It is officially admitted in St. Petersburg that the valuable
province of Kuldja, or Ili, as it is usually called in older maps, has been retroceded to China. This cession was demanded by the Chinese General who has conquered Kasligar, on the reernent some years old, which provided for ground of an ag
restitution whenever China could maintain order in the pro- vince. The Russians thought this would never be ; General Kaufmann announced that the occupation was perpetual;, and although £500,000 are to be paid to Russia, there can be no ,doubt that the Chinese have won a diplomatic victory. This is
ch
the first instance within the century in whi an Asiatic province occupied by a European and Christian Power has fallen back into Asiatic and Pagan hands, and ie a decided retrogression for the world. The extraordinary success of Tso Tung Tsang will encourage the Chinese Government in its new policy, and as it wishes to keep him in the Far West, it may direct him to revindicate its rights over Nepal, and so come directly into conflict with ourselves.
Previous page
