The Cavalry numbers 2 Divisions of 2 brigades of 2 regiments each, _i.e._:— 2 Regiments of Light Dragoons. 2 Regiments of Guides (similar to Hussars), and 4 Regiments of Lancers, each regiment numbering 4 Active and 1 Depôt squadrons—Grand total, 8 regiments, forming 32 Active and 8 Depôt squadrons. [Illustration: Officer of Carbineers. (Belgium.)] Artillery—4 Regiments Field Artillery, consisting of 30 Field, 4 Horse and 6 Reserve batteries. The Reserve batteries are skeleton ones and have no guns. The remainder have 6 guns each—total, 34 batteries with 204 guns, besides 3 regiments of Siege Artillery, each of 16 Siege, 1 Reserve, and 1 Depôt batteries. Engineers—1 Regiment of 3 battalions, and 5 companies for special work, _i.e._, pontooning, railway, telegraph, pyrotechnic and general trades. Train—1 Battalion of 6 companies. [Sidenote: +Strength of Army.+] The whole peace-strength numbers about 45,000 men, with 204 guns. Both Dutch and Belgian Infantry are armed with single breech-loaders, the Beaumont and Albini rifles respectively, and there seems no present intention of introducing magazine-rifles. The Belgian Army is clothed chiefly according to the French model; the tall bearskins of the Grenadiers and Guides are peculiar and striking. Both Holland and Belgium will have to follow the example of other nations in adopting strict universal conscription. It will be only when this is accomplished that their Armies will represent the armed strength of the nation and satisfy the demands made on a National Army. TURKEY AND THE STATES OF THE BALKAN PENINSULA. [Sidenote: +Historical.+] [Illustration: Officer of the Dorobanze (full dress).] [Illustration: Officer of the Roșiori (undress).] In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the inhabitants of Europe were several times alarmed by a common danger, that of invasion of their territories by a foreign race, Asiatic by extraction, and connected primarily with the Mongols. This race, known as Turks or Osmanli, had made itself master of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, in 1453, and set up its government there under a Padishah or Sultan. From this point they extended their empire further and further to the north-west, over Hungary and the intervening lands, and took possession of the Hungarian capital, Buda, or Ofen. In 1683 they actually besieged Vienna, and this city would undoubtedly have fallen if it had not been for its heroic defence by Field-Marshal Rüdiger von Starhemberg, who held out till he was succoured by Duke Charles of Lorraine with the Army of the Austrian Empire, and John Sobieski, King of Poland.