the

Crimean War.

The cause of this war was the claims of Russia over Turkey, and the fears of England and France that, if Causes of they did not aid Turkey, Russia would become too powerful. The Czar of Russia was in the habit of speaking of Turkey as "the Sick Man" of Europe. By this, he meant that the government of Turkey was so weak that it must soon fall to pieces, and he believed that the great powers should plan beforehand what was to be done when this should happen. The other countries thought this was only a scheme of Russia to get possession of Constantinople, which would give it an outlet from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean. This would be especially bad for England, for it would threaten the security of her possessions in India. So, when Russia claimed the right to interfere in Turkey, to protect the Christians there (who were “Greek Christians," like the Russians), England and France encouraged the Sultan to resist. And when war broke out between Russia and Turkey, they sent their armies and fleets to the Sultan's assistance.

The Russians strongly fortified Sebastopol in the Crimea, and the English and French attacked it. The siege lasted for nearly a year, amid cholera, Siege of Sebastopol famine, and the winter weather. The Czar (1854-55). said that "Generals January and February would be his strongest allies, and so it proved. The British army suffered terribly, and there was a great outcry at home because of mistakes made by the

government.

For the first time women nurses were sent out to the army, and an English gentlewoman, named Florence Nightingale, won undying fame by the heroism and self-sacrifice which she showed in caring for the sick and wounded.

The most famous deed of all this war was the charge of the Light Brigade, about which Tennyson wrote one of his best known poems. Through the blunder of some officer, six hundred and seventy-three British horsemen were ordered to charge the whole Russian line.

"Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd;

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred."

Charge of the Light Brigade.

More than two-thirds of that heroic band were killed, wounded, or made prisoners. "It is magnificent," said a French general, "but it is not war."

In the end, Sebastopol fell, and Russia was obliged to make peace. Many people thought that the whole war was a mistake, and that all that the war accomplished could have been gained by peaceful means.

Mutiny in

The year which followed the end of the Crimean War saw a great rebellion against British rule in India. It is known as the Indian "Mutiny," because it Outbreak was confined almost entirely to the native of the soldiers, or Sepoys, who made up more than India. nine-tenths of the British army there. It was largely due to uneasiness among the native peoples at the introduction of railroads, and European ways, and to interference with native religious customs. Its immediate cause was a rumor that some new cartridges which were given the troops were greased with beef-fat and hog-lard. The Hindoos regarded beef-cattle as sacred, and the Moham

medans hated everything which came from the hog; so both Hindoos and Mohammedans joined in the revolt.

It was in May, 1857, that the Sepoys first mutinied. They slew their officers, and proclaimed an aged Prince,

Emperor of
India. In one

place, the offi-
cers, warned by
telegraph, or-
dered a review
of their troops
at daybreak.
When the col-

SEPOYS

command was

suddenly given,

"Pile arms!" and the Sepoys dared not disobey. They were disarmed, and the mutiny was prevented from spreading to that province.

Siege of

Lucknow.

Other places were not so fortunate. At Cawnpore, the British were obliged to surrender, after standing siege for some time, and men, women, and children were put to death. At Lucknow, the garrison, together with 450 women and children, held out for three months, amid the greatest hardships. A relieving expedition fought its way to them, but it was not strong enough to bring back the besieged through the hostile country. A second expedi

tion was long in coming. But one day a Scotch girl, in the camp, suddenly started up from her sick bed, crying: "The Campbells are coming! Don't you hear the bagpipes?"

At first they thought that her mind was wandering. But she was right. It was a body of Scotch Highlanders, of the clan of the Campbells, marching to their relief, with the bagpipes playing at the head of the colThis time the force was strong enough to bring

umn.

the garrison away.

Mutiny.

After some further fighting, the rebellion was put down, and the rebels were severely punished. Ever since the Mutiny, a larger proportion of British troops has been kept in India, so that End of the such a danger might not again arise. Also, the Mutiny showed the necessity of making a change in the government of India. The old East India Company was dissolved, and the British government itself took over the rule. In many ways, more consideration was shown to the wishes and prejudices of the Indian peoples, and in 1877 the Queen was proclaimed Empress of India. On the whole, British rule has been a great blessing to India; but it is very natural that the educated natives should seek, as they are now doing, to have a larger share in the government of their own land.

TOPICS FOR THOUGHT AND SEARCH

1. Write an account of the character and home life of Queen Victoria.

2. Read an account of George Stephenson and the invention of the locomotive engine.

3. Compare the means of communication and travel in 1700 with those in 1800, and those in 1900. Mark those which came in the reign of Victoria.

4. Write an account of Sir Robert Peel.

5. Read aloud Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade."

XXXVIII

GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI

POINTS TO BE NOTICED

Early life of Gladstone; development of his political opinions; his attitude towards the Civil War in America; later admits his mistake; settles the "Alabama" claims.

Disraeli becomes leader of the Conservative party; defeats the Liberal bill for reforming Parliament; passes a more radical bill himself.

Gladstone for the first time Prime Minister; Irish Church disestablished; elementary education established; other reforms; Gladstone defeated by Disraeli.

Gladstone a second time Prime Minister; beginning of his measures for Ireland.

THE best known statesman of the reign of Queen Victoria was William E. Gladstone. He was for sixtytwo years a member of the House of Commons, and was four times Prime Minister. He was the greatest political speaker of the latter half of that century, and his name is connected with some of the most important laws of that time.

Mr. Gladstone was born at Liverpool, in 1809, the same year that Abraham Lincoln was born. His parents were of Scottish descent, and his father was a successful merchant. When he was eleven

Early life of

Gladstone. years old, he was sent to the great school for boys at Eton, which many noblemen's sons attended. At that time there was much flogging in English schools, and much fighting among the boys; Englishmen defended both as good things, because they said that they made the boys sturdy and self-reliant. From Eton, Gladstone went to Oxford University, where he ranked very high in Greek and Latin, and also in