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V >.. i li i i I THE VERY LATEST FROM ALU THE WORLD OVER. •irarcstinc Hete* Abattt Ou.' Own Covotry, QMCt Britain, the UniUU SUUa. and Ail Parta ol ttaa Globe, Coodcnaed and A*3ori«d for Eaty Readintf. CANADA. The total collections on ae<:oant of Crown lands in the Province of Ontario during 1895 amounted to $<i9.B»0.03. > The defences in Esquimalt are again ,, be:ni; strengtbened. Seven new hsavy brL'ecb-loaclkig guns have just arrived • from SagUnd. . A school trustee at Cartmouth. NS., ', is lJ»^m^ sued for litiel because he pro- nouaced Ihe writing of a, number of brhool tvachera bad. f . Ei-Detective Flynn, formerly of the Grand Trunk Bailway Company, who is now in Um Montreal i^uol under a >. convi«tion of perjury, is dying of con- V sumption in the mlirxaasy of that in- } Blilution. It is now believed that Mr. Frank W. • Brown .collector of taxes for the Town ^ of Sault Ste. Jlari«^, who was found dead in his offioe, was murdered, as two buikls tuid paaseJ tturough his • heart. Atlolph Davis, who was dismissed from , »he service of tha Montreal corporation a-s «-,iter works au(>«iriu>.eadent has been awarded |6,0OU damages and ^457 sal- j(. ary ui tht; cjid of the year for wroag- ful di.3,'Tti.-.sal, It Is sLaied in Montreal that the Do- raicion order-in-Coimcii passed on Feb- niary 20lh compels the AiUan and Do- V ' ujinion stoamsUip Uues to make their winter terminal port in Canada instead of the United Statea, as at jiresent. The value of the output of tne nickel . and copper mines in the Sudbury dis- trict during the paot year, as reported to ih? Ontario LegLslaLore on Friday, is estLmated at |.5iitj.UT3,and the amount â-  paid out in wages to the miners at I210.0UO. Mr. J. Wickett. oi Bow-manviUe, Ont., ij^ ^ "as killed almost instantly on Friday M the Grand Trunk ra Uway station. Se was standing on one of the tracks. ^ looking at thi' morning oxpiess from Toronto, wh^n the local from Peterbor^ ou^h came along^nd hurled hif" against the oLhi-r. A reoolution has been passed by the Kingston, Ont.. Board of Trade, pro- testing against the proposal to bridge the Detroit river, and Mr. H. A. Calvin, M.P., was uptwinted to co-operate with i oth'T deputations opposing the bill to bridge the river when it comes before the Farliamentary Committee at Otta- wa. At a meeting in Ottawa on \V?dne5- . . day evening of the Kiecutive of the Ku lights of Labour, and other promin- tni Labour men of the city; it wa-s unani- mously decided to form a Canadian red- eratiua of Labour, which is to l?e en- tirely separate from the United Slates lai^our organisations. While Mr. AllierC Bright was holding on" of the ijraees of the purline plate, â- v.hici was spliced, at the raising of Mr. Hugh lUissiU's barn in the township of !iosjn<iuet,on Thursday.the plate broke, thro\>uig Mr. tirignt to the frozt'it iCTJund. tv.enty feet below. Uoth legs ind his hip I'one were broken, and ue also sustained internal injurifs, which re-Hilu'd in his death a few hours after- uaids. The deceased, who was -b yeans of :ig\', was to have l>een marricil soon. _^ Among the latest changes on Che Grand lYunk (<taff are the appoint- meni of ALr. Charles J. Haight to the pcsition of freight claims agent, vice ])Jr. J. Rruughton, rtsigued, and the i(ismiss.il of Jlfssi's. Alacl'arlane. en- giU'tJi' of wooden structures, Siiatford ; A. J. IJailey, inspector of wooden struc- tures* at the same place, and F. W. llateher, inspector ot wooden bridges, Montreal. GREAT BRITAIN. Uen. Booth of the Salvation .tVrmy has returned to London from IndL^i. Mr. Gladstone has returned to Lon- don from the Hiviera in excellent be.ilih. ^lemtiers of the University of Cam- bridge will elect a caimuittee to con- sider under what cundiiious women may lie admitted to degrees. It is related of Millais.the Koyal Aca- demy's new president, that when as a lioy he look his first prize (or drawing he had to stand ou a i-Dair to make him- self visible to the audience. Lord BeaconsCield's brotht'r,Ralph Dis- aeli, is still living, lie bears no resem- blance to his disiuigui,^hed brother, and has always lived a quiet, retiring life, having Iwen for nuiny years clerk uf (he Uouse of Lords. The .