managed, and their success would mean the most virulent anarchy. Government by Spain or some other European power is the only possible one for the islands. Japanese rule, Mr. Foreman thinks, would not be respected, and could be established only after wholesale slaughter of the natives; and native self-government would be such as would make Hayti at its worst seem a paradise of order, peace, and justice.

The history of military operations during the first three months of 1897, so far as can be gathered from press dispatches, is briefly reviewed as follows:

On New Year's day a desperate battle was fought near Santa Maria, in the centre of the province of Bulacan (Vol. 6, p. 943). A force of about 4,000 rebels, under one Eusabio, also known as General Dimaluga, had strongly intrenched themselves in the village of Cacaron, but, after a hard struggle, were driven out by the brigade of General Rios, with a loss of 1,200. The Spanish loss is put at about twenty-five killed and seventy wounded.

This defeat seems to have had a discouraging effect upon the rebels, who now availed themselves largely of General Polavieja's offer of amnesty to those who would lay down their arms. In the middle of January the region around Manila was reported almost clear of rebels. On the 14th, the rebel chief Eusabio was captured near Bulacan and shot. On the 11th thirteen rebels, including Roxas, a leading spirit of the Katipunan, were executed at Manila. Roxas, it is said, had conceived the idea, in the event of the success of the revolt, of proclaiming himself emperor of the Philippines.

Toward the end of January, it was Polavieja's purpose to localize the rebellion as much as possible in the province of Cavite -the plan of campaign being to advance from the south on the sev eral towns held by the insurgents, while the fleet operated along the northern coast. The rebels made desperate resistance at many points, and the losses of the Spaniards ran up into the hundreds. The capture of Pamplona, Silang, and Perez dos Marinas in February were serious blows to the rebels; but still more disastrous was the capture, late in March, of the strongly intrenched towns of Novelleta, Lactau, and Rosario. Serious losses upon the rebels were also inflicted at the same time in the shelling of the seaport town of Cavite Viejo and other strategic points commanding the way to the insurgent stronghold of Imus.

A sudden uprising in Manila on February 25 was suppressed after several hours' fighting in the streets and suburbs, the rebels losing 200 of their number. On March 9 a Spanish column of 2,000 under Colonel Salcedo was ambushed by native guides, near San Nicolas, and attacked by about 8,000 rebels, suffering considerable loss.

It was announced, March 22, that General Primo de Rivera, captain general of Madrid, had been appointed to succeed General Polavieja as captain-general of the Philippines. Polavieja had been sick with malaria, but was also said to have been dissatisfied with the lack of support given him by the home government.

Miscellaneous.-About January 14 the British resident at Mambare, New Guinea, together with five miners and thirty friendly natives, was murdered by hostile. Papuans.

An uprising against French rule was reported in February among the islanders of the Marshall group, caused by attempts to enforce payment of taxes considered too high by the natives.

THE REPUBLIC OF HAWAII.

The ex-queen, Liliuokalani (Vol. 6, p. 944), after her arrival in Washington, paid a visit of courtesy to President Cleveland, January 25. The political situation in Hawaii had of course no place in the conversation between Mr. Cleveland and his visitor, but Liliuokalani nevertheless took occasion to thank the president for his withdrawal of the treaty of annexation sent to the senate by President Harrison. The ex-queen's visit to the United States was without any political object-so at least she has many times declared; but her spokesman, Julius M. Palmer, an American who has lived many years in Hawaii and who is a sort of "chamberlain" to the fallen majesty of the Sandwich Islands, would seem to have been engaged in what the newspapers style a "royal campaign" against annexation. Asked whether the Hawaiians would favor a cable from the United States to Hawaii:

"O never!" he answered. "A cable pure and simple would not be offensive to the Hawaiian people, though as a matter of fact they are quite indifferent to close communication. But annexation, never! That is a possibility never for a moment considered by the Hawaiians. You see, I speak of the Hawaiian people, in the sense of Hawaii for the Hawaiians, and not of the handful of Americans who make the Dole government, built on the sugar business, and run by the sugar kings. Of course they want annexation."

Of the ex-queen's attitude toward annexation Colonel Palmer said:

"Her Majesty would oppose it to the bitter end. She is a woman of inflexible will, though gentle and most charitable, never saying an unkind word of any one. Her Majesty knows her own mind as few women do, or men, either; and even in the small matter of letters, when once dictated, never changes her decision. She would oppose annexation, not from any personal ambition or selfish feeling, for she would gladly sacrifice herself to secure the happiness and prosperity of her people."

