the expedition having come in contact with the Soudanese, nor of any movement made by them since the report of their occupation of Lado. That the expedition was not a mere chimera, however, would appear from the statement of Mr. Alfred Parminter, a veteran official of the Free State, who, as early as last December, saw at Lagos palpable evidence of preparations being made for such a movement. From the

beginning it was understood that the native troops were to be levied in the Free State and in the British dependency of Lagos. Now in an interview with a reporter of the London Times, September 10, Mr. Parminter said:

GENERAL RICOTTI,

"Although there was no special evidence of such an advance when I left, I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the reports, although they are denied from Brussels. The steamer by which I came home passed the Leopoldrille at Lagos. Baron Dhanis was on the vessel on his way to Boma with, it was said, some 200 Lagos Haussas and a considerable number of Belgian officers. It is a significant fact that, despite the vigorous action of the British colonial authorities in stopping recruiting for the Kongo service, Baron Dhanis should have openly enlisted so large a force under the eyes of the Lagos officials. In my opinion this certainly gives color to the belief that the British government cannot be altogether ignorant of the long-talked-of movement against the rear of the dervishes. * * * In collecting a force for service on the Nile, Baron Dhanis might with strenuous efforts have got together 500 soldiers from Boma, but only by a dangerous weakening of the military force on the lower Kongo. In addition to these and the force of Lagos Haussas he could, perhaps, order down from the Kassai and other parts of the lower Kongo another 300 men. I do not think that after collecting all he could on the lower and upper Kongo Baron Dhanis could get together more than 1,000 regular troops for Nile service. Of course this strength could be largely augmented by native levies, but previous experience on the Kongo bas shown that these are not to be relied upon.'

Italy and Abyssinia.-A treaty of peace was con

cluded between the king of Italy and the king of Abyssinia in the middle of September.

Menelek gets 2,000,000 francs as compensation for the sustenance of the Italians captured during the war. It is provided that the limits of the Italian colony of Erythrea shall be definitely ascertained, and that the Italians shall not transgress those limits.

It is understood that Russia supported Menelek in requiring these conditions. The number of Italian prisoners held by the Abyssinian potentate is 3,000 or more. Public opinion in Italy and among Italians everywhere finds expression in the sentiment recently uttered by the Progresso Halo-Americano of New York:

Let our captive brethren be restored to us. A single brother Italian is well worth Massowah, the triangular territory adjoining, and the whole of Abyssinia."

THE BERING SEA DISPUTE.

The two commissioners provided for in the treaty signed February 8, 1896 (p. 342), were selected about the middle of July. They are Judge George E. King of Canada and Judge William L. Putnam of the first United States judicial circuit.

An important decision was rendered in July by Chief Justice Davis of the exchequer court of Canada, sitting at Victoria, B. C., as a local judge in admiralty, as a result of legal proceedings in a test case growing out of the seizure by the United States revenue cutter Rush, of the Canadian schooner Beatrice, on August 25, 1895 (Vol. 5, p. 584). In principle the judgment says that any vessel unlawfully prevented by seizure from following its intended business of hunting must be compensated to the amount of the value of the catch which it might reasonably have been expected to take.

The British and American experts who were selected to conduct a scientific investigation of the condition of the seal herds during the season of 1896 (p. 343), have done their work with great care and thoroughness, the utmost mutual good feeling prevailing between the representatives of the two powers. Professor D'Arcy W. Thompson headed the British commission. A statement from Dr. D. S. Jordan, head of the American commission, appeared October 1, in part as follows:

"There is still a vast body of fur seals on the islands, more than the commissioners were at first led to expect, but the number is steadily declining. The only cause of this decline is the killing of females through pelagic sealing. The females are never molested on

the islands, but three-fourths of those killed in Bering sea are nursing females. The death of the mother causes the death of the young on shore, so that for every four fur seals killed at sea three pups starve to death on shore. As each of those females is also pregnant, a like number of unborn pups is likewise destroyed.

"Pelagic sealing as an industry has already cut its own throat, as the fleet this year will not pay expenses. The killing of surplus young males, as provided by law, has always been a benefit to the herd. The commissioners believe that the way is open to an honorable and amicable settlement of this question in a manner highly satisfactory alike to the United States and England and to Canada. There can be no longer any difference of opinion as to any facts in question."