\rchliishop ol Canterbury says that westerners con never convert the Muh.iiumedau world. Islam is an Irou- 'xiuiul, aKsolutely fi.ved religion, and can- not be griuted on the civilinatiou of ihc nineteenth century. The late Prince Henry of Battenberg, who was quite versatile, left the si-ore of an operetia that is said to (KXisess great merit. The Loudon managers are anxious to know more alvut this work, but there are difficulties in their path. The Uaroneiis Burdett-Coutts is very fond of ail kinds of animals and birdo. and at bor. lligligate txvnie she has an extraordinary collection of them. Goats, Hamas, ponies, donkeys, nightingaUvs, parrots, robins ,and a variety ot others ure^amoug her pela, and all share her favour. Mr. Joseph ChamUtrlain, in the Im- u-rial House of Commons, said that the Government bad received a strong pro- test, frtun Canaila in regard to the pro- iit)sed permanent exclusion from the United Kingdom of store cattle. The protest, he added, would receive careful consideration, Mr. Goechcn, First Ix)rd of the Ad- mii-alty, replying th<« other day to Mr. John Redmond said that it was at«urd to suggest that the iiicre.iae in the navy wa.M intctwled to riienaoe IJie I'nited Slates, as the nav' tiro«;rammo was settlod in Noveanber, 'lefore the Ven- e«i;','lan question had arisen, The British Iraiiorts from Canada in Fabruary were four and a half times jrealer than the imports of February of Qw pre%'iou» ye*r. The im|K>rts for January and February were two and a )mI( tmii's grtwter than for the i-orre- •poiiding months last year. The ex- Itorl.^ frtMU Great Britain to Canada in- 21 per Mat. ka February. In tii« Iinp<?rial Uoiise of Commons Mar. Haabory, vke Fin*njial Secretary ! to the TI,.^sury. saii tiui' there had ' been no agree otent to suijei iize Cana- I dian mall aJiipa to the aiaoMat of sev- enty-five thousand pounds yearly, but I t^: (jovsriirnrnt of the Dominion and I lu^! imperi..! ijvtvernment wrere diwju.'is- ing the question of an Imperial grant I f«r that puri aee. Admiral Sir Leonard McCliniock, the Arctic explorer, who cotiunanded the , Franklin relief expedition iiT 1859, is living in London, a nalc aud active man ' at the age of 77. Ue is sceptical alx)Ul ; the story of the discovery of the Ncrth Pole by Nansen. pointing out that the , report,, to be enurtamed -Heriously ! should have come from Greenland, in- i stead of the Siberian side. \ TLe Canadian MinUter of Agricul- turfc, Mr. Jlontague, has had an inter- , view with Mr. Joseph Chajnberiain,and ! has urgeii th.at the evidence is conclu- ; I aiva that Canadian cattle are free from . I diaease, and atai.ed that Canad.i is con- fidently expecting that the existing re- ; I strictions should be removeil, an<l not f made permanent. Mr. Chamteriam pro- , mised that the Imperial Government : would carefully consider the matter. Right Hon. Walter Long, President i of th<; Board of Agricuittue, stated ir ( the British Parliament that 72 cases at ; contagious pleuro-pneumonia had been j found in aittle imported from the â-  United States and sixteen in the cattle | impcsrted from Canada since October, l iHys. Whatever view the Canadian and > United States authoriiies might take ; ho cuuld only say that it had been con- clusively proved' that the disease was infectious. UNITED STATES. . An agency is to be opened in Omaha for the purpose of enlisting recruits for the Cuban insurgents. j Calvin Flint, of Williamstown. Vt.. who was 88 years old last January, has \ split forty corda of tough firewood this winter. The Goulds have escaped paying tax- es on ten million dollars assessed in the city of New York, on the non-resi- dence plea. I'hiiteen thousand tailors are out oa strike in Chicago, and eight thousand union garment-workers will gf3 oat on a syuipoihetic strike. The Hon. A. C. Cose, of the United States District Court of Utica, N. Y., handed down a decision oc Friday, d«- claQng natural gaa not dutiable. A 70-year-old citizen of Ellsworth Falls, Me., has had a severe attack of whooping cough during the p;iat week. and 13 slowly recovering from it. Four men were killed and one injur- ed by the blowing up on Wednesday of | an engine on the Delaware, Susque- hanna, and Schuylkill railway, near Hazelton, Pa. Evangelist Moo<ly, who h.