of the existing Order of St. John. Here are new
lists thrown open to noble chevaliers—the battlefield
of charity. In England, ladies of the highest
rank have bestowed their attention on the question,
in which every woman ought to feel the
deepest interest. This good work—eminently
humane in the highest sense of the word—invites
the aid of every individual, to whatever nation,
worship, or political opinion he or she may belong.
Catholic Sisters of Charity would feel themselves
at home and at ease by the side of Protestant
Deaconesses who receive their mission from the
reformed Christian Churches of Europe; while
both would co-operate with Jewish infirmieres—
pious women who consecrate their lives to tending
the sick. Russians and English, Austrians and
French, will meet on the common ground of
charity and real civilisation.

The opinion of the author of A Souvenir of
Solferino (as well as of the Genevese commission)
is, that, in each country, committees should
be formed—a sort of framework in permanence—
who, during 'time of peace, shall keep
themselves constantly informed of every improvement
relating to ambulances, new inventions for the
transport of the wounded, and so forth; and who
shall also endeavour to propagate, as far as
possible, among the populations whence armies are
recruited, sentiments of humanity. A wounded
man prostrate on the ground should be regarded as
SACRED. This has been forgotten only too often.

In time of war, such committees will direct
the persons who shall manifest sufficient good
will, and, above all, charity, to give their personal
aid in the ambulances and hospitals, and who
may even be placed, for that purpose, at the
disposal of the staff. Committees organised in
different countries and in divers localities,
although quite independent of each other, will find
the means of thoroughly understanding each other
and communicating, in case of war. The
committees and their delegates ought to be officially
recognised and accepted by the respective governments.
The corps of volunteer infirmiers are
always to be amenable to the military authority,
to whose discipline they are to be rigorously
subjected whenever they take part in a campaign.
These corps should be composed of well-qualified
assistants, who will keep in the rear of the
armies, without giving the slightest trouble,
causing the least disturbance, or occasioning any
expense. The volunteers are to cost the belligerent
armies nothing; they are to be called for
whenever wanted, and dismissed when no longer
required. These well-organised detachments will
have their chief and various grades of successive
rank. They will have their own means of transport,
their provisions, medicines, and surgical
accoutrements of every kind. The directing
committees will hold the infirmiers at the disposal
of the military chiefs.

General Dufour, moreover, desires that throughout
all Europe some conventional sign, generally
recognised, should be adopted—such as an
uniform, or armlet, or something else of the kind, to
designate these volunteers, and enable them to
be distinguished everywhere.

The Grand-Duke of Baden has sent to M.
Dunant a sum of money as the beginning of a
fund destined to the service of International
Societies for aiding the wounded in war. This
contribution has been paid in to the bankers at
Geneva, who have accepted the office of
treasurers to the Genevese International Committee.
The Queen of Prussia, following the example of
the Queen of Holland, has also taken the subject
under her patronage, and encouraged the formation
of the new and benevolent institution.
The military journals in general have spoken
of the project in friendly terms. M. Dunant
has received marks of sympathy from Marshals
of France, Field-Marshals of Austria, and
Generals of several countries. Medical bodies
are equally favourable.

We every day read of the sad scenes of carnage
which stain the plains of Poland and America
with blood; but there is no one to relate the
lingering tortures, the lengthened martyrdom of
the wounded, who expire in slow agonies, or are
carried off by locked jaw, for want of a little
water, a scrap of lint, a friendly hand, or a word
of encouragement and consolation. May the
publicity given by our journal to the existence
of such wants help to supply the friendly hand
and call forth the consoling voice! We are
assured by eye-witnesses that M. Dunant's
account of the distress experienced at Solferino
for want of sufficient nursing aid, instead of
being exaggerated, falls below the reality.

     PUNCH IN AUSTRALIA.

THE Indian Punch has already found a place
in these pages. An opportune packet of recent
numbers enables us to present his Australian
brother to our readers.

Our first judgment of a periodical, as of a
person, depends upon appearance. That of the
Melbourne Punch is decidedly in its favour,
though its comeliness be not of an original
character. It is as much like the Punch of
Fleet-street, as paper, type, and woodblocks, can
make it. The cover bears so strong a family
resemblance that you might throw the two together
on the table and not note the difference at first
glance. There is the jester in his easy-chair,
there is the dog Toby, there is the brimming
bowl, and there is the easel, varying in no important
respect from the original. There is a marked
difference, however, in Punch himself. The
Colonial jester is Punch the younger. He is
taller, straighter, and affects a certain elegance
of costume. He even wears his hump as if it
were an ornament. He has the Punch
physiognomy, but it is less matured. He wears his
jester cap jauntily on one side of his head, revealing
the fact that his hair is scrupulously curled;
and he takes his view of men and things through
an eye-glass. His weekly number consists of
sixteen pages, the outer eight of which are given up