29 APRIL 1882, Page 2

Colonel Gordon has resigned his command in the Mauritius, and

the Ministry at the Cape have asked him to take the position of their chief military adviser. The Colonel was going to Syria, but his friends believe that he will at once accept this offer. It is greatly to be hoped he will. Colonel Gordon is thoroughly just to dark men, and has, therefore, a singular ascendancy over them, while he is an organiser of the first rank. Under his advice, the colonists may be able to change their very irregular Militia into a force like the Canadian, and possibly to organise a cheap and mobile body of native cavalry, to act as police in all qnarrels with native tribes. This is the first want of the colony, which is constantly embarrassed by the necessity either of turning out unwilling Burghers, or of hiring white Irregulars,. at an expense the finances can ill support. There is no want of material or of willingness to fight, but the organisation is as imperfect as it was in the early days of the American Colonies,. when men who would turn out for a time and fight bravely enough would insist on going home, with the enemy in front of them, because their " turn " of service had expired.