In a communication addressed to the Washington Evening Star, February 12, Colonel Palmer defines as follows the status of the ex-queen as regards the government of Hawaii:

"Do I mean that the queen of Hawaii has never given a legal abdication, that she is still the lawful ruler, even if she forbears to enforce her legitimate rights? I do mean exactly that. On Japy ary 7, 1895, she was arrested for no specific charged offense, taken py

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She was

force, and confined alone in the Iolani palace. told that those she dearly loved, personal friends, were awaiting execution, and the only act which would save their lives was an act of abdication to be signed by her. * * To save those she loved she executed the document you publish. It was an act consummated under the plainest kind of duress, void even had it been legally executed. "But the signature is worthless. * * * It is not the official signature There was no such person recognized as Liliuokalani Dominis, and there is no such person to this day. * * No question is ever settled until it is settled right; and that the whole Hawaiian matter should be properly reviewed is the opinion of a great many of the people of the United States."

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According to the official census the population of the Hawaiian islands, February 8, numbered 109,020 persons, of whom 72,517 are males. The numerical strength of the principal elements of the population in 1890 and 1897 respectively was as follows:

Most significant is the growth of the Japanese population: it is almost certain to lead to unpleasant complications. The republic has begun to erect barriers against the immigration of Japanese laborers, who were coming in at the rate of more than 1,000 a month. To check the flood the Hawaiian government prohibited the landing of any person possessing less than fifty dollars in money. It is charged that the immigration agents used crafty devices to circumvent the law, and the government refused to allow a shipment of laborers to land; but the courts ruled against the government and the immigrants were permitted to come ashore. Of course the controversy did not end there: it has yet to be fought out. Rumors were current of a purpose on the part of the Japanese government to intervene with force on behalf of its people.

AFFAIRS IN AFRICA.

British Expedition to Benin.-A peaceable expedition of British officials and military officers left Bonny about January 1 for the town of Benin. The members of

the party were Acting Consul-General Phillips, Major Copland Crawford, Captain Boisragon, commandant of the forces of the Niger Coast Protectorate, Captain Maling, of his command, five other Englishmen, and a number of armed natives and carriers. Shortly afterward, reports came to Bonny that the entire expedition had been massacred by subjects of Drunami, king of Benin, whose territory lies within the limits of the protectorate. A later account of the affair confirmed the first in all particulars save that Captain Boisragon and another Englishman made their escape though severely wounded; of the native contingent also, 250 in number, seven escaped.

The purpose of the expedition was, according to the London Times, to induce the king to remove the existing obstacles to trade. Of the personal disposition of the king, the Times declares that it is hostile to all Europeans. The king is a Ju-Ju-man, addicted to human sacrifices, and the gruesome evidences of that religion are every where visible in his capital. Further, he is said to have threatened death to the next white man who should attempt to visit him.

The protectorate at the time of the massacre of its agents had within its borders a well disciplined force of 450 men under sixteen English officers. There was a competent supply of artillery; and three small warships were available for the transport of troops and for offensive operations: other warships were within call, subject to orImmediately on receipt of news of the disaster steps were taken to punish the authors of the massacre. The success of the punitive expedition under LieutenantColonel Bruce Hamilton, against the king of Benin, was announced about the middle of February. The town was captured; the king found present safety in flight; but a part of the expedition was detached in pursuit of the fugi

tive. The appearance of the captured city is described as revolting, fully justifying its sobriquet city of blood." Many victims of Ju-Ju were found crucified. The Ju-Ju houses and their precincts were smeared and fouled with the blood of the victims offered in the religious services of the monarch and his priests and people. In the battle for possession of the town, the expedition lost in killed and

wounded seventeen Europeans and twenty-three natives. Toward the end of March the king sent envoys to treat with the British commandant for terms of submission and peace. The envoys were held as hostages, except one who was sent back to the king to inform him that he must sue for peaec in person.

Bechuanaland.-An uprising of natives was attempted in Bechuanaland toward the close of 1896: it was put down

CAPTAIN A. M. BOISRAGON, ONE OF speedily and summarily. The

leader of the insurgents was the chief Galashwe. About De

cember 24, news reached Kimberley that the natives at Phokwan had fired upon the police, and had stopped two ladies who were going to a store belonging to the husband of one of them. In two hours after receipt of the intelligence, seventy men equipped for war were in readiness to take passage by railroad for the theatre of hostilities. One of the soldiers describes graphically in a letter to his family in England the incidents of the brief campaign: the letter is worthy of going on permanent record as a sort of impressionist picture of war incidents in Africa within the spheres of Christian influence:

"Chief Commissioner Robinson sent word to Galashwe that the government were anxious to spill no blood, but that he must make his submission and surrender the men who fired on the police and interfered with the liberty of Messrs. Blum, before noon (Captain Blum, his brother, their assistant, and a friend had been confined in Messrs. Blum's store by the chief). Galashwe told us to Come on. He was ready.' H. G. Field (the husband of one of the ladies who had been stopped) and Captain Blum were now with us, the latter having promised Galash we that he would not take any active part in the fighting before being liberated. The chief commissioner deemed it advisable to wire to Kimberley for two seven-pounders, and to delay our march until the artillery arrived. * * Christmas day was, therefore,

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