hall, the " Tien-how-kung, " as it is called, or '* Temple of the Queen of Heaven"; one of the finest buildings of the kind in China. Indeed it is only the temples, the yamens and the houses of the rich — the latter, outside the official ranks, few and far be- tween when one considers the vastness of the population — that possess any noteworthy architectural features in the country. The comfortable, elegant and tasteful abodes of the middle classes, which adorn the suburbs round our cities at home, are conspic- uous by their absence in the " Flowery Land. " In this town I met the remnant of that " ever-victorious army " which achieved so many triumphs. Now, after much turmoil," these warriors rest from their labours, and form the Ningpo city guard, a small compact body of native troops under two English officers, well drilled, well cared for and well paid. This, I fear, is more than can be said of a large portion of the Chinese forces under arms. At any rate they are not all well, and but few of them regul- arly paid. Notwithstanding this the condition of the Chinese soldiers is perhaps better than it has been in former years ; and I believe that, were the Imperial Government obliged to make an effort, they might turn out an army better equipped than is generally supposed ; although at the same time any force the Chinese might thus muster would be wofuUy deficient in the discipline, organisation and science, required in coping with the machine- like masses that are placed upon the modern battle-fields of Europe. These are the impressions I gathered from actual obser- vation of bodies of men encamped and under review in China. I think that a Chinaman who has received an English education of a not very high-class sort, might try to put a letter together in pure EngUsh with just about as much success as his govern- ment, with the knowledge they at present possess of the science of modern warfare, to send a thoroughly efficient army to face
