strength would enable operations to be undertaken against China with It is composed of infantry and cavalry only-the want of roads, and the enormous distance from Europe, forbidding the creation of artillery. It numbers at present 17,000 men, but is to be raised to 30,000.

We thus see three distinct armies progressing eastwards and southwards; doubtless in the hope of one day securing the command of the western shores of the Pacific, on the one hand, and on the other, of threading their way through the defiles of the Hindoo Koosh, and debouching eventually upon the plains of Hindostan.

Until the year 1854, the actual state of the Russian forces was a species of enigma. We heard of a fabulous array of regular troops, and endless tribes of Cossacks; but it was hinted that this army existed chiefly on paper, and a distinguished statesman talked very comfortably of "crumpling up" Russia. Upon trial, however, the "crumpling up" process was found to lacerate our own hands not a little, and the Russian troops showed a discipline and a constancy for which few had given them credit. Last year the Russian government published for the first time a detailed statement of the cost and strength of their military establishments.

This document shows that every effort is being made to augment the efficiency, and to raise the character and morale of their soldiers.

The military colonies have been abolished, and the laws that constituted military service a punishment for various crimes have been abrogated. The sons of soldiers, borne on the rolls as "fils de troupe," and who number 578,000, have been exempted from entering the army. The pay has been increased, and a scale of pensions established. Regimental schools and gymnasia have been organized, and a variety of other useful measures of reform adopted.

The arms also have been improved, rifles have been largely introduced throughout the service, and schools of musketry established.

The artillery likewise is being furnished with rifled guns.

ITALY.

Only two years since, Italy was a geographical expression, and consisted of eight separate states, viz. the Two Sicilies, Sardinia, Tuscany, the Papal States, Parma, Modena, the Principality of Monaco, and the Republic of San Marino.

The united war establishments of the armies of these amounted to 305,000 men, of which the Two Sicilies furnished 143,000, Sardinia 112,000. The forces of San Marino were just 40 men.

At the present moment the Italian national banner waves over the whole Peninsula, from the Alps to Cape Passaro, with the exception of Venetia and the Roman territory held by French troops. Upon Victor Emmanuel will devolve the undertaking of organizing the Italians, already united by the ties of "blood, language, and religion," into a single nation. In this task does not nearly every Englishman heartily bid him "God speed ?"

The Sardinian army as it existed in 1858 could place, as I have said, 112,000 men in the field. This force was recruited by conscription, which extended to the insular portion of the kingdom, and to which all classes

were liable, irrespective of rank, excepting a limited number of students for holy orders. Exemptions on account of family circumstances were, however, granted on a liberal scale, and exoneration from serving was permitted to be purchased for £120. The number of males annually attaining their twentieth year was 52,000; of these 34,000 were excused, or were physically unfit, leaving an available contingent of 18,000 men.

This contingent was divided into two classes, or categories. The first, consisting of those who had drawn low numbers, joined the standing army, in which they served for five years, and were then allowed unlimited furlough for six years, after which their military liabilities ceased. The second class were only called out for training during forty-two days in each year, and were free after five years. In case of war, those of the first class on furlough, and the whole of the second class, were called out, to place the regiments and squadrons on a war footing.

At

It is now intended to apply the conscription to the whole peninsula; and calculating from the numerical returns of the population, the Italian forces ought eventually to show a muster of not less than 600,000. present, however, as the armies of the late princes have been disbanded, and there are no classes of previous years available over a large portion of the peninsula, we cannot reckon upon a strength of more than 400,000. Considerable difficulties will lie in the way of carrying the conscription into effect over the whole of Italy and Sicily, as neither the latter island nor the Papal States have hitherto been subjected to it under their late governments; and its enforcement in these provinces will in all probability cause considerable excitement and opposition.'

