A S O L D IE R OF CH U -SA N ,
Armed w ith a Matchlock G u n , é-c.
T h e C h in e s e are s u p p o s e d to h av e k n ow n th e u se o f fire -arms a n d g u n p
ow d e r a t a v e r y e a rly p e r io d , b u t sin c e th e c o n q u e s t o f th a t c o u n try b y
th e T a r ta rs , th e c h ie f e x p e n d itu r e o f g u n p ow d e r h a s b e e n in th e f r e q u e n t
p ra c tic e o f firin g salu tes a n d d is c h a rg in g o f firew o rk s : in th e in g en io u s
c o n triv a n c e o f th e la tte r th e y a re em in e n tly sk ilfu l.
T h e a rm y o f C h in a Is a t p re s e n t v e r y ill d is c ip lin e d ; its s tr e n g th c o n sists
o n ly in its n um b e rs , w h ic h w o u ld n o t c om p e n sa te in th e d a y o f b a ttle
fo r th e i r ig n o ra n c e o f m ilita ry tac tic s, a n d w a n t o f p e r so n a l c o u rag e .
T h e g e n e ra l d re s s o f th e so ld ie ry is cum b ro u s , a n d fo r th e s o u th e rn
p ro v in c e s a lm o s t su ffo c a tin g , b e in g lin e d a n d q u ilte d . A t th e r ig h t side
o f th is fig u re h a n g s h is c a rtc u c h -b o x , a n d o n th e le ft h is sw o rd , w ith th e
p o in t fo rw a rd s. T h e m a tc h lo c k is o f th e ru d e s t w o rkm a n s h ip , a n d has a
fo r k e d re s t n e a r th e m u zz le .
I t m u s t b e th o u g h t e x tra o rd in a r y th a t th e C h in e s e g o v e rnm e n t sh o u ld
c o n tin u e th e u se o f th is c lum sy w e a p o n , w h e n th e in g e n u ity o f th e p e o p le
so we ll enables th em to m a n u fa c tu re m u sk e ts e q u a l to th o s e o f E u ro p e .
I n th e b a c k -g ro u n d is a m ilita ry p o s t, h a y in g th e u s u a l n um b e r o f so ld
ie rs a tte n d in g i t ; th e se a re c a lle d o u t b y th e c e n tin e l o n th e tow e r, wh o
is b e a tin g a g o n g , to a n n o u n c e th e a p p r o a c h o f a m a n o f ra n k , wh o is
e n title d to th e c om p lim e n t o f a m ilita r y sa lu te .