ing, and motions of the regular leave him unable to use his gun as it ought to be used at the last moment when, as I have twice seen, the smoke-wreaths mingle and the men fall amongst each other, those of one line into the others' spaces. There was a woeful instance of this at Laing's Nek, where H.M.'s 58th Regiment displayed a valour that, had it been only utilised by really efficient shooting, must have secured the position for the moment. A cavalry charge had been made that broke down because the arme blanche failed to reach the riflemen opposed, of whom only two fell in the shock, both shot by the revolver of a mounted non-commissioned officer. The rifles (British) for some reason failed to advance. They should have gone on as skirmishers, extending as far as possible, and even, if necessary, without having supports within five hundred yards of them. The gallant 58th went up in column of companies, wheeling distance. The height to be scaled before a fighting level could be got to was four hundred feet, and the incline about a foot in twenty. The regiment was but little fired at till it had nearly reached the top, when it got flank fire from a hollow on its proper left, and this at the exact moment when the officer in command, the gallant Colonel Deane, began to extend his second company to prolong the line of that which was leading. The movement helped to distress the men of the wheeling company, and the top of the ridge was reached before the wheel was completed.

The lines were almost in contact before the firing took place. The conflict did not last fully three minutes. The irregulars fired as men would in snap-shooting with a shot gun, hitting right and left, each man just defending himself by firing at the soldier next him from the hip, from the sportsman's carry, or, if at any distance, from the shoulder aiming. The soldiers fired five good volleys, but the execution was little, the bullets almost invariably going over or missing their opponents, who acted as individuals against the too close formation. The Boers then rushed forward to the brow and slope of the hill, pressing by their fire the whole down before them. Had the entire attack been in extended order, and the men accustomed to shoot at objects close to them without taking super-accurate aim, they must have gained the ridge, though to what ultimate purpose I cannot say, as they were really too far from Colley, and his cavalry were already beaten, whilst his guns must be silent or they would destroy the advance line. There were other instances of what I must call 'snap-shooting' with the rifle, but none so remarkable, for at the moment of contact the military were superior in number to their opponents, who, however, fired quicker and better. Some of the readers of this paper will doubtless remember how flurried one may become by the sudden springing up at one's feet, or bounding past one in bush, of some antelope or large bird. The shooter must be smart indeed if he miss not in such a case. Well, that is the kind of shot that offers itself in the mêlée, and just before and after it; and it is a style of firing that both our soldiers and volunteers must learn if

As for the bayonet, except for night attacks, surprises, street-fighting, and work within the enceinte of a place, it is no longer of any value.

It is to be feared that, taking one thing with another, soldiers are overdrilled, and perhaps overweighted with orders, rules, and regulations. Irregularities have very often had sensibly beneficial effect, even when undertaken by regular troops in war. Witness Philip Sheridan's feat when, at the last campaign of the North in front of Richmond, he dismounted all his cavalry and used them as infantry to turn the Southern right. Chances constantly occur in war for the introduction of useful irregularities. Who has not heard of actions being partly resolved by a gun falling into the hands of amateur artillerymen who used it to good effect? or of some wholly unauthorised person leading or encouraging a movement at the right minute? Not that regular soldiering is without its value. That is not the argument of this paper, but that amateur officers and amateur soldiers, if they have free scope for their abilities and know the use of their weapons thoroughly, are not despicable opponents, and that from their waywardnesses many useful lessons may be learned.

