientific appliances necessary for the new warfare in which we are now engaged in South Africa, vafortunately ran ashore a few weeks ago on the Canary rocks.
1.ooking down into the hold, wherein were stored the armoured train and the great steam ploughs for trench-curting and other engines of ear, Mr. Delmard remarked to me, "Do you know that of all the catastrophes that have happened to* us in this war, this, in my opinion, is the most serious. Success in war nowadays depends upon scientific en gineering, and here is detained at the most Critical noment Colonel Templer with all these fine appliances for modern warfare. Certainly the balloons and gas vessels have gone en last what use are they without Colonel Templer himself, the guiding spirit of the whole thing und, who, next to Commandant Renouard, is the greatest war-balloonist in the world?" "Ah! you are "talking about the gas vessels, Delmard," eviel Colonel Templer,” who came up to us at that moment; “do you know that those are the very vessels you yourself designed
HE HONCR
NO TELEGRAPH, SAFURD,
balloon gou leer up. It only penetrated the The wonderful bearskin, which, cost over 69 fabric below the equator with no result. Upon to start with, goes off to the contractor for just many shots being fired, several of which, so many pence, and Glengarry caps are sold penetrated the balloon and passed our near off to him at the wholesale rate of sight a the upper valve, it descended after six penny! Boots are now fourpence a pair, and hours. But it appeared that, whatever the the other parts of the uniform are proportion number of shots, the loss of gas was ately cheap. The contractor buys a complete never sufficient to cause the balloon to fall set of "Tommy's" taggery, including trousers, rapidly. Also a shrapnel shell has been fired tunle cap, boots, and over coat, for less than at a balloon when at an altitude of 1,500 feet, six shillings. Such are the wonders of Mr. the gun. Were it possible for the shell to but this was above the limit of the elevation of | Thomas' tailoring. penetrate the balloon it would do so below the equator, and a balloon loses but little of its lifting power if a rengsis made below the
equator,
Of course, if they hit the aeronaut, well, so much the worse for him, as George Stephenson observed concerning the locomotive and the coo. The British corps is the only one which exclusively employs skin-gold beater's skin- for its balloons.
The French, Italians, and Germans make use of silk, and sometimes coiton; though the skin by its impermeability-the loss of gas being only 3 per cent. in twenty-four hours-is far superior to the list-named material."
"They," said I, "how long at that rate would the gas last
It's not a question of how long the whole of the gas would remain in the balloon,” replied Mr. Delinard, "but how long a period would elapse before the loss that I have men- tioned equals the lifting power. It is a the quality of the skin, the state of the atmo very varying quantity, depending upon sphere, and many other points. I should calcu late that the ballon, would require to be recharged-not necessarily refilled-every twenty-four hours. In, the experiments made in France two or three years ago it was consid ered quite a record when a free balleón remain ed in the air twenty hours; for although I stated just now that the loss of gas was only 3
QUEER DISPOSAL OF “TOMMY'S"
CHOCOLATE BOX.
These boxes will be valuable some day, and even now in the thick of the fray Tommy scis great store by his metal case. Possibly he in- tends at some future. date to place it to some peculiar. use, if not tempted to sell it curiosity hunters.
The son of a West Riding merchant has sent his box home, and his devoted trother shows it with pride to friends and callers; not the plain box as originally received, but set with pearis and rubies, the gems being taken from a brooch and pair of earrings, and arranged to encircle the portrait of Her Majesty. The case is silk-lined, and within rests a trio of medals→→ war medals-presented to her husband years
go.
With a touch of womanly pride she has left a vacant space, hoping that before long her son will deposit an emblem of his prowess in the elaborated chocolate box.
