THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

Marlborough Express, Volume V, Issue 267, 24 December 1870, Page 7

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

The special correspondent of the Cologne Gazette thus describes a ride round the ) neighborhood of Paris, the circle devastated by the French before retiring within the walls : The farms on the sides of the roads were deserted, open doors and windows, no living thing (he says) save the cat, the only faithful guardian of the fire-side, whom I meet now in all my exclusions : “ In the last ten miles of my ride towards Paris I met at Cleve an old woman seated in the open court-yard of the hotel •* Cheval Blanc,’ picking and sorting rags, the only human being that I saw, who declared to me that she was of German origin, and had been expelled from Paris, All was devastated and destroyed from the garret to the cellar. Chignons and false curls, crinolines and petticoats—in fact, every article of female toilette lay about the passage ; plates, dishes, pots, kettles, &c. —in fact, all the household utensils lay about in the greatest disorder. Everything was damaged, broken, smashed, torniu fact, utterly destroyed. To the right and left of the entrance of the town lay handsome villas, gardens with flower beds, and the prettiest shrubs. I rode through one of the iron park-gates, and made my way to the steps leading to the door and went into the villa, which denoted the rich retired tradesman taking his ease after his labors. The tables were laid in the saloon, but the things on them were filthily dirty, and covered with empty champagne and claret bottles, broken plates, and glasses strewn about betokening the wildest orgies. Remains of joints, pastry, dessert, &c., lay in confused heaps on tables and floors. The curtains were torn from the windows, mirrors over the mantel pieces had been smashed by having bottles thrown at them, disgusting sketches were made with coal and charcoal, the costly carpets covered with all kinds of filth, broken clocks, pictures, and engravings destroyed and torn from the walls. Such was the sight that presented itself to me in the downstairs apartments of several of the charmi ing little spots. Ido not make any mention of the beastly condition of the upstairs rooms, of the devastation of the sleeping chamber of the lady of the house, of her I boudoir, &c. No drawer, no cupboard had been spared ; the locks had been I broken up, and the, contents strewed about |( in the wildest disorder from the garret to 8 the cellar. I rode for one whole hour I through the town without seeing a single I soul. At last I caught sight of a man, who came forward with a book in his hand, and introduced himself to me as the only remaining inhabitant of the town, the superintendent of the Paris Omnibus l| Company. *We have to thank our own | people,’said he, ‘for all this devastation.’ || During the last few days we had to shelter I: and feed those from whom we sought proj| tection and defence. The last inhabitants I of the town, who had the necessary I courage to stand by and take care of their ' houses and homes, have been driven away ! l by the lawless excesses of our men ; the | women were insulted and outraged, and the men attacked with swords and I bayonets ; and they left when nothing remained to plunder or to satisfy their I lusts.” ■ • ; 8