ASIA. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA. 91 



COMMODORES OF THE NAVY (Continued). 



ASIA. The most important event in the his- 

 tory of Asia, during the year 1865, is the 

 steady progress of the Eussians in Central Asia, . 

 which resulted in the annexation of a large ter- 

 ritory. By a circnlar letter to its Foreign 

 Ministers, of December 3, 1864, the Russian 

 Government explained to the foreign Govern- 

 ments the reasons for this extension of the 

 frontiers of the empire. In February the new- 

 ly conquered territory, together with a part 

 of the former possessions in Central Asia, were 

 erected into the new Russian province of Tur- 

 kistan. In May the Khan of Khokand was de- 

 feated by the Russians and killed, and in June 

 the important town of Taskkent was occupied 

 by them. (See RUSSIA.) 



In China, the Taepings, although not so for- 

 midable since the death of their chief leader 

 as -before, continued to harass the Imperial 

 troops, and were, at the close of 1865, not com- 

 pletely subdued. The insurrection of the Mo- 

 hammedan rebels in northwestern China, which 

 had first broken out in 1862, as well as that of 

 the Nien-fei (" northern rebels "), assumed 

 larger dimensions, and at one time even the 

 capital of the empire, Pekin, was threatened. 



The relations of China as well as of Japan to 

 the powers of Europe and America, did not 

 undergo any considerable change. Japan evi- 

 dently adjusts itself to intercourse with foreign- 

 ers, and prepares to secure many of the advan- 

 tages of foreign civilization. At the close of 

 the year the Mikado gave his consent to the 

 opening of the two ports of Osacca and Hioga, 



* Acting Rear Admiral. 



t Reprimanded and suspended for three years from May 

 8, 1864. Two years of his suspension was remitted by the 

 President, December 27, 1864. 



on January 1, 1866, to foreign trade. 

 CHINA and JAPAN.) 



The war of the British Government in India 

 with Bhootan, continued until November, when 

 it was concluded by a treaty of peace. Other- 

 wise the peace of British India as well as that 

 of the native countries and of the French pos- 

 sessions in Farther India, was not disturbed by 

 any difficulties of importance. (See INDIA.) 



A civil war in Afghanistan, headed by the 

 brothers of the Ameer, ended in the defeat of 

 the insurgents. 



Among the signs of an advancing civilization 

 throughout Asia is the steady increase of rail- 

 roads, telegraphs, and steamboats. British India 

 in this respect begins to rival the countries 

 of Europe and America. In Asiatic Russia, the 

 great enterprise of a telegraphic connection 

 between America and Europe made uninter- 

 rupted progress toward completion. The Indo- 

 European telegra'ph was finished in February, 

 and messages passed from England to India 

 in twenty -four hours. In Japan the first rail- 

 road was finished, to the great astonishment of 

 the natives; and in Persia, the Shah granted 

 the first concession for a railroad from Tiflis to 

 Dzulfah. In China, the first steamer was built 

 at Shanghai, and launched in October. 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA AND 

 PROGRESS. The compiler of a summary in 

 the Quarterly Journal of Science remarks upon 

 the extent to which Astronomy has ceased to 

 be a science prosecuted by a distinct and exclu- 

 sive set of methods. Thus, in addition to the 

 aid for which it has long been dependent on 

 optical principles and instruments, the science 

 is now indebted for important contributions 

 to the spectroscope to chemistry, which plays 