army of wooden soldiers still stand to arms as stiffly as ever, though judging from their uni forms they must have fought in the squares of Waterlog. They are all Grenadiers, and their dress and equipment have never altered since the Duke Baid "Up Guards and at em. They all shave clean, as they did in 1815, and wear business, white duck trousers, and swallow-tailed red coats-no: tunics-and every one of them is as a ramrod. Their artillery also survives,-large yellow wooden muzzle-loading cannon on magenta wheels, which shoot a low velocity stone marble, specially adapted for killing wooden soldiers. It was hoped that very large numbers of the flat" tin soldiers" of the Napoleonic or Second Empire perind might have answered the call, but owing to the feableness of their constitu Lions nearly the whole of this class had either perished or become absolutely non efficient. It was stated that, like the French armies which disappeared after the reverses of 1870, since, they are intended to represent, they entirely and even before, which perind other soldiers, mainly British, solid and made of leath together mith vast armies of a similar calibre made in Germany, have entirely taken their place. After very strict search a few battalions were found, which had. been forgotten, and left in isolated stations in old London shops, or had been ordered by mistake by the nursery. War Offee clerks They had outside their boxes striking, f apocryphal, pictures of the battles of Magenta and Solferino, in which they were alleged to have distinguished themselves. But the better- informed Continental and English boys now say that these victories were only "fakes in the Emperor Napoleon's specially-written histories of his own reign, and that really they were nothing to be proud of Those who did come forward of this class of soldier are be- lieved to have been purchased in order to fight en the Foer side, and to have been enrolled
mercenary levies. Yet it must be admitted despised, and occupied an honourable place in that in his day the thin tin soldier was not
the battles held on dining room tables, when all the extra dinner party leaves had been in- serted, and all the toy soldier forces, down to the last worden Grenadier without a stand, The officers held their swords pointing gallantly were arrayed in opposing Tipes que squadrons upwards and forwards, while their heads were turned bark addressing their men; the buglers ran and bugled for all they were worths; and the ensigns in red kepis and with standards pressed steadily on, with their heads and flags bowing forwards to the storm. And the Zouaves -we remembered them in the Grimea--were
popular fellows indeed.
E TO 1000.
MRS. PATRICK CAMPBELL'S HUSBAND.
MISS AGNES WESTON, THE HANDY MAN'S MOTHER'
To most people the bald statement that "4810 Sigt. Patrick Campbell whose name was in-
At the Royal Sailors' Rest Portsmouth, two cluded in Lon! Methuen's list of deal at Piet-days since a representative of The Morning foutein, was the husband of Mrs. Patrick Camp Leader had the pleasure of interviewing Miss bell, the famous actress, is by this time a well- Agnes E. Weston, the Sailtrs her as known fact. But in those who knew him and she is called, with regard to the Handy Man,
the hero of the hour, they were many--the sad news compes with a crashing lurce Patrick Campbell was in the
In addition to the Sailors' Rest at Ports best sense of the woud a gentleman, high-mind auth, Mise Weston controls the Royal Sailors' cd, modest, and sincere, and, for all his mild- Rest at Devenport, had a simíjar jestitution ness of manner, the pluckiest of the plucky called "Boneward Bound" at Keyham. She in appearance her much resembled Sir is indefatigable in her care for the sailors' in
terests; and being in so many respects, the George Arthur as to be often mistaken for him A splendid sportsman, he could shoot and ride sailors' best friend, has, acconting in the old with the best of them, and it was thought, when { saw, “a man's best friend is “his mother,” well it became known that he bad vulupicered for | earned the title so úniversally applied to ber.. the imperial Yeamaury, that he would have has too sooh rendered futile the hopes that made his murk as a soldier, but death, alas,
were centred upna hina.
His marriage with "Mrs. Pat" was quite a romantic runaway, affair, and took place when she was barely seventeen, and her husband nineteen. The wedding was celebrated at the quaint old church of St. Helen's Bishopsgate, of all places in the world, in the very heart of the City, Forced to part from her, to seek em. ployment in South Africa, it was seven years before Patrick Campbell was able to join his wife again. After her appearance in "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" he returned to End land and became known and cordially liked by her large circle of friends,
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Miss Weston was leaving the same day for parations, but she feadily assented to the Devnuport, and was in the midst of her pie
request of the "Leader" man;-~*
"I see," said the "Leader" representative, glancing at the map on the walls of her boudoir, with the flags showing the relative position of Britons and, Boers, that you follow all the developments of the war, Miss Weston."
"Oh, yes," Miss Weston replied; "I should officers, and miten at the front. I went down to think so, seeing that we have so many friends,
of the officers and ner on the Powerful, many see the Terrible off, and I knew a good many of them before they were on that vessel."
On the mantel piece were a fine cabinet photo of Capt, the Hon, Hedworth Lambton a painting of H.M.S. Powerful in a neat lifebuoy frame bearing the name of the vessel.
