=The First China Medal, 1842.=--In January 1843 the grant of a medal was made to commemorate "the signal successes of Her Majesty's Naval and Military forces," both European and Native, upon the coast and in the interior of the Empire of China. On the obverse is the diademed head of Queen Victoria facing to the left, with the legend VICTORIA REGINA on either side, and on the truncation of the head W. WYON, R.A. This was the first medal issued with the Queen's head. On the reverse is a trophy of naval and military weapons, very badly disposed, with an oval shield bearing the Royal Arms in the centre, the whole backed by a palm tree, and above ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM, with CHINA on a plain panel in the exergue, and underneath the date ~1842~. The medal is 1⅖ in. in diameter, with a plain straight German-silver clasp soldered on for suspension from a ribbon of red with broad yellow edges, the same width as the diameter of the medal. The names of the recipients, and the number of the regiment or name of ship, were impressed upon the edge in bold Roman capital letters. The reverse of this medal has been used ever since for presentation to troops taking part in Chinese wars, the date 1842 being deleted, and fishtail bars recording the engagements and dates used to indicate the campaign. SECOND AFGHAN WAR Shah Shoojah made a very indifferent ruler, and, as I have stated, did little to strengthen his hold on the throne upon which the British had placed him--indeed, without British arms he possessed no authority. The price we paid to keep this unpopular and bad ruler upon his throne--mainly, it is true, to ensure a barrier against Russia--was a heavy one. In October 1841 the Afghans openly rebelled at Cabul, murdered Sir Alexander Burnes and Sir William Macnaughton, and the troops were forced to retire upon Jellalabad, but were practically cut to pieces on the march, Dr. Brydon--who became one of the famous Lucknow garrison--being the only British officer to reach that city. It is estimated that of 20,000 who left Cabul, only a few hundreds escaped with their lives. The 44th (1st Essex Regiment) had 22 officers and 543 men killed during this disastrous retreat. Meanwhile Sir Robert Sale with the 13th Somerset Light Infantry, which had been detached from Cabul to deal with the insurgents in the Khoord-Cabul pass, had occupied Jellalabad. [Illustration: (Reverse.) (Obverse.) SECOND JELLALABAD MEDAL, "FLYING VICTORY," 1842.] [Illustration: CHINA, 1842. Awarded to Field-Marshal Hugh Viscount Gough, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I] [Illustration: CABUL, 1842, WITH ORIGINAL STEEL SUSPENDER.]