It would not, however, be fair to the amateurs did I omit to state that so far as I know many of the best soldiers England ever produced were irregulars and non-military men, or followed non-military and irregular models. From the Journals of the House of Commons I find that Oliver Cromwell was only plain Mr. Cromwell in 1641, and there is no reason to think that he was not a very irregular officer indeed, when, of his own mere motion, he seized the magazine at Cambridge on August 9 of that year. The first men he got to handle in the field were apparently not good soldiers, but he did not seek to replace them by trained troops only. He, on the contrary, set to work to raise men of good conduct, character, and conscience; and of these, in the field, he made a regiment destined to be second to none in the world. But he himself appears to have been a civilian till he attained the age of forty years, and to have been something of a Boer in his way, although an English and not a Dutch one. In 1643 Cromwell is described as having as yet distinguished himself only as a daring guerrilla leader, prompt to conceive and quick to execute : and yet up to the date of the battle of Gainsborough he alone of all the Parliamentarians had displayed any genius in the field. When, later, he had served under the Earl of Manchester, a trained soldier, and Fairfax, his genius was fully recognised, and in time he superseded all his former chiefs, from whom he had learned nothing, but to whom he had taught much. During his after career he never met with even a check from any of the trained veteran generals sent against him, and will ever remain, to Englishmen at least, a proof that it is not the staff college or the ball-room that makes the leader of men, but the inborn instinct without which mere technical education is a sham. Had Cromwell been a soldier whose genius was dwarfed by routine and parade, we should never have heard of

OCTO

A VISIT TO THE QUEEN OF BURMAH.

CTOBER 16, 1880.-We left Rangoon at 5 P.M. in the "Yankeentown,' one of the fine steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company.

October 20.-A really fresh morning. We are out in our long chairs at five, and I, who have several times repented that we ever started on such a journey, and at Yandoon and Maooben thought life not to be endured in such places, begin to enjoy myself. Now I have the cool morning air, the delightful feeling of perfect independence, no tourists in our way, the kindest and most attentive of captains, an excellent table both as to cuisine and appointments, no household 'bothers,' all my time to myself to read, work, chat, doze, or scribble; and last, not least, the consciousness that we are going north and going to get cooler and cooler. No wonder things seem to be looking up again. At 3 P.M. we arrive at Myanoung, a pretty little place, where our government has, it seems, spent lakhs of rupees in making abund' to reclaim some miles of fertile land from the river.

October 21.-We started at daybreak for Prome. A fresh morning, and lovely scenery at last, rich woodlands and blue hills on either side, and the river like a sea. I feel at home here, it is like Europe, sometimes reminding me of the Rhine, sometimes of Switzerland. We pass one very curious place, where there are hundreds of life-size figures of Gautama (Buddha) in niches along the hill-side. These niches are carved out of the rock, and shaped like rude Gothic arches. The Gautamas are chiefly of white stone, but some are richly gilt, and have a gorgeous effect with the sun shining on them. In one place where they are arranged in rows the effect is like a side of an old church. As we pass I notice the Burmese in the flats devoutly praying to these images. It is a delightful day, and makes me feel quite energetic; but at Prome, where we arrive at four, we meet with very great heat again, and I do not venture to land.

October 22. After another very hot night, we left at daybreak for Thayetmyo, on a cloudy, cool day, the pleasantest we have had since starting. People in England, unused to a continued sun-glare, can hardly imagine the enjoyment to be got out of a dull grey sky. It makes me at least much happier, for I am now able to enjoy the fine scenery. It is very fine, the bends in the river shutting us in sometimes, so that we appear to be on a huge lake. I am often reminded of Lucerne. The hills are richly wooded all along, and the summits of them constantly studded with gilt pagodas. We arrive at Thayetmyo, our military frontier station, at 3 P.M. This is

go ashore till five. The agent of the steamboat company, Mr. Brodie, with another gentleman, comes on board and offers us the use of ponies and a carriage. While waiting to go out I watch the people bathing in the river—the Burmese are always bathing, and are capital swimmers. The smallest children swim, dive, and float as naturally as possible. The women wear a not unbecoming garment, reaching from the armpits to the ankles, and when they come out of the water they, like all the natives of India, let their clothes dry on them.

At five we go ashore. My husband rides, and I drive with Mr. Brodie. The place is very pretty, with English-looking roads and lanes, except for the tropical trees. It is an entirely military station. Mr. Brodie showed me two full dressed effigies of British soldiers placed by the Burmese to guard their Pagoda when they feared an invasion from Upper Burmah a few months ago! They leave them there still in case of accidents. An army of that sort would come cheap.