-is not visit- ed the Pacific ixxwjt w ilhin the past ten years, is soon to conduct a series of revival meetings in San Franeisco. Senor Gft^rge Gomez, nephew of Gen. Comez, who is in St. Louis. Mo., at precicnt, said that if the United States recognizes the insurgents they will win. In the United States Hduse of Re- presentatives a bill has been passed making <>ue ye,ar's continuous residence in a territory prerequisite to obtaining a divorce in such territory. Dr. A. V. BurghiU. of Chicago, read his horoscope .in Wednesday, and r«.»- marked that the stars foretold his blind- ness tiefore dea-th, and on Thursilay ui:rht wliil- in. iking «'X[>T!ni-uts v.iin explosives hi destroyed both his eyes. Dr. Arthur Dueshon, the so-called millionain- murderer, oi' St. Louis, whro was convicted in the Circuit Court, a short time ago oif killing bis wife and laby in St. Louis, his^ bee^n sentenced to be hangvd on April 'J2ud. Lieut. J. F. ThompBon. Ordnanc* Officer of the Oepiurtment of the Mis- souri, points JU' • ilie Chicago people the utterly defenceless condiliuu of the city in the event of war between the United StaU-s ;uid Great Britain. Forty memliers of the Italian Club in . Chicago on Sunday night oifered them- ! selvee to the service of the country of their birth, and declared their willmg- ( nesK to proceed to Rome and join the ' Italian army fighting in Abyssinia. Dawsim 01<lh;uu, a T^year-oli' resi- dent of while Hall, Ky., never has miss- ed a sermon iu tb* Methodist church in that place in thi^ forty years he has lie*n a member. He never has us- ed tot^eco in aiiy form, nor has be tast- ed whiskey. Owing to appeials liefore the Supreme Couri. Iheodore Durrant, of S.ui Frau- risco. California, who was convicte<.l last Novemlier of the murder of Blanche La- mont on April 6. is still alive, and it b not expected that his case will lie deciiied before the close uf the present yiiar. Last August Barnum's widow was married to Demetrius Callias Bey, and went to reside with him ou his olive plaulaliou on the island of Meletia. It IS now n'iK)rle<l that Mrs. Callias is re- turning to the Uuile<l States, the happy home among the islatuls of the Grecian archipelago having failed to material- ise. It is thought prolkable in Washington that Congress will vote one hundred million dollars for ctviat and lake de~ ! tenet'*!. It was pointed out in a sub- I committee tluit the United States lake towns would be utterly helpless against British w;u>hip8. which could he taken I into tho lakes through the Welland I canal. j .\ not her attempt was made on Satux- I day to kill Mr. P.D. Armoor. the fam- ous Chicago pork-pucker, by means of an infertuil machine, which was sent thi'ough the local ^hmI. The package was regarded with suspicion at the Central potsl-office, and opened, when the nature of ihc contents vras discovered. Commercial atlvicee from the two chief business agencies in New York as to the general situation in the Uniteil States are iu>t of an encouraging nature, and certainly have not ctmie up to ex- ixictations. The larger business we Dave been so muuh told of as lieing al- luocit within sight has not so far mater- ialized. The reasons advanced are various, but storms and extreme cold weather appear to lie largely i-esponsi- ble. There are in severallines growing enquiry and increa.sing demand, but this is often aocomplished by, or con- ticquent ou, concessions in price. There is notable growth in the insurance bu.si- ness, which is said to be larger than ever before. Hardware. shoe,s and IaxiUs. millinery, paints, and chemicals ^r'~ in lieiter and more immeKlijile dc^ iiKuul, Imt the ordinary spring Imde is ct "a waiting character" Cotton aud wool are dull- GENERAL Th« Czarowitz continaes' t« g»iu strength. A despftich from Bombay says that Samuel L. Clemens (Mark? Twain) is seriously ill at Jeypor. A iloipaujfe fr 111 Fekin says the re- ported conclusion of a treaty between Rus.sia and China is confirmed. Count Golucbowski, the Au.stri.in Prime Minister, before leaving D.;rlin for Vienna, was given the (jrder of the Bed Ka^'le by Kmperor William. The Anglo-German Chinese loan of one hundred million taels has been is- sued at ninety-four, with interest at at five per cent. The railway trains crossing the French frontier from Italy are crowded with Italians, who are leaving to escape mil- itary service in Africa. The merchants of Barcelona have agreed not to sell American products in ibe event of President Cleveland