I know Capt. Lambien personally," Miss Weston said in reply to a questions; "and a large number of the men have, of course, stayed at the Rest since the vessel's return. We were all the beds were full, and we hat! some 200 men sleeping on the floor.
for me in the old days at Chatham? We have per cent.. I did not mean the loss of lifting and no hardship will erase from his mind the with the other "Strotchie" of Europe in their recognition as an actress-recognition in the so crowded some two or three weeks ago that -
never been ableto improve uponthem, and, mark my words, they will do good service at the Cape Well, M. Delmas," 1 said, as the busy Colonel roshett pway, "sehat do you think of the war-ballooning prospects in the flour war?" Da war of this kind ballions are incis- pensable ; und in conversation with some Eng lish officers a few weeks ago I expressed astonishment that the Government had not
sent
that when I heard of Andrée's
which is very was for what reason aften mit greater; and it attempt--who, by the bye, had often unsuccess fully put this scheme before Renouard and my sell, for we did not in the least believe in his wiki theories-1 said that the man would be in the sea in twenty-four hours after his start; and upon my word l'ani afaid 1 was right. I can not understand the ignorance displayed in these matters by the majority of penple, and even by distinguished scientists. Even the romantic Jules Verne in his Five Weeks in a Balloon, with all the licence accorded to imaginative writers, foresaw that difficulty, and invented a novelist's method for replacing the loss of gas-a method, however, which would be quite impracticable in real life"- Gazelle.
*** TOMMY'S 'LITTLE TAILOR'S BILL.
wuAT CLOTHING THE BRITISH ARMY COSTS
Thomas Atkins—that is, Thomas, atkins in the aggregate--is an expensive man to clothe, and his tailor's bill, presented once a year and duly paid for him by his employers, is about the biggest that ever cames up for settlement in Great Britain.
Aut Colonel Templer at the very mebreak of the war. Had they done so the disasters that have occurred would have been next door to impossible. In an article which appeared in the Pall Mall Magazine some months ago I stated that in the Bechuanaland expedition, the chances of war, which at one tine were adverse in the English, took a decided turm in their favour from the moment of the fist ascent of these war-balloons. For this statement I have: Colonel Templer's antho sity, and he also gave me some interesting par- ticulars of his experiences in the Egyptain campaigas Ender Sir Garnet Wolsely and Gene- ral Graham. In one instance the Soudanese nacked General, VacNeill's zareba eštablished to protect the environs of Suakin. The attack took place during the night, and many of the English were put hors de combal, though they managed to keep the zareba from falling into the bands of the enemy. Major Templer, Individually he is not at all an expensive as he then was, made several ascents after the attack, and detected the enemy in the he is, of course, given a complete rig-out, some man to keep tidy. When he first dons uniform bush preparing for another advance, of which iteins of which have to last him a very long the fored in the gareba were totally unaware
time. He gets a pair of boots once every six until warned by him, and they were thus able months, and these boots cost just under ten to prepare for and repulse the enemy, "Abshillings a pair. An ordinary pair of trousers and the great thing about war balloons," cried costing a couple of shillings more go to him Coloned Templer, who was dodging hither.and. once a year, and a reserve pair every alternate thither all over the Denton Grange, and who year, an undress coat at about half-a-sovereign came up to us at that moment, "is that nothing once a year, demoralises the enemy so much as these bal in so years, leggings at three shillings and tunic at a shilling extra once loops, since they cannot find cover from them nine-pence once in three years, a great coat at to hide their movements, and Master Beer less that sovereign once in five, a helmet at will hate that more than anything Good four-and-eight pence once in four, field cap at a gracious went on the gallant soldier, who couple et shillings annually, a cape at a trife freued sadly over, his unfortunate detention, under six shillings once a decade, and a shilling
'how I wish I was there ?
haversack which lasts him three years.
"But how does a balloon corps set to work in the stress and furry of a big battle? How do they fill and Boat the balloon ?"
For instance, if he is a Guard 'and "wears'
the rank-and-file of the different branches of
Making a comparison of the cost of clothing the service, it will be found that each man's tailor's bill, reckoned to the nearest shilling, comes out thus-Line infantry, £2 185. Anillery, £4 10s.; Hussars, 4 103 kilted Highlanders, 43 153; unmounted Engineers, 49.; mounted Engineers, 46, 135, Life Guards, £7 is. When a private-of the Line infantry, or one who wears kilis, attains to the dignity of a sergeant, the extra cost of his dress is very trifling, nor is the sergeant Hussar much more expensive than his inferiors in rank; but it costs in round figures from a sove reign to thirty shillings a year more for the superior in rank in the Engineers and Artillery, and as much as a couple of pounds in the Life Guards.
These various items set down in this inno- cent manner may not cause the British taxpayer
A Royal box, rendered especially valuable because, being carried in the breast pocket, it shicided the weater from the enemy's bullet, is now a treasured possessiop in a Surrey home. The face of Queen Victoria is badly shattered, the gils and lacquer broken, revealing the white metal, and a long crack runs hom comer to corner of the lid.