Possibly it will amuse you to learn a reply given by the Pope to General Lamoricière, when the latter told him he never could hope to raise an adequate army without resorting to compulsory service; he said that he had conscientious scruples on the subject, not considering it right to impose celibacy on any one. You are aware that abroad permission for soldiers to marry is a rare privilege. The inconsistency of the statement, as proceeding from his Holiness, hardly requires comment.

With regard to the efficiency of the future army of Italy, doubts may be entertained whether it will be as good as the type from which it takes its origin. The campaign in the Crimea showed the excellent spirit and organization of the Sardinian troops, and Lombardy and Romagna will no doubt furnish equally good material. The Tuscans, however, are too soft and effeminate to make very brilliant soldiers, and the change for the worse becomes greater as we proceed southwards, the army of the Two Sicilies never having been supposed to possess any military qualities worth mentioning. Apropos of this, I will relate an anecdote of King Francis the First. When he was on one occasion complimented on the martial bearing and soldierlike appearance of his troops at a review, he dryly replied, with a shrug of his shoulders, "Si, leoni in citta, ma lepri in campagna.” On another occasion, when a proposition was made to him to have the breasts of the soldiers' coats quilted with cotton, in order to enable them to resist sword-cuts the more effectually, his answer was, that he would suggest the quilting should be applied to their backs, as they were the part invariably presented in action to the enemy.

Let us hope, nevertheless, that a just and equable administration, and a

consciousness of the cause in which they bear arms, being that of their newly enfranchised nation, and not of an unprincipled and arbitrary despot, will inspire them with zeal to emulate the deeds of their more northern brethren. FRANCE.

Perhaps of all the European armies the one which possesses the highest interest for England is that of France.

Including Savoy and Nice, but exclusive of Algeria, the empire contains 212,898 square statute miles, and had a population in 1856 of 36,877,800. The army that can be put on foot in case of war, numbers about 626,000, besides 10,000 local and colonial troops and 6,550 marines kept in the French possessions abroad.

The French army is chiefly recruited by conscription, the contingent required being fixed annually by imperial decree, and the proportion to be furnished by each canton is regulated by the numbers inscribed upon the "Listes du Tirage" as having completed their twenty-first year within the preceding twelve months.

In 1855 the contingent was fixed at 140,000 men. The total number inscribed was 306,622, which were accounted for in the following

The deficiency was caused by the fact that several of the cantons were unable to furnish the number assigned to them. Out of the 187,676, 20,239 were deducted as having already joined the army or the navy; and 2,768, being students for holy orders, &c. were dispensés. 1,387 were allowed to remain at home as the sole support of their families; 257 were struck off on account of deaths, errors, &c.; 525 were found unfit after joining; 2,016 absented themselves, and were declared refractory "insoumis"; and 5,100 were incorporated into the navy.

The total number of new recruits actually available was thus reduced to 105,388.

It is worthy of remark, that in 1858 the number inscribed was only 305,943. Conscripts living within the same canton and belonging to the same class may exchange tickets: this is termed "substitution," and the number who availed themselves of it was 718. A conscript may also be "replaced" by a relative, but the remplacent must not be over 30 years of age, or 35 if he has previously served in the army.

There were 16,173 cases of remplacement in 1855.

Exoneration from serving may be purchased by the payment of about 921. into the Caisse de la Dotation de l'Armée. The fund is employed in

granting bounties and extra pay as an inducement to volunteer, or to reinlist into the army.

The following classes are thus eligible for admission

Volunteers after four years' service, conscripts within one year of being unconditionally liberated, and others who have completed their term of service. These receive a bounty of 401. on first joining, and a similar sum on completing their engagement of seven years, besides 1d. a day extra pay while serving.

The number of these engagés and rengagés in 1855 was 16,676, in 1858 21,955.

The term of service in the French army is seven years, of which, however, not above four are usually passed with the regiments.

The Imperial Guard is recruited by soldiers who have served meritoriously in the line for at least two years.* The Zouaves, Turcos, Chasseurs d'Afrique, Spahis, and Foreign Legion are recruited by voluntary enlistment.