October 23.-We left Thayetmyo at 7 A.M., and came upon charming scenery, with gondolas, that remind me of Venice, plying in all directions-only instead of the coffin clapt on a canoe Byron puts it, the covering here is of bamboo. At dark we anchor

at Mengla, the first village in Burmese territory.

as

October 25.-As we go along the river to-day we see in the distance what I really think must be a large town, showing more spires than in Oxford itself, many large buildings, and one gleaming church, is it, or cathedral? that reminds me forcibly of Milan seen from a distance. This is Paghan, and the captain does us the special favour of anchoring here in order that we may visit its wonderful ruins. At one time this was the capital of Burmah, but nothing now remains but the temples and pagodas, some in ruins, others still in splendid condition. There are said to be about a thousand of them; some elaborate pieces of architecture, either of glowing red brickwork or dazzling white. The most remarkable temple is the Ananda.' It is 800 years old-of brickwork covered with white plaster. A grand design, cruciform in shape and with Gothic arches-two features which distinguish it and a few more of these Paghan temples from all other specimens of Burmese architecture, and make the few Orientalists who have seen them doubtful as to their having been purely Burmese temples. It is impossible for me to describe all I saw at this place; it was a grand treat, and I enjoyed it the more from having been reading up Colonel Yule's Court of Ava,' which we fortunately brought with us. It is a description of a journey he made up the Irrawaddy, and is brimful of learning, written, too, in a most artistic spirit, and with a clearness and simplicity of language that make it delightful reading.

October 27.-We left at daybreak for Mandalay, distant still 80 miles, and it seems very doubtful if we shall reach it by to-night.

I should like to paint. The cold and damp of this morning have brought forth all the different-coloured wraps of the people, generally of some bright-hued cloth, which is always thrown on in graceful folds, and forms quite an unstudied success with these natives. There was every shade of rose, from pale pink to deep crimson, every variety of yellow and green, and some rich purples, but no blue, for the Burmese do not seem ever to wear it, nor any black. They had grouped themselves in most picturesque fashion, with some Poongys (priests) amongst them. These holy men are always clothed in a rich yellow garb-like the colour now called 'old gold '—and it blends well with everything. I could not have spared them from my picture on any account. The rain does not last beyond the early morning, and is followed by a cool English spring-like day. here is lovely, the land well cultivated, with smooth meadows that might be English too. How different from the miles and miles of jungle and high elephant's grass,' i.e. grass tall enough to conceal an elephant, which was all we had to look at in the beginning of our journey-Bassein creek excepted. As we approach Mandalay at sunset, the scene becomes more and more beautiful. Purple mountains loom in the distance, and the river, which is very wide here, is bordered by richly wooded hills studded with pagodas. But for the pagodas it might be the Lago di Garda. I shall remember this entrance to Mandalay as a thing of beauty such as I have seldom seen. We are to remain here three clear days, on the steamer of course. We are anchored opposite the lovely view, and not obliged to look at the squalid bank on our side more than we choose.

The scenery

October 28.-Another very wet morning, and so cold that it might be the Thames in November instead of the Irrawaddy,' But I like it, perhaps because, unlike what it would be in the Thames, I feel sure it will not last, and my conviction proves true.

October 31.--I have been able to see nothing as yet of Mandalay. The roads are, it appears, too dreadful after the rain, and I dared not venture over all the ruts, hollows, and puddles in a bullock carriage. They tell me the jolting 'knocks one to pieces,' for there are no macadamised roads in Mandalay. To console me it is settled that on our return here I shall be carried up to the town in my long rattan chair. My husband has been out riding every day, and seeing everything. He says the place is beautifully laid out as to plan, the streets being very wide, and bordered everywhere with grand trees. These would form perfect boulevards if the roads were but metalled. That they are never likely to be under Burmese rule! The great people get about comfortably enough on elephants, the rest walk. Last night we had a very agreeable guest to dinner, Monseigneur Bourdon the Catholic Bishop of Mandalay-a very polished gentleman. He asked with some anxiety when another British resident might be expected, and he told us that he is sure English people can reside here in perfect safety. My husband, who went all over the