Tommy Atkins is not devoid of sentiment,
memory of the girl he's left behind him. The owner of the dilapidated box has given the home folks instructions to place all his love 'letters in the case, which, fastened down is to await his return to civilian life. This has ac cordingly been done, and when her beau is relieved the writer of the carefully preserved epistles will claim her soldier Brave.
Refusing ros. for his chocolate box a young trooper sent home the Queen's gift, sweetmeats and all complete. His worthy parents have utilized the cuse as a savings-bank an insurance policy and several coins being placed there-in and the trophy of war is carefully locked away in a glass panelled corner cup- beard, where all may see but none handle.
A handkerchief case made of x Queen's war-box should be highly valued by the lady recipient. Enamelled pale blue within and artistically decorated as in lid, this note worthy article is.in the possession of a Manches. ter girl, and to prove how much she appreciat ed the forethought of her fance she has affixed a shield of silver to the lid, bearing the Chris Lain names of both. The enamelling and de coming of the box was done by London cousin prior to its transmission home; and the half dozen handkerchiefs that rust within are the silver flax productions of a famous Irish house, the initials being worked in human hair strands from the tresses of the future Mrs. Adkins.
The writer recently saw offered for sale a chocolate box rufited within with crinkled paper, and filled with enamelled butions bearing portraits of Kitchener, Baden-Powell, White, Kruger, and other celebrities arranged in care. less style, while miniature war pictures occu- pied the extra corners. For this a gentleman offered a guinea, but such sum being refused, There is a ring of pathos connected with the thirty-five shillings met with acceptance.
ed sen sold the empty tin for five shillings, box under notice: the poor mother of a wound being sadly in need, her purchaser elaborating it in the manner described above.
It has been said that a native runner utilized a chocolate box for conveyance of messages same box was given up by a dying soldier, who other means preventing hasty departure. The still had his country's cause at heart.
A musical member of our Arniy wrote out the music of the "Absent-minded Beggar" on his the point of a penknife. The copy was easily chocolate box, scratching lines and notes with decipherable, and the decorated tin is now often seen on the music-stand at home, a sister having carefully painted over the notes in black enamel.
Probably the strangest use to which one of the sweet ment coverings has been placed is the box which serves as a safe for the storage of a child's caul. A young soldier, father of wife deems it a fitting receptacle for the caul: white, and blue ribbons. the lid being fasted down by strands of red,
abroad to the friends and relations of a hero in Photographs of a chocolate box were sent
the South; while thousands of stamp photos of the famous gift are in circulation.
Signatures of celebrities in musical, literary and dramatic circles on a Queen's gift box ad to the value of the article. It is reported that of many important prople, the names being a soldier's wife has secured the autographs scratched on the metal lid by means of a pen- knife, and duly dated.-R. 'Times.
TOY SOLDIERS.
Nor is there anything nowadays in the raising of armies of toy soldiers quite só exching as the purchase and de-boxing of these thin tin soldiers. They always used to lie on dat paper shavings, sometimes in layers to deep, and there was no knowing when you would come to the end of them, or whether, if the paper were simken out again, an extra soldier night not be found hidden at the bottom. There could be bought in glassfaced boxes at one was even one special class of tin-soldier which Penny for twenty, and were often purchased to make up levies en masse as food for powder. The immense costliness of modern warlare has changed all this, and reduced the nuinher of First they were made salid, and painted with the toy soldiers while increasing their efficiency. the thickest and most brilliant paint ex- actly as the uniforms are made in real life. Then the horse soldiers were made so as to take off there horses, with little lead spikes to fit them on; and later the spikes were dropped, and the soldiers sat on removable saddles, and leaden legs against their chargers' sides. held themselves on by merely squeezing their
and in time the features of well-known generals Their very faces and moustaches were painted, of the day could be clearly recognised in the countenances of the officers of the lead soldiers. There is something intensely fascinating to the minds of boys, and of older persons too, from siegea and miniature presentments of the Uncle Toby onwards, in the making of model attack and defence of cities. It is certain that M. Viellet le Duc, in his. "Histoire d'une these artful minings and counter-minings. Forteresse" enjoyed these mimic battles, the running out of trenches, and the his imaginary fortress, as much as he did his devising of flankers and enfladings for magnificent projects for architecture.. So de that he builds and rebuilds it, takes it, and lightedly does his mind dwell on his toy fortress, of the nations, and in many forms of war, and beselges it again, under a dozen different ages of attack and defence, as existed between the days of Franka and the invasion of France by Moltke's battalions. Old Albert Dürer did much the same, and while playing at soldiers in his studio, devised one of the cleverest em- bragures for musketry.ever yet thought of, and Practical designs for the defence of Nuremberg, imagination in no small measure, in boys play with their puppets of war, and when they take to serious fort designing and seige operations they often acquire the rudiments of a very fair knowledge the princples of the defence of camps and cities.
