PARTS IN 1870.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16785, 29 August 1916, Page 8

PARTS IN 1870.

A LE'JTER FROM THE BETJKAGUERED CITY. The ordinal of a letter written to a friend in London by .in inhabitant oi Paris during the siege by the Prussians m 1870 is, in these clays, somewhat of n curiosity. Such a letter has been kindly placed at our disposal by a risident o f Dunechn, and the main features of it are reproduced below. Ah will be seen, the only method which the Parisians had of communicating 1 with the not Id beyond was by balloon post. The letter itself \\:r written on thin foreign nolepaper in order to comply with the roquuomcnf.s of this postal svsem. It beaifi a date only nine or 10 days after the beginning of the siege and four months before the capitulation, so that the hardships of the situation had not become acute at that tune. The writer of the letter says: I send >ou these few words per balloon post. Bismaick's sweet lambs surrounding us bv land and water, air is iho only medium left for the conveyance of our correspondence, which, by order, must be ot the shortest, w&ight and space being a great consideration m the last fashionable stylo of lettcr-carncT. I have joined the Volunteer Aitillery of the National Guard, but it has not been my luck to have a pon at the Prussians—not yet, but I expect to cverv moment. A heady two 01 three times at night I have hastily turned out to bugle sound, but only to false alarms. The Marine Artillery, who occupy the forts in advance of us (who occupy the fortifications of Pans proper), invariably dismount all the guns of the enemy as soon ab they get into position, so that we have come "to no harm as yet. Some of the fellows, in our Marine Artilleiy are v\ondertul marksmen; one ot them dismounted 47 ot their guns in 47 shots, for which he has got the Cioss of Honoui, and well he deserves it. 1 long to try my skill, and see what I can do tor our dear France. I feel as if I could shoot very, veiv straight You will peihups think me very bloodthirsty, but I am, alas! not more so than needs bo. Remember, we all fight tor out lives—and more than our lives. Theie are no cowards hero— the lew that weie have been shot. Man, woman, and child—all are prepared for the woist and to do the worst. Since my arrival here 400 000 National Guards have been armed. Wo have about 200000 legulars and mobiles, plenty of powder shot, and shell, and plenty of provisions. Frenchmen are wondeitully quick at learning militaiy duties, dull, etc., and men that a few weeks ago hardly knew a chassepot from an elephant now drill like old troops, and, which is best, keep admirably steadv under fire and against oddfi. The mobiles and volunteers are our pluckiest tioops—those from Brittany have earned quito a reputation. Before coming into action they all kneel, and the pi lest that has come up with them horn their homes gives them his blessing after a short piayei. Then forward they go, literally a wd.ll of steel, never giving way an inch. Whatever be the odds those good Bretons aie biavery itself, and though they are rather thick-headed as barrack soldiers, they aie splendid fellows at guerilla warfare, and pot the Uhlans to rights. September 29. I have just received the news that we are to be sent forwaid with field-pieces The enemy found it so hot the only time ho attempted to attack that ho keep? very quiet, so it is our lot to go and wake him up. I shall then have the opportunity of seeing the Piu'-sian helmets at close quarters. Well! Ilarrah! and may 1 be happy enough to see you fall again. You must not think that all the horrors of war with which we are surrounded, wounded and dead men. burning woods and houses, the sound of cannon, affect in a great decree the appearance of the Boulevards. If it were not that every man one meets reminds one. by his military garb, of "the busincrs of the hour." one would never dream that Pans is in vested. The streets are full of ladies and children; the cpfes full of men carelessly joking, smoking, playing* at dominoes—just as if the Prussians wore a thousand miles off and never thought of coming; onlv. if a beats, you see them eheerfullv drop the joke, the smoke, the play, shoulder the rifle and calmly drop in their ranks and march off without moic ado at the eternal words, "Forward, to the front." As yet wo have only lost about 250 men. " The enemy must as least have lost 10 000. The odds seem long, but are accounted for bv our gunners pottin ff them from under cover. However, wo expect before very long something hot—very hot—but v e are quite ready. I don't apologise for this untidy scribble—volunteer gunners here have little time for "company manners."