Marshall County Republican

John Chinaman—The Way He Fights.

A correspondent writes:

"I have seen the arms used by the Chinese in the fight at the storming of the ports at the mouth of the Peiho. The first sight of them shows the utter helplessness of this vast Empire of three hundred and fifty millions of population, when it comes into contact with European science, and arms, and discipline, on the battle-field. They remind me of the scenes of my boyhood, when all the lads of my country village were armed with wooden guns, furnished with wooden locks and flints, which could snap if they could not fire. They are ignorant of the rifle, the percussion cap, and even of the flint, once used in its place. The gun is a match lock, and of such formidable dimensions and weight as to need wheels to carry it, instead of their own shoulders. It is almost impossible to raise and level it, such is its weight; and often another man, kneeling before him who loads and fires, bears the end of the gun upon his shoulder, in the happy consciousness that if the enemy chooses to kill him instead of the soldier at the other end of the gun, he is innocent of any man's blood and cannot but be. And those matchlocks! they are worthy of a place in any antiquarian museum. Almost would the old Knights Templar of Malta start up again, should these matchlock guns be placed in the gallery besides their armor. The match-lock in cumbersomeness is fairly in keeping with the barrel and stock—some inflammable material, which is kept burning, taking the place of a flint in a common gun, and coming down like the tail of a comet, when the tedious process of loading is completed. Then there is the spear, not to be used by the hand in fight, but slender, and iron point, and fired with rockets. Then comes the battle axe, not heavy and easily wielded by the hand, but useless except in close contact, and then powerless compared with the sword and bayonet. Their cannon are either sunk in the earth, and permanently levelled, or else mounted on carriages which provide for no elevation or depression of the guns, or else make it so slow and difficult that after all the carriage is useless. In the attack on the forts, one of the steam gunboats came in range of the guns, and received several shots. Very strangely, and unlike a soldier and gentleman, as John Chinaman thought, the Englishman did not choose to remain in range, and presto! with a puff of steam was out of the reach of their guns, though almost touching their nozzles."