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Here is a little story of Mr. Campbell's pre- vious visit to South Africa, His endeavour to find fortune at the Cape was attended at first with but very indifferent success. Ting passed, and he drifted to Beira, a dreary pestilential fever hole, surrounded by swamps. Meanwhile Mrs. Patrick had gone on the stage, quickly won,
substantial form of hard cash. She wrote to her husband, acquainting him with her good fortune, sending him money, and begging him.
"About the Powerful man." she continued, to return home. But this Mr. Campbell hardly nothing more can be said than that they did feit inclined to du. To un independent man, the their duty and did it grandly. Of course, we it of living on his wife's earnings was not are all very proud of them indeed, and I have aftractive. So he stayed on at Beira. He was had a souvenir card prepared to present to each rider to the principal hotel. Beef and mutton the Powerful, the Terrible, the Philomel, the at this time carning is living as larder proof the men of the Naval Brigade, whether from being generally procurable, the only fresh Doris, or the Monarch? meat to be had was antelope. Mr. Campbell, beingga gund shot, was engaged by the hotel owner at a fixed monthly salary, with ratious and ging, to shoot game for the hotel table. The lodging consisted of a tiny but adjacent to the main building. For a while all went well, and Mr. Campbelt shot game and pocketed his salary,
But one night, as he slept heavily, no doubt, after a days' shooting-a rascally Kaffir entered the hut and stole his whole kit. Campbell awoke to find his worldly possessions reduced to his sleeping suit and blanket. A trying position truly, and it is not surprising that this little episode, especially as ance of the lost clothes and effects were recovered, disgusted particular. At all events, not long after this he him with South Africa in general and Beira in
sailed for home. Though he failed to win fortune at the Cape, he won the respect and esteem of all he came in contact with, and his loss will be sincerely deplored by many in South Africa. For "Mrs. Pat," whose brilliant career has thus been so sadly clouded, her numberless friends will have the deepest sympathy." M.A.P.
·DUCHESS OF FIFE'S ALBUM.
The Gem has secured, some extracts from an album in which the Duchess of Fife has and impression of nearly every member of the kept the personal opinions, personal tastes, English Royal Family Likes and Dislikes" is the title of one section of this album. The Queen's entry is this':
God has been so good to me, and given me so much to make me happy during life that have any dislikes, now, in my old age, i will not confess that I
The Prince of Wales's likes and dislikes are thus recorded;
I am happiest when I have no public engage- ments to fulfil; when I can smoke a really good cigar and read (must confess it?) a good novel on the quiet; when I can, like plain Mr. Jones, go to a race meeting without it being chronicled in the papers next, day that "his Royal High-
than ever he can afford talk to Sir Edward ness the Prince of Wales has taken to gambling very seriously, and yesterday lost more money shake hands with and talk to Sir Edward Clark without it being rumoured that "The Prince of Wales is violently opposed to the pre- sent war"; when I can spend a quiet evening at home with the Princess and my family. I am unhappiest when I have a raging toothache, and have to attend some social function where
had a pain in my life.
The Duchess of York writes
dislike every woman who thinks that her children are more beautiful than mine, and 1 like every one who loves the Queen.—I'. M. Gazette.
THE STORY OF A BUNCH OF VIOLETS.
A correspondent of the Telegraph_writes: "I was the eyewitness the other day of a little scene that will live in my memory while I live, With hundreds more, I went to the docks to see one of the nighty transports leave with our
The card, on which appear pictures of the three sailors' rests in which Aliss Weston, is interested, a fine sketch of the Powerful, a 4.7. gun, and a typical sailtor and a typical marine, Surrounded by laurel wreaths, bears the in scription, "Presented to the men of the Naval Brigade in honor and admiration of the splendid services rendered by them to their Queen and country during the South African War, 1899- card, and there is a space for the name of the 1900." Miss Weston's autograph is on each recipient, so that it should form, when placed in a nice gilt frame, as Miss Weston intends, a most suitable and acceptable scuvenit.
"I shall send them to their homes" she
of the other poor fellows, who also volun- said, "so as not to hurt the susceptibilities teered for the front, but were, not allowed to go, I should like to give them the cards, 100, but as they did not belong to the Naval Brigade I could hardly do so.