ap- proving of the Cuban belligerency reso- lutions. ^\jia result of a heavy snowfall, last- ing three days, followed by a sudden thaw, floods in many parts of Austria have caused great destruction of prop- erty. A St. Petersburg despatch say.s that two hundred fishermen belonging to Se- val. vvith their horses and utrts, have lietn blown out to sea on a piece of floating ice. An American student in Athens claims to have interpreted the inscriptuin on the architrave of the eas^ front of the Parthenon, which baa hitherto been an unsolved problem. For the first time the Finlster-Aar- horn, the highi«t of tb.i Bernese Alps, has been climbed in winter. Profassor Fischer, with the guide Aimer, accom- plished the feat a couple of weeks ago. The Rome Tribuna denies that King Humbert has expressed his intention to abdicate. The reporr grew out of the fact that the King said: "My son may negotiate with Ute Negus, but I will never do ao. The Paris Radicals and Socialists are angry because the cross of the Legion of Honour was bestowed upon Primv Henry of Orleivns, the explorer, and the matter will be debated In the Chamber of Disputies at the earliest opiiortuntty. The Lmperor of Austria dislikes Ger- man cc»kiji)r. and cares only for French cuisine. When bis relatives of the House of Tusoiny viait him, to please their Uiste be has Italian dishes served. On certain occasions the Empress, who is a Bavarian, orders German dishes. Professor Rontgen is the hero of the hour in Germany. Honors are show- ering upon him in his Wurtzburg home, and the university students organised a grand torehlighf proivasion ihnmghthe lOT-n to his house to congratulate the professor on his wonderful discovery. Gen. Baratiera eulains bis reasons for attacking tbe Aoyssinians by stat- ing thiit supplies were becoming short, the roods Ivmg infested with Al^yssin- ians. I'o retreat would have expo<ie<l tbe luU ins to an attack which would have be«-n difficalt to withstand. Ha held a conference with the officers un- der him. and they concurred iu hia opioion that it would be safer to at- tack the enemy than to retreat. QUEBEC IS DEFENCELESS. Bllaptdaled l'«BdlUua ef tbe filadel ud Ihe l-evts rertu. The Chroni^'le recently employed an expert to investigate tbe condition af the citadel and Levis forts. Uis re- port ia now published, and it shows tbe defenvleas and dilapidated conditinti of tbe so-called Gibraltar of America. The walls of tbe citadel h.ivo in many places b n p;.'rmitted to crumlde a^vay. and its garrison h.is been reduced until it is inadequate to maintain it io proper efficiency. And yet within its decayed fortifications no kodak is permitted to enter, and noi even a pencil sketch may be made by a visitor. When erected these now useless for- tifications cost JJO.OflO.OtR). Now they could be stormed, wiibout the slightest show of resistance from within, by an invading foe, either from aa iron-clad tying in the St. Lawrem-w off the island of Orleans, seven or eight miles below, or by an invading 1 uid force from tbe west by way of Montreal. The p«ior old citadel has but two armour-viercing guns in all, and tbe extent of their peiieLrition is but four to Five inches. Nvii her of them is a very modern niece of ordnance, one be- ing an eigtit incn and ih- other a seven-inch muzzle-loading r lliser con- verted gun. Their effective range is on- ly a little above two miles. :in<l they could do but little, even at that rauge, against hardened ste^el and Uarvayized armor. rhe remainder of the citadel arma- ment Is even less modern, .tud would be less effective thiin the two guns already mentioned. It consists oa eight 6^ pounder Palliser converted R. M. L. guns, two 7-inch R. B. L. Artnstroog gums of an old pattern, and three 40- pounder siege guns. ITie only weapon covering the western approach is ooa of tbe 7-ineb Armstrong guns. In the event of becoming involTed in hostilities with other powers. Quebec might be attack from three different sides. To protect it from a naval at- tack from oelow the authorities count oc tbe ability of tbe British North Am- erican aquadron to keep a hostile fleet out of the St. Lawven^v, and in the event of this failing, they rely upon their abiUty to prevent the advance of hostile ships by using torpedoes in the Traverse, a n.irrow portion of the chan- nel some forty