We are most unfortunate in Burmah. Sir H. T. Mac-
pherson, the General in supreme command of the 35,000 men now collected there, died on Wednesday of fever, in a steamer on the Irrawaddy. He was a most brilliant officer, and in the Afghan Campaign of 1880 rendered great service to Sir Frederick Roberts. He was made Commander-in-Chief in Madras, and as Madras has usually garrisoned Burmah, he was selected to tranquillise that country. He had hardly reached the capital, however, and had not completed his plans when he was seized with fever, was ordered away by the doctors, and 'while on his way to Rangoon died. It is announced that Sir F. Roberts himself, the Commander-in-Chief in India, will now succeed him, and we are promised, therefore, an expensive but a successful campaign. The difficulties in the way of locomotion .arising from the want of roads are excessive ; but the force of steamers is very large, and we note with pleasure a plan for taking a body of Sham into the service. They are brave men, they have chiefs whom we can conciliate, and they can move as seedily as the Burmese themselves, and more rapidly. At present, operations are almost paralysed by the difficulty of conveying food, especially for the Europeans.
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