THE GERMANS BEFORE PARIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2801, 28 January 1871, Page 3

THE GERMANS BEFORE PARIS.

The Times' correspondent at Versailles, writing on the 14th November, says :— We have had cold as well as wet weather this week, but the invading troops do not complain. The outposts are changed every day, and every eight days all the battalions change quarters. Matters are so managed that no battalion has more than a week of hard times. Blanc Memel is anything but a desirable place even for a week's residence. Le Bourget ia rather worse ; but I know of worse still—a temporary wooden barrack, consisting o£ a series of sheds, in a field where the occupants are up to their ankles in wet clay. In those quarters the several battalions of the Queen Augusta Regiment are obliged to take turns week about, but Her Majesty of Prussia is very kind to these troops. She sends them various luxuries from Berlin, and they are very happy, even under the adverse circumstances of their quarters being in a place of damp and desolation. No such thing as " short commons" has been experienced by any of the troops. They have plenty to eat and to drink. There is no private without his wine and his.. tobacco. The Saxon ~ soldiers in these head-quarters have a tobacco allowance of five cigars a day—the same number as that served out to the officers. Oxen and sheep are slaughtered daily at all the quarters, and the soldiers' soup, prepared from, preserved meat, is excellent. Brandy is hot among the articles of regulation allowance, but it is given to the men actually on post du>y, and the others can and do procure it at the marketender, or canteen. Up to this date November here has not been as severe as we usually have it in London, and the Germans say it is an improvement on what they are accustomed to at home. There does not appear, therefore, any probability of their being obliged to reticefrom cold or hunger.; A letter from a Prussian Guardsman before Paris describes an interview between French and German officers at the outposts :— . " We first saw them 400 or 500 paces ony when they stood on the road, took cff their caps, showed us their brandy flasks, and drank to us. We responded to their greeting, and motioned "with handkerchiefathat they might come to us. After a quarter of an hour two -officers, with a small white flag, and fourteen men, cime nearer, extending their hands and showing that they had no weapons, the officers only' having their swords. Abput 200 paces off the fourteen men halted, and the ;officers advanced further. Qur officers jand we went ten paces towards them, and saluted them. They said they could not jsee why we should not mutually correspond and impart news. They were tired of the war, and longed for peace. We promised not to fire, on, each other. The fourteen men, on seeing us talking with their officers, came up. also, and shook hands with us." Several more would have • come, but their officers motioned them to remain where they i were. We shared our cigars^ cognac, &c., with which they were much pleased. We also allowed them a taste of our sausages, just cooked, which they thought capital. They told us the outposts were not suffering want, as they had" pork or ass's flesh thrice a week, but in the city things were bad, and they wished there might ;soon be peace, for Paris could hot hold out long: On our asking why they at first fired so of ten -. without hurting us, they replied thaythey wanted to frighten us. After remaining about an hour they turned back, shaking hands, and thanking us repeatedly."