miles below Quebec. Bui at the present Can,ula has aeither tor- pedot'S nor a torpedo station. In thj event of an American attack upon Quebec, it was exxected that the route adopted would be a direct one from Maiue through the valley of fie Chaudiere, which was that folioweil in 1775 by Gens. ArmW and Montgomery, and so tht> imperial authorities expended over K.OOO.IXK) in the construction of three forts at Iievis. one of which com- mands the St. tjiwrence .and two of them tbe approach from the Chaudiere VaLley. Thev are much more modern than tbe eitailel, their outer side being earth- works, hut these, too, have been allow- ed to fall into partial ruin, and iu the 3 forts there is but one gun mounted, a 7-incli Armstronij in No. 1 fort, which commands the river, but which could luit pierce even the U0b test-armored ship now afloat T2EMYES0FTIIEÂ¥i]r.LB PfiOGRESS IN KAVAL CONSTRUC- TION DURING THE YEAR. tireal BrMaia Leadit In tbe .Vnmlicr af SUpn i'udrrC'umitriutioii, with Fnutea irtiitd Kai-ia, Ceruan;, luly, amd lapaa -liidia« to Ihetr .Vara! su-eBslfc. Great Britain's naval policy, as usual, is by far more liberal than tliat of any two other naval nations combined. The estimates for new wotk during the past year and for the fiscal year end- ing April next amount to over $91,000,-> 000, or upward of 96,000,000 more than was voted the previooa year. Tbe in- crease is due to new construction, in- creased progress in ships already laid down, increased personnel, new naval works improvement and incraaae of coal and other supplies, both at home and at outlying naval stations, and gen- eral equipment of the entire service in every direction, in order that it may he brought to the highest degree of effi- ciency. The programme for new con- struction includes four protected cruis- ers of the Uighi'st type, of 11,000 tons displacement, 4 protecttid cruisers of a!xut ti,000 tons, i cruisers of about t,- 100 tons, 20 first-class torpedo boats, so- called "destroyers. " and 10 first-clois torpedo lx»ts of smaller size. This does not, hov.ever, sho'.v the actual nuiii'-..:r of shii^s now building for tbe British navy. There are now in Government yards iiuilding 8 first-class battleships, 8 iirsL-<l;isa cruisers, ;i second-class cruis- ers, and 4 sloops, and in private yards, under contract, t first-class battleships. 11 first-class cruisers, and 15 first-class torpedo Loats. This fleet under con- straction is alone almuEt equal to the strength of the German or Aioerican oary. Within the lost few months work has begun on four first-class cruis- ers. Rcmeda, Diadem, Europe. and Mobe, each of ll.MW tons, 43j feet in length, tiy feet beam, aud a draught of 25 feet. Their engines will develop 20,- UOO horse power, which is believed will give the vessels a sustamed speed ot 20.5 knots. I'he capacity of the ooal bunkers is one oC the extraordinary features of thes; ships, each having room for OVER 2,000 TONS, which should give a great steaming ra- dius for vessels of their machinery pow- er. The reduction in the calibre of gons by the British service is sAowa by tbe ariuajuieui. oi these ve<>seis, ail of which will carry iiiu.>en 6-incli rifles, fourteen 12-pounder8, and two suiimerged tor- pedo tubes in the side, and one stern tube. Th»y will resemble the Terrible I in tbe protection ol the armament aud i arrangeiiieni fur the transport of am- imucitiuu to the fighting stations. I Four lirst-cbiss protected cruisers, the lArrogaai. Furious, GLidiator, and Viu- : dictive, are to bu built at Got jrnmejit yards, designed Co lie ot the highest sp.-ed auu lighting efficiency for ships of tbeir class. They will each be 350 feet long, di8plac<>ment uf 5,750 tuus.an<i :ira expected to develop 13 knoi^ an hour. Tbeir armament will consist of six- inch gvns aud a number of rapid fire rifles. Two powerful battleships, Magnifi- c«'nl and Majestic were launched during the year and completed in tbe quickest time on record for ships of their size. They are looked upon as the mo.st forni- Idaldf? vessels iu th â-  world. A fe.v years ago precturally all battleships built for Great Britain carried 13-incn and even question af as bi^n as 15- inch guns. Tbe loss oi the \ ictoria settled the ques I heavy or<lnanee for England. I The old battleship Sulian, was wreck- j ed six years ago near Malta and after- ward