A FLIGHT FROM PARIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 829, 23 January 1871, Page 2

A FLIGHT FROM PARIS.

(From the Daily Telegraph.') When firßt I went to Paris, some weeka ago, I determined to see the siege out; but, after I discovered that the Prussians meant to reduce the city, not by assault, but by starvation, I began to adopt a different view of the prospects of those within the capital. There would be some danger to a person in Paris were an attempt made to take it by storm ; there would, on the other hand, be some scenes the sight of which would have amply compensated for a little risk. But Paris invested so as to be starved out —what a vista of days of monotonous and unchanging gloom, of common place misery, did such a prospect bring up to my mind ! I determined to fly ; but how was this to be accomplished ? There was one of two courses open to me. I could get out by balloon ; or by boldly facing the Prussian lines, and trying to pass through them. The first plan would leave me so utterly helpless, so much at the mercy of circumstances over which I could have no control, that I at once adopted the second. Three well-known residents in London determined to accompany me. We engaged a covered carriage and two old race-horses, and we were fortunate enough to procure the services of a quondam jockey as coachman. We laid in a six days' supply of provisions ; and thus prepared, we, in the afternoon of the 22nd, started from the Grand Hotel. Need J say that our departure was witnessed by almost all the occupants of that jstab ishment. Whatever the reason, we appeared to them all a most appropriate butt for every kind of " chaff." The ostlers grinned, the chambermaids smirked, the waiters addressed to us

the most amazing interrogatories with maddening politeness ; while some English gentlemen were kind enough to indulge the passion for gambling by betting, some that we should be shot, others that we should return that night. Before I go any further, let me say a few words about the state of Paris, which may I possibly be of interest. Never did a city so j change its aspect. Sternness and solemn earnestness have eucceeded to frivolity and unbounded gaiety. The determination of the citizens to defend the place to the last moment is unmistakable. In every quarter, from all sorts of persons, I have heard the same intention invariably expressed that, rather than give up Paris, they will endure almost any extremity of misery. The forts taken, they will defend the walls ; dispossessed of the walls, they will fight behind barricades ; they will dispute with the enemy every inch of the city, street by street. Mather let it all — temples, churches, boule-j yards, houses, be for ever destroyed, than j that it should fall into the hands of the Prussians. Boastful words, possibly these may appear ; but to me they were said in no swaggering tone, but with quiet, earnest determination. Nor did the Parisians make known their resolves merely through words. The attention they displayed to the military exercises was beyond all praise. At 5 o'clock in the morning you would see them walking to the parade ground, and then going through their exercises with docile patience, and with an evident anxiety to learn. The conduct of the Gardes Mobiles particularly impressed me ; and that force is, I think, the real hope of France. They are, for the most part, young men from the country — fine, handsome fellows— enthusiastically fond of their country, and apparently glad rather than sorry of the opportunity for fighting. Nor are the women of Paris less active. Thousands of them have volunteered to nurse the wounded, and there is scarcely a hole or corner in the city in which you will not see them cutting or sewing linen and charpie for the service of those injured in battle. Nor do their exertions stop here. In every cafe and hotel you are accosted by ladies accompanied by some National Guards, who ask your aid for the wounded with entreaties that cannot be repulsed. One feature in the conduct of the Mobiles that I noticed with peculiar pleasure was their regularity of attendance at church. These fine lads, fresh from the country, have not yet forgotten the teachings of their pious cure, nor will their good resolves be put to any severe tests in Paris at present. After 10 o'clock the streets are silent and deserted ; and that hour, which was formerly the signal for the commencement of noisy and riotous excess, now heralds the gloomy and stem stillness of the night. On our way through Puria we found companies of soldiers drilling everywhere. The whole city was, in fact, one immense camp. Our strange equipage, bearing two flags, the one white, the other a union jack — which some of my companions seemed to think an impenetrable coat of mail against all bullets, Prussian or French — did not fail to excite attention, and, I must add, some ridicule. In fact, the assaults of chaff, which be«an at the Grand Hotel, were continually kept up until we passed out of the city. We were j then close by the spot where once stood the j beautiful Bois de Boulogne. How changed everything here and all around appeared to me i Many of your readers are doubtless aware tbut the space between the forts and the walls of the city is, to a considerable extent, occupied by market gardens. From these all signs of vegetation have disappeared. Whatever produce they contained has been removed within the city. Ie was intended, I believe, to raze to the ground the numerous houses which stand on the roads leading into Paris ; but this intention was subsequently abandoned. These houses, now deserted by all the inhabitants, and with all the furniture removed, have a most forlorn appearance. In fact, of all the country surrounding Paris it may fairly be said thai desolation has marked it for its own. But although the Parisians have not removed the houses to which I have referred, the Prussians must not, on that account, expect the entrance to the city to be easier. Many of these buildings are occupied by soldiers, and cv ry means has been taken to mike them something like forts in miniature. They are loopholed, and felled trees and earthworks surround them. The roads to Paris are, in fact, very well prepared for receiving the enemy. Crossing over the Pont de Neuilly, we soon found ourselves at the advanced French outposts. Here we were challenged,, and asked for our permits authorising us to pass. Having been led at the English Embassy to believe that no such documents would be necessary, we had neglected to provide ourselves with them. To our disgust we found that strict orders had been given to allow no one to leave Pxris without a special permit from General Dv crot, who commanded the Northern Division. We reasoned, but in vain ; we remonstrated, but the only answer to our remonstrances was the informaion that General Ducrot's headquarters were at the Porte Maillot, through which he haa just passed. Slowly and moat unwillingly we retraced our steps, and, after having been stopped at least half-a-dozen times, we found out the general's headquarters. Whilst waiting to see him, a young officer, asked what possible reason induced me to leave Paris ? " If," he added considerately, " you want to be shot, our general can do that for you much more expedi iously, and perhaps more agreeably, than the Prussians." All my entreaties to General Ducrot for a pass were ineffectual. He politely but firmly declined to give me one without a special authorisation from General Trocbu. A gloomy prospect enough now lay before us. To return to Paris, to re-enter the Grand Hotel under the eyes' of the ostlers peeping from the stables, the chambermaids giggling from the windows, our fellowcountrymen staring on us from the steps — was ever a man asked to go through such an

