To maintain the laws of China, and impress the people with fear, a numerous standing army is kept up. There are at least, five-hundred-thousand—Tartar troops—such as we should term “regulars,”—in this country. There are also about a million of what we should call “the militia.” For courage they are not very remarkable, but they have the word brave stitched upon the back of their jackets, and the word retreat on the front. They wear also a peculiar cap, as seen in the engraving, and carry a matchlock. Here is a picture of a Chinese “Brave.”
The “Tartar troops” are enrolled under eight banners, which are attached to certain lands or estates. The cavalry are not much better equipped than the infantry; they have neither carbines nor pistols, but are armed exclusively with swords and sabres. The weapons of the foot consist of bows and arrows, pikes, matchlocks, swords, baskets, shields, and iron cannon.
TIGER OF WAR.
ELEUTH TARTAR.
But the most famous of all the soldiers are, what we should term “life guards;” they are called “tigers of war,” and are the members of the Imperial Guard. They are covered from head to foot with a striped dress of black and yellow, to resemble the tiger. The head of these “tigers” is also covered with a close cap, and two horns or ears stick up from each side. They carry a shield, with a sort of Gorgon face upon it, like that of the fabled Minerva, which is said to have turned all it looked upon into stone.