raised, towed home, and rebuilt at a cost of $1,000,000. Ihe vessi-1 now : Ikis a spw^d of 14 knots. Nearly all the torpedo Ixxiis of the Uavock clase are .show n lo liave t i*n launched and neai'ing completion. Ihese number sev- j enteen. and each is designed to make over 2l5 knots. So far the During lias eclipsed tbein all by showing a speed i of 28.4 knots, with a draught of a lit- tle over »ix feet, the Havoek and Horn- et each milking over 27 knots. The gun ariiMiment of th«se lioats comdsts of one 12-pounder and five Impounders, and ail jar? fitted with tubulous boilers. I FRANCE COMIES NEXT to Great Britain in its outlay for tbe I navy and iu the ntuuLvr of ships oC all j classes under construction. The total I amount appropriated for the last fiscal I year, ending Jan. I, was «&i. 180,000. an ! mcrease of Only h.^lf a uoitlioii over that of the previous year. Sovouteen new ves.'wls were begun during tlte year. aud when they are iu baud France will have 76 ships and torpedo boats un the stocks, distributed as fullowns: Nine tiatt leships. 7 building in Government yanle aud 2 by private contract; 3 coast defence ves- sels of the monitor type, of which two are building by contract; 8 first-class cruisers, 'a) aecond-cl.'wis cruisers, o of the thiru-class. 2 torp»'<k> depot ships 2 torpedo vessels, i despatch ve^isels, 1 gun vessel, 7 first-class toriiedo Ixxits, *6 smaller torpedo IvjUs, and a submar- ine boat. Franiv will this year ask Cor $32.- 6U,0t)0 to continue the work of build- ing her navy. • Tlie new programme eomprisfs one first-claso battleship, to cost $3,581,000; two first-cl.'vss cruisers to cost t>»ch V^li<l,00O; one sKxind-class one third-cl-.iss, one station deopatch boat, one gun Teasel, two large torpedo vessels, and two first-class nvist defence 3hit«. Tlie keel of the lattleehip will lie laid down at Brest, and she will re- semble the battle«hi()S St. Iiouis and CbaHenu«(fne. She ia expected to U> complotfd in 1900. Germany's naval (irogramme provides for the construction of ope first-claae liattleship to replace tbe Prcnssen, one fir»t-cU«i armored cruiser ol 7.700 tons, three second-class protected cruisers of improved type, aad also for refitting three of her old battleships, sod exten- sive rep.'iirs to four others. Tbe total amount e\pendeil on the inerea.se of her navy for t.he year just ended was 819^- (tW.OOO. The liattleship. when complet- ed will coat, exclusive of •rdnai>c«, $3.- 380,000. She is to be finished in four y«\ars. During the year ten torpeilo boats Nvere delivered to tbe Govertunent. f^lf-ven bnving greater dlaplacenurat, higher speud,aad better accommodaticas fur tbe crew than aay yet i onscrucM4 for the navy. During a five hours' run io a rough sea at load draught the average speed maintained was 23.i57 knots. WKb the torpedo t^Btg in coura* of constructioD Gt^rmany will harve TEN DiVIdlON BOATS of 250 to 380 tons, and lli firsfc-eiaas tofw pedu boats. Her torpedo boats in futura will be armed with 3-poundex and 8 uiiiiunetre machine guns. Ail Hotch- kiss revolving cannon now carried will be removed aa fast as possible aod tba new armam.ent sabstitated. Great strides have been made by Rub> sia in strengthening her fleets in tha last year, the total amocmt expended in new construction having amounted to $13,27'J,S20. The report of the naval attache at St. Petersburg shows that Ru^a has under construction three sister battleships of 11,000 tons, two battleships of 8,000 and 9,000 tons, re- spectively, three coast defence vessels of the size of the Monterey, aa armored cruiser of 12,500 tons, (wo small bat- tleships of 8,850 tons, one battleship oC 12,480 tons, one protected cruiser ol 3,828 tons, U transports, one gun ves- sel, one torpedo vessel, and one ysebl of 5,200 tons, presumably for the royal family. One of her cruisers is to hav« engines of 17,000 horse power, twin screws, and a speed of 19.5 knots. Th* length of this craft will be 480 feet. !