The poor. fellows were eating their hearts out because they could not ses some active service and win honour and glory, and they bad to stay aboard and do extra work. They would all have liked to have been there.. It is very hard on them, and they feel a bit sore about it. It is foolish, perhaps; but, of course, it is only natural that they should. They had to do double duty aboard, and had none of the excitement of the fight and none of the glory of victory. Jack, fighting man, and he is so resourceful-willing she added with a glow of pride, is a good and able to go anywhere and do anything on behalf of his Queen and country. We must try and get some of his resourcefulness into the sister service. The Colorists have the same resource and initiative; but that, of course, ls. due to their independent manner of life.
"Captain Lambton." said Miss Weston, "has been very kind indeed. I went on board the Powerful shortly after her arrival, and the men voluntarily gathered together, and I had the opportunity and the pleasure of welcoming them back, and speaking in a friendly way to them. Whilst they had been away we had kept in close touch with their wives and families. Sympathy goes a long way, and the great bulk of the wives of our sailors are such very nice, -women-a very different class of women from years ago. those depicted in the sea yaras of 20 or 30
Some of them, now that they have seen their wives and families, would like to go back to the firt Just like Bugler Dunn, they want to go back and have inother turn. It's just like Jack, I don't known what they would have done without him at Ladysmith.
KITCHENER'S HORSE.
All credit is due to the gentleman who rescued the Queen's present; it was restored to the old And now, Mr. Delnard," said 1, "with your experience both of the French and the Italian each her of his attire has to last him, and add.her intense delight a note for £5 was inclosed Making proper allowance for the period which lady minus the photographic buttons, and to balloon system, how do you think we coming a trifle for one or two small necessary sun by the generous donor. She now awaits her pate?»
dries, it works out that his annual tailor's ac son's return; but, alas! his right arm is "For practical purposes in warfare we are count comes to just under £3, and very respect- amputated above the elbow. absolutely in the front rank. The Italians hastable, it will be admitted, he looks upon it. their whole ballooning system on English tines This, however, it must be borne in mind, is as known to them ten years ago, and from what I can gather they have stood still ever since, kind of British soldier, a private of infantry of what it costs to clothe quite the cheapest whereas the English have steadily progressed the Line. When Atkins advances in rank, or and improved from year to year. The French if he belongs to a more showy arm of the ser have wasted their time in almost unsuccessful vice, the nation has to put its hands in its attempts to produce a navigable ballon which pockets for a little more to dress him properly, shall be serviceable in war time, but up to the present the raptive ballion system is the only bear-skin, that highly effective head-dress costs practicable one."
us no less than 9 15s, against which rather staggering fact, fiwever, is the other one that it has to last niue years, and if not done with Well, to begin with replied my friend, to a budding recruit to have its term completed. when the Guard quits the service it is passed they of course are considerably in the rear, Nine years seem a long life for a hat, but even and therefore can work as calmly as on parade. that period is easily distanced by the twenty The first thirig is to inflate the balloon with years alloted for the metal helmets wom by two boys has sent home the casket, and the There is a good deal of " mind " of a kind, and I must smile as pleasantly as though I never❘ Leader. hydrogen. You may remember that I told you some time ago that the old system of producing
warrant officers of the House-hold Cavalry, the hydrogen was superseded in France by an improvement invented and patented by Com- mandant Renouard and myself in the elect colysis
From time to time the name of Kitchener's water, and I was rather gratified to hear from Colonel Templer that he himself had
But from the boys' point of view the greatest
Horse has appeared in newspapers, but curi ously little information has been vouchsafed. adopted this system. Of course the gas is
attractions of toy soldiers are that they can be
concerning them. The following facis (writes produced at sonic great centre, then com-
used to play any game you like, and will fight pressed into such gas vessels as those we had
sleges, or stormings, or even go on board ship. through a hundred battles, or campaigns, or
a correspondent) can guarantee to be correct. already mentioned, which, I might explain to
Kitcheners Horse consists of captains, mil you, are of steel, and contain 140 cubic feet of
board; and that every one can make his ow with the certainty of drowning if they fall over-
lionairs, peers, stockbroliers, old soldiers, officers and men, gentlemen at large--among gas, after having been put to a pressure of 120
rules of war according to fancy. But it has
whom was poor MacCartie, cowboys, "Ameri atmospheres; the vessels are light and strong, and therefore very easy of transport to the
always been found that they are far ingre
Cans, Austrians, West Indians, Canadiana, seat of war. At Meudon, the French establish
effective for regular warfare and ordered battles
English and African miners, clerks, teaplantem, ment, the vessels contain 1,400 cubic feet, and
and set and solemno sieges according to rule, are therefore practically useless for transport
moved off from the quay-side I noticed a
