A HEROIC FRENCH CORPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2292, 3 February 1898, Page 49

A HEROIC FRENCH CORPS.

During the years between 1789 and 1815 Europe was so roach occupied with great and terrible events that many lesser ones of interest were qaita overlooked. The Napoleonic wars were full of d««ds of extraordinary prowess, which tha chroniclers of that tim« were too busy to record, and which have been forgotten. The martial enthufciapm of men was raised to its highest pitch. The goldiors o£ Napoleon, fighting for " glory," though ranch more for their pe'.fish and cruel chieftaio's giory than for their own, performed deeds which paralleled the bravery and endurance of the Eoldiers of the American Revolution, who had tha strongest motive in the world to be courageous — the defence of their homes and their liberty. A recent chronicle of tbe deeds of the 28th Regiment of the line ot the French army has brought out seme stirring incidents in the history of that corps during the period alluded to. In 1793 tha 28th — then called the 28th Half Brigade — was sent to take pn intrecchment of the Austrians in tbe heights of the Simplon Pass. Arriving at the point, they found the enemy solidly intrenched in what appeared to bs an impregnable position. In front of their redoubts, and qnite separating them from -the French position, waa a deep chasm, through which ran a mountain torrent. Colonel Walhuberfc, who commanded the 28tb, had no idea of being stopped by what eeeined an impassable obstacle. He found a long, straight tree, with a trunk almost lft in thickness. This tree he ordered to be cut down, and the trunk was thrust across the chasm under a galling fire. Then he started his command across the log, one man afc a time. The first soldier who stepped upon it was shot, and fell into the cbaßra. So with the second atd the third ; but the French crowded on after 'these, and presently several succeeded in crossing. Then Walhuberfc himself passed over the log in safety, and, organising his little party on tha other side, he made an attack upon the Austrian redoubt, his men clambering up the sharp rocks to the assault. This diverted a part of the Austriana 1 fire from the log. The French kept crossing, one at a time, though many among them went down to death in the chasm. The attacking column increased little by little, and by a mad charge, in which the assailants were partly protected by the roughness of the soil, succeeded in dislodging the Austrians from their first and lowest line of intrenchments. When the French — as many of them as had survived tbe fearful passage — had crossed the chasm Walhuberfc formed his half -brigade, stormed the enemy's position, carried it, and captured 1200 men,

with a number of guns. Desperate bravery is a great quality in a soldier, bub the quality of patient endurance under privation and suffering, without the inspiration of battle, is a still higher quality. Following thia heroic encounter in the Simplon, the 28th Half Brigade was put into winter quarters at a high altitude in the Alps. There, apparently abandoned by their countrymen, the soldiers suffered a winter of distress and privation, for they received no pay whatever, and very little food. When at last, in May 1800, Bonaparte, then First Consul, came along on hi 3 way to Italy, he congratulated the 23th on its heroic devotion to duty, and by way of reward issued this order :— " The First Consul orders, as a maik of his satisfaction with the good conduct of this Half Brigade, that, in the first ensuing encounter with the enemy, it shall march at the head of the advance guard." These soldiers asked no higher reward than to be taken, enervated, emaciated, and weak as they were from their winter's privations, and placed in the forefront of battle ; bat the First Cunsul also gave orders that tbey | should receive their arrears of pay for the eight months of isolation. The Half Brigade f onght in tbe front rank in several battles, and suffered terrible losses, but the men never received their arrears of pay. Afterwards, at the battle of Austerlitz, the brave cocumander of the 28'h, Walhuberfc, received a mortal wound while leading his men. Before he died he wrote this letter to Napoleon, now Ben per or : -"I would have wished to do more for yoo, but I die in an j hoar. I do not grieve for my life, because i I have had part in a victory which asr>ures j to you a happy reign. When you think of tbe bravß men who were devoted to you give my memory a thought. It is enough for ma to tell you that I have a family. Ido not need to commend them to yon." And then Walhuberb died— and was forgotten. A WONDERFUL SLEIGHT-OF-HAHD TRICK. It is doubtful if cur best conjurers and most talented tricksters can, in their marvellous performances, excel some of the Hindu tricks, which show the remarkable skill of these magicians. Probably the most wonderful trick which the Hindu magician can perform is that of ! tha mango tree. Ha caa literally make a bash tree grow before your very eyea to the height of 3£t in the course of five minutes. All he equips himself with is a haudbag containing a sknll and burnt bones and other mystic symbols. Squatting on the ground crosslegged, with his bag besidß him and a pofe containing the earth from which he is supposed to produce the plant, ha sets to work. He spreads the earth out on a mat before him. He then drawa oat the skull, some bone?, a water bottle of aniqne design, a small cutting from a plant, and % perforated box containing a powder. He then hands the bag to the onlookers, asking them to examine it. There is, of course, nothing in it, and he then parforrns hia wonderful feat. Placing tbe slip in the earth so that it'cannot be seen, ho spriakles carefully over it the powder of the tree. Passing his waad over I ifc three or four times, he mutters soma Hindu incantation, covering ths whole with a red cloth, so that the wrists of his hands only are to be seen. After a few second* he removes the cloth, and sprinkles more water. Then, covering it again, he singa to it ia Hindustani. He soon, howaver, throws back the cloth, when two separate sprouts are to be seen, each fully Sin high. Covering the plants again, t]j»j liiada magician repsata his viodtis opfwidi, goiag through the same cersmoni^, and when ha at last throws back the cloth, bskold, standing before your gaza are two plants 3'fc in height 1 If you feel the leaves they are soft and velvety, and apparently full of life and vigour, and, in addition, the plants possess roofs. All this, however, has been aacvrupliahaci by the sleight-of-hand trick. Tbe objccfc of taking out the skull and bones from tha bag, which play no part in tha perf ortnanca at aIJ, ia to draw the attention away from tbe bag where the plants are carefully wrapped in a ltrge handkerchief, in Buch a way that chey can be released whenever desired. Then, at an opportune mosuent, the magician transfers them to tha ekirt of hia gown. When he reaches for either the water-bottle or the powder, he then ptecea the plants under the cloth. The passing ovar thsra and the singing are merely devices which serve to distract the attention from the real work. However simple it may sound when an explanation haa been furnished, it is still a wonderful and clever trick, and reqnir* s a vast r.niDunfe of ingenuity to successfully carry out.