GENERAL EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Rumors of impending diplomatic changes on the continent have been as thick as the drifting leaves of autumn. The European body politic is exhibiting some feverish symptoms: it has a chronic ulcer on its southeastern extremity; the chancelleries, its main nerve centres, have been roused to unwonted activity by the travels of the czar; and the flames of its excitement have been fanned by the dispatches of an imaginative and speculative press. However, though heroic treatment may in the end be necessary to a full recovery, there is no immediate danger; the patient has wonderful staying powers; and the bulletins will continue to be issued from time to time.

The Czar's Tour.-It would not serve the purpose of this review to indulge in speculation-for that is all that any definite statements can amount to-regarding the political significance of the tour of European courts begun by the Russian emperor and empress in the latter part of August. The object of their majesties' trip was rather domestic and personal than diplomatic or political; yet, in the nature of the case, it could not be utterly void of political bearing. A better knowledge of the general sentiment of Europe regarding the supposed policy of Russia in the Armenian matter; a confidential exchange of views and sentiments, for which the daily intercourse of even a purely domestic visit affords many opportunities, to the softening or obliteration of prejudice these could hardly in the end fail to bear some political fruit. But, for the time being, the progress of the czar has left behind no evidence of any radical change in the general political situation.

On August 25 the czar and czarina left St. Petersburg for Vienna, accompanied by Prince Lobanof Rostovski, foreign minister, and other high court functionaries. They

arrived at the Austrian capital August 27, being met and welcomed by Emperor Francis Joseph and other members of the Austrian royal family. On September 5 they entered Germany, being met by the emperor and empress and the German princes, at Breslau. In both Austria and Germany there were enthusiastic popular demonstrations of respect. Military reviews were held, banquets and

entertainments provided, and everything apparently done, even by the crowned heads, to court favor with the young representative of the mighty empire of the North, or at least to present to the world an ocular demonstration of the fact of amicable, if not cordial, relations. In all his utterances, however, in reply to toasts, Nicholas II. was most guarded and conservative, to the sorrow of the political gossips, and in marked contrast to the impetuous ruler of Germany.

On September 8 the imperial visitors boarded their yacht, The Polar Star, at

Kiel, and sailed for Copenhagen, where they arrived the following morning. Two weeks were there spent quietly in family reunion with members of the Danish royal house.

On September 22 the czar and czarina landed at Leith, Scotland, on their way to visit Queen Victoria at Balmoral castle. They were met first by the Channel squadron of the royal navy in the roads, and were then welcomed by the Prince of Wales and Duke of Connaught; took special train to Ballater; and thence drove over the intervening nine miles, under escort of the Scots Greys, to Balmoral. The two weeks' visit at the queen's favorite residence was intended to be a purely family affair, but unavoidably developed into more of a state occasion than was originally

anticipated, the chief members of the British royal family joining the queen to welcome the imperial couple. Naturally, much speculation was aroused as to the political results of the meeting between the czar and the queen; but, while that meeting could hardly tend otherwise than to draw the British and Russian empires into closer relation, there is no positive evidence at this writing that the sovereigns even ex

changed views on political topics, much less that the visit marked a turning point in the history of the Eastern question. Nevertheless, a more friendly tone presently marked the utterances of the Russian press; and that all hope for an ultimate union of the powers in their Eastern policy.need not be given up, is evident from the initiative action taken by the French ambassador at Constantinople, about the end of September, in warning the sultan that the recent collective note of the powers could not be

disregarded like previous European remonstrances (see article on "The Ottoman Crisis," p. 577).

At the close of the quarter all France was in a fever of excitement, preparing for the visit expected from the Russian imperial couple the first week in October, which was to be made the occasion of a demonstration of welcome and esteem unsurpassed in spectacular effect and popular enthusiasm.

Here, too, was much occasion for political gossip. The visit, it was hoped, would set the final seal of ratification upon the dual alliance which began five years ago at Cronstadt and Cherbourg (Vol. 1, p. 354). All the world might now know that France could count upon the cooperation of Russia not only in diplomacy but also in war.