consists of six squadrons, numbering 620 men, than for the makeshift irregular fighting which ships men and true for the front. Just as the and bricklayers-all sorts, in fact. The corps It is now twelve years since the Ladies' the present war requires. It is far more satis beautiful girl, of twenty or less, vainly trying to raised and equipped in eleven days. Norton purposes. To inflate a balloon of 10.000 cubic
with 640 horses and two Maxim guns. It was feet, which is the most serviceable size, you
Committee of the Peace Society voted that the factory and pretty to look at, to get out the say good-bye to her sweetheart, a stalwart young Legge, the raiser and Commander of Kitch will see that about eighty gas vessels would be
toy soldier should be cashiered, and that in siege of Sebastopol or the hattle of Sedan than fellow in khaki. But no words would come ener's Horse is Major Norton Legge, D.5.p view of the fact that the unit of the nation was required-not a difficult undertaking with the a moment's uneasiness, but when arty boots, the family, and that the child was the father of and besides, dongas and kopjes, except out-of eyes swimming with tears, she plucked a tiny being Captain W. Congreve, who won the
to scatter soldiers about in dongas and kopjes her heart was too full for words. Mutely, her 25th. tussars, bis Adjutant and fidus Acholes modern means of transport, even in a wild and army trousers, army hate, and so on are all difficult country. To give you an idea of the lumped together by the officials who make up admitted into the schoolroom. But time brings show has the school-room or dinning-room to pitch it on board the steamer. Of course,
the man, no such inflammatory toys should be doors, are difficult to make. And what prettier bunch of violets from her breast and attempted C. on the Tugola.. rapidity with which, a balloon can be inflated, the big tailor's bill, that may hardly be the case. its revenges, and if the child is indeed the table to exhibit than the rows of toy battalions the love-posy missed its mark, and dropped I would state that from start to finish the whole As an example, one is apt to pause for reflec father of the man, and militarism is learnt in set up by the future soldiers of the Queen? into the dirty water. The girl's grief, if great vice. He was in the Soudan Expeditions of proceeding does not occupy more than twenty tion when it is remarked that the diversified the nursery, the next generation will be hard to The gigantic model of the battle of Waterloo at before, now became almost hysterical Smo- 1886. After serving in the Egyptian Army for minutes. When I was Chatham I remember head-dresses of all our "Tommies" bccasion hold. that, to protect the balloon during inflation and
The purveyors to the trade have the United Service Institution is dull and lifeless thering her sobs, she turned to leave, when a several years, he returned to Egypt for the first to screen it from observation when inflated and of nearly £50,000, and that the leather articles to meet the urgent demand for toy soldiers, and of the real art of war. Toy soldiers were never incident went forward and offered her a but-Khalifa, and was present at Omdurman. On us to put our hands in our pockets to the tune announced that for the present it is impossible compared with early, and intuitive presentments gallant young gentleman, who had noted the part of the finale in the great drama of the until required for use, a circular pit was dug in fitting upon the oiler.extremities to more than that months must elapse before it can be pro- so popular as now, and never so well made. It is. tonhole from his coat. With a shake of the returning to India, he was appoint Dr.A.A.G. to the ground of sufficient size to entirely contain a wholly inflated balloon with its car attached. final grand and wonder waking aggregate, we
four times that big amount! Coming to the duced. The waste of toy soldier life is now almost impossible to buy an infantry regiment, head she declined it, saying in a broken voice: the Inspector General of Cavalry with whom A spiral path leading to the bottom was eitt find that we have to pay on average about a including Maxim and air guns, now supplied at in khaki. All the rest have gone to the front floating in the dock. Let me get them for when the war broke out in South Ainca inside the pit for descent and ascent, At the million sterling annually for our soldiers very cheap rates; and the insistence of all boys There they may be seen in the evenings, and you,' said the youth, and before she could
excessive owing to the destructive weapons, orjeven any cavalry, except those not clothed I brought the violets for him and they are he was on tour of the Indian cavalry stations bottom was placed the windlass and cable, the dress! It varies a little each year, but it is not that their soldiers shall campaign in the open on Sunday afternoons, exquisitely equipped, say more he had procured a boat hook, on the Captain Legge (as he then was) was one day- When stationed in Ireland same years ago gas vessels, and all the necessary appliances; on the decrease. And this, it must be barse and be left out" on the veldt" at night causes and with the finest air of the English good end of which he swung a bucket that happened accosted by a brgar to whom he gave the so that if it is possible to adopt this system at in mind, is only for non-commissioned officers losses in "missing" and other casualties never manners and high breeding. There are Royal to be close by. In a trice the bedraggled.eleemosynary sixpence May the Lord pre portance to the aeronaut, since, it is they who considering the very considerable cost of most
Horse Antillery in thousands, mule batteries-violets were fished ashore. By this time, how, serve your eye sigla said the beggarmaid, work the winch to which is attached the cable of them, is a matter on which the public may holding the balloon captive, are thus perfectly sincerely congratulate itself.