ordeal ? There was no help for it, so we went back (one of us had in the meantime been arrested and released) to Paris, and through Mr Wodehouse, the chief secretary of the Embassy — whose very great kindness and attention we have great pleasure in acknowledging — obtained the necessary permits from General Trochu. The next morning we again Bet out from the Grand Hotel, this time also the subjects of the same pitiless sarcasms which had before accompanied our departure. Our number had been meanwhile increased from four to five; for we had agreed, at his earnest solicitation, to allow an Italian gentleman to accompany us. Little did we anticipate howmuch of our subsequent trouble would result from this somewhat rash act of politeness. Arrived at the advanced outposts, we produced with something of display, and I think of defiance, General Trochu's permit. But our pride was soon levelled with the dust; for we were told peremptorily that we should not be allowed to pass until our permits had been countersigned by General Ducrot. We had again to return to the Porte Maillot; and, having obtained the necessary signature, we returned, and were allowed to pass through the outposts. We were now fairly out of Paris, and on the road to Nanterre, a suburban village, about four kilometres from the city. The road over which we passed brought us rather close to Fort Mont Valerien. We could see the mouths of the can- | nons, the glitter of the bayonets ; in the terraces a number of men were being drilled, and altogether the place looked like one that could not be easily taken. Nothing could be more melancholy or depressing than the appearance of the country around us. Not only was it everywhere devastated, but it was a solitude, unbroken by the sight or sound of man or beast. The doors of all the houses were closed, the furniture removed, the inhabitants fled. Arrived at Nanterre, we found it was silent, and as solitary as if it had been struck with the plague. Suddenly, as we turned a corner, a few peasants — old men, trembling with age and fear — came in haste. They rushed up to our carriage, and in accents of the greatest alarm, told us that the Prussians were at Keuil, a village about a kilometre off, and that we could not go forward without the greatest danger. In Eeuil we found the same silence — the same solitude — broken only, as before, by a few grey-headed countrymen. These were still more terrified than those we had first met. They begged us not to proceed. There were " millions" of Prussians, they said, on before us ; they fired at everybody and everything. To go forward was certain death. We managed to get rid of them, and continued our own course. After we had proceeded about half a kilometre, and we were close upon Bougival, our English driver called out in the most ludicrous manner, using epithets which I cannot reproduce, " Here are the Prooshens, and lots of 'em too." Looking out of the carriage, we 1 saw, at about 30 to 40 yards ahead of us, two sentinels, behind whom, at some distance, were about 40 or 50 soldiers, ranged across the road. We descended, and proceeded towards the sentinels, who were kind enough to keep their guns levelled at us. We produced our papers, showed them the card of Mr Wodehouse, and the address of Colonel Walker, the British military attache to the head- quarters of the Crown Prince. But to ull our papers and speeches they had but one word for answer — " Versailles." So we had to go back to Reuil, where we entered a lane which leads to Versailles. As we were laughing over our first check, I felt uncomfortable when, turning round my head, I found a revolver in most disagreeable proximity to my head. Looking closer, I found it was held by a peasant, not unlike in appearance to a Whitechapel costermonger. Pale with excitement, he ordered the carriage to be immediately stopped. At the same moment we were surrounded by a large body of Francstireurs. The captain, a rather intelligent fellow, demanded our papers, and, although urged to arrest us by some of his companions, professed himself satisfied with them. He begged us, however, not to go on ; if we did, we should be between two fires. About 300 Francs-tireurs were on our left, and a skirmish was about to commence immediately. We went back once more to the Porte Maillot, determined to try the road I to St Cloud, which runs by the side of the I river. This, however, we found barricaded, I with deep trenches cut across it. Luckily the towing path next the river was open, and along ihis we proceeded to St. Cloud until we came to Suresnes. Here we found the timbers of the suspension bridge that had been blown up on the previous night still smoking. Passing along the Seine, we saw on the other side a large number of Francs-tireurs, who, though they appeared to regard our carriage with considerable attention, did not molest us. We ascended the pleasant slope on which St. Cloud stands, and here also we saw