The ordinary annual contingent in time of peace is 100,000 men. This is estimated to give an effective augmentation to the army of about 85,000. Prior to 1860 the price of exoneration was only 801. It was raised to 927. in consequence of the large and annually increasing number of conscripts who purchased exemption from serving. These in the year previous amounted to 38,323, or 27 per cent. In 1858 the proportion was 18 per cent., and in 1856 and 1857 only 16 per cent.

The standard heights for the different branches of the service were fixed by an Imperial decree of the 13th April, 1860, to be as follows :Cuirassiers, minimum, 5 feet 8 inches; dragoons and lancers, 5 feet 6.5 inches to 5 feet 84 inches; artillery, minimum, 5 feet 6.5 inches; chasseurs and hussars, 5 feet 5.3 inches to 5 feet 7.8 inches; infantry of the line, chasseurs à pied, &c. minimum, 5 feet 1.4 inch.

In enumerating the French army, we may commence with the squadron of the Cent Gardes, numbering 221, with 179 horses: these form the Imperial escort on all occasions. The splendour of their appearance is only equalled by the thorough efficiency of their arms and equipment. Every man carries a breech-loading rifle that has an effective range of 1200 yards, and a long, straight, double-edged sword. The latter is constructed so as to fix to the end of the rifle, and thus form a lance.

The Imperial Guard forms a complete corps d'armée in itself. It is composed as follows:

*

Its total establishment is 38,060 men, 13,447 horses, and 90 guns.

A decree of the 27th April, 1860, authorises men who have not served to be received into the Imperial Guard, provided their character and physical qualities are satisfactory.

The Infantry consists of

103 Regiments of the line, each having 3 active battalions, and

1 depôt battalion.

20 Battalions Chasseurs.

3 Regiments Zouaves.

Foreign Infantry.

3 Battalions of African Light Infantry.`

3 Regiments of Turcos, or Tirailleurs Algériens.

The Foreign Infantry, African Light Infantry, and Turcos are generally stationed in Algeria.

The first of these are recruited by voluntary enrolment, and are composed of stray individuals from every country in Europe, questions as to character not being asked.

The African Light Infantry is a disciplinary corps, and receives into its ranks such soldiers as incur a punishment involving more than three months' imprisonment: by subsequent good conduct, however, they may entitle themselves to be retransferred into their original regiments. Any man misconducting himself whilst in the African Light Infantry, renders himself liable to be sent into the "compagnies disciplinaires "of the colonies, stationed in the West Indies, Senegal, the Island of Réunion, and Oceania.

The Turcos, or Tirailleurs Algériens, are recruited by voluntary enlistment. The officers, and most of the non-commissioned officers, are French, the men being natives of Algeria. They took part in the Italian campaign of 1859, but showed so turbulent a disposition in the march from Genoa, that it was found necessary to take the ammunition from their pouches. At Solferino they robbed the packs of a regiment that had taken them off in order to make a charge, and I suppose a collection of greater ruffians could hardly be met with anywhere.

The French Cavalry numbers 58 regiments, and is 70,000 strong. It is. divided into light, line, and heavy. The latter wear the cuirass; but it is, I believe, contemplated to make the whole of the French cavalry Light, and to arm every man with a rifle of long range.

In noticing this arm of the service, I should not omit the three regiments of Spahis, who are, with the exception of the officers, natives of Algeria, and are equipped in the Arab fashion. The saddles have backs as high and commodious as an easy chair; their arms consist of a sword secured under the left saddle flap, and a long rifle slung across their back. They are, of course, innocent of the tracasserie of a European soldier's kit, and as they ride along, enveloped in the folds of an ample red cloak, look not unlike Welch women going to market.

The French Artillery is composed as follows:

4 Regiments Horse Artillery, with 192 guns.

10

Mounted

10 Batteries Foot

1 Regiment Pontooneers.

6 Squadrons Train.

Giving a total of 38,767 men, 37,954 horses, and 852 guns-this, is in