to old and veteran soldiers to take up arms for teers, and the .1.V. Corps have just appeared. If the soldier-lover was to have his floral she replied. For the divil a nose have yo protected from the enemy's fire. What a horrid
home defence, so an attempt has been made to position poor Templer would be in if his corps from the left-off clothing shop for sooner or.
And how much of all this do we get back induce the boys of this country to employ the force, so are the Gordon Highlanders and the This the gallant realised, so sweeping his is very short-sighted, and it is related The Naval Bridage with y guns is in great love-token not a moment was to be lost to hang a pair of specs on Colonel Legge were killed whilst he, suspended in the air, later the uniforms find their way there. The place of those lost in the waste of war. The balloon corps, but no field
old-fashioned toy soldiers to take for a time the Engineers with pontoon trains. There are handkerchief from his pocket, he deposited that on entering the room at Windsor. was unable either to ascend or descend 1 Of average person's visit to this establishment is supply of these veterans has never wholly and any numbers of Egyptian regimente, in them to give the little parcel the necessary went down to dive his 12. 5..0., he drop. telegraph as yet, the flowers in it placed a stone beside in which the Queen was senied, when he course he could, by opening his valve, perimit disappointing, and so is the War Department's ceased, and their reappearance among those of cluding a camel corps. Boers there are also weight, stepped back a score of paces, ran ped his eye-glas. He dared not stoop to the gas to escape but gas on the field of "Tommy" however, is encouraged to take care the present generation has caused general satis made in England, who are willains, and holy forward, and, with practised hand, threw the replace it in his eye, yet without it he could. battle is far too precious to waste-or he of his clothes, and when they are discarded faction and awakened not a few interesting looking Beers made in Germany, who look violets right on the ship's deck! As they landed gal judge his distance from Her Majesty, could cut his cable and take his chance of they are no longer fir for the Queen's soldiers memories of the past. They are never allowed like a cross between the Ettrick Shepherd and a gentleman in khaki was seen to pick up the Taking, as it were, the bit between his teeth falling into the enemy lines. Should the They are disposed of to contractors, who do. balloon be damaged by the enemy's firo, the best they can with them. A large propor garnson duty, where they make a good show, omen given by the toy soldiers is this, all the he took from it. Involuntarily a cheer went dox fashion, as a rest for the Queen's hand, to appear in the fighting linc, but are used for Willigin Tell Ferhaps the most promising handkerchief and press to his lips something he knelt, extended his bent arm, in the ortho experiments have shown us that the escape of tion goes to the making of new cloth, whilst and set an example of old-fashioned rigid drill best are now made in England, not in Ger up from us on shore; then we heard a Thank which it was his duty to kiss and found him. gas would only cause the aeronaut to descend another is cut up and used in making civilian and smartncis of uniform which cannot fail to many and outside their boxes the names of you, sir-oh, so much uttered in an unsteady self two paces short These he bad to cover in the ordinary manner of a free balloon when second-hand" clothing. Other uniforms find have a good moral effect on the modern khaki the regiments are correctly given, with a list of feminine voice, and the soldier's sweet-heart, by pushing himself along the ground on one the valve is opened. Apropor of these experi their way entire to many strange places, such and slouch-hatted toy irregulars now so much with battles they have been engaged in for now smiling through her team, lath the quay knee, to the amusement of the Queen ments, a shot was fired from a Lebol rifa at si As the bodies of uncivilised heathen and so on, in favour. These, varnished veterans of the the English dag -Spectator,
with hasty tap"-R. 2Yman
Fru Pru
equalled in the annals of toy warfare.
Colonel Legge has seen a great deal of-ser
the Cape, the men, who are of the utmost im- and men for the others buy their own, which, yer Bajesty has issued a personal appeal and screw-gups, Lances and Colonial Volum ever, the transport was many, yards away, and One being asked the reason of this ploda wish,
As
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