>rain 65 feet, and draught of 25 feet. Her complement will consist of thirty- fivtr officers and TOO men. A naticeaola feature of the battleships is that tbey all carry 12-inch guns iud. the armor of all is treated by the Harvey pro- cess. Italy during the year expended only 94,400,400. She has yet under v«-ay,h»w- •ver. three first-class battlesbipa. fiva arcaored cruisers, two prote«iten cnu». ers. one gun ve^ei, and several aoail vessels for local work. She ia said to have in contemplation three more bat- tleships, and plans have been appravad for two of novel design, in which speed is comoioed with very low £ree-l«iard> Italy has completed a suijuiiirinu tor- pedo boat with a length of 40 leet and a beam of 11 feet. She is designed t» make a speed of ten knots when wholly subniergvd, but so far no record bos been received of her trial. Japan intends materially to strength- er her navy. The increase wiJl ba chiefly in battleships, coast defence ves- sels, and AR4IORED CRUISERS. Argentine has ordered two armoreA vessels of j.jOO tons and twenty knots speed. Austria has building a iirsl- cLaas cruiser and two torpedo veesela and launched a coast de.{euce â-¼easel dur- ing the year. Brazils programme in>- cludes two small coa,st defence voaseh*. three torpedo boats, and two light draught armored vessels, with the pos- sible addition of one cruiser, Cbili pro- poses to add to ber navy three sliipe, one, a very fast cruisi';- of 6,000 tons, having alniad}- been ordered airoad. The record of the Chinese navy has been dis;istrous. Its only additions since tbe crushing defeat t'y Japan has been .four first-class torpedo ixxits. Her Ums 'during toe w-ar is put down at twectjr- |two vessels of all classes. I Ecuador's navv i.-onsiBied of ooe onali t ganiioat, but last May bar boilers «x- I phided, killing the commivnder and four- i teeu men, aud it is probable that no i attempt will be made to support aaoih- ler war ship. Lilvri.a's navy cvusists of . a small gtmbaat built last year m Bog- land, j The tendency in the developmeat «( : gan construction is undonbu-dly in the ' direotioo oi guns of moderate uinii-a- , siuni>, which may be man handled, bat developing enormous power, mad in im- provements in breech meehanism.teud- ing to iucrease rapidity of fire. Th* value of modern artillery fire, as ex* emptified in the Chinese wax. ia that t,;e Japanese fleet, with 5!>-incb. four i T-incb, aitd eight li-inch guns were op- I posed to a Chinese fleet with practic- jally none. The Japanese guns were ! purchased in England, and are report- ed to have been fired seven times in t>teniy-tive sec<inds. Ra|jid auimunitloo I supply is regarded as ot vit^l import- ' ance. In some naviee it is tbe iira<.Ui.e i to store a sufficient number ot "WO- jectiles near each gun to suiiply it ! through action. Some of the Japaoess officers taking part in the Yalu battle, while aJmitttug the additional risk in- volved in carrying a large nunilier of loaded shells on deck, considered this practice essential to the development of the fuM usefulness of the rapid tire guns. ABYSSINIA. Farts Akeat the i'oaalry la Wblek the lul< IsBN Veil. Tbe chief exports are gold, ivory, slaves, coffee, butter, honey and wax. Abys.sinia is a very mountainous coim- ti-y. Many of the peaks are ahvayt covered with snow. The literature of Abyssinia amounts to little. What there is deals with religious inailera The country is to situated that the climate is one of the most salubrious ou the face of the globe. The :wea of the country is about 200,- 000 square miles. li.s inhabitants num- ber a little over 4,000,000. Adowa, where the Italians met defeat is the second city in Abyssinia, having about T.UOO inhabitants. The petiple are mostly agriculturists Cotton, cloth, leather, parchiueut, iron and brass arc manufactured. The majority of the inhabitants of Abyssinia are of the Caucasian race and are well formed and handsome. The language of the religion and lit- erature ot the country is tho Geez, which belongs Io tbe Etbiopic class of languages. According to tho Abyssinians the Queen uf sbeb.% was their ruler and from lier sou Menelek tbeir kings are descended- Tbe Galla race, which cume from tba south, constitute a large part of tba soldiery. Ihey are fierce and turbu- lent. The name Abyssinia is derived from tbe Arabic word Uabesch, meaning mix- ture, aud refers to the mixed character of the people. Abyssinia is one of tbe most imcient mou.'irchies La the world. Until recent- ly, however, the king was generally Ittraid of his chiefs. 'Che prevailing religion of Abyssinn is a very corrupted form of ChristiaJk- ity. It IS professed by the ma^owity gf the peeplu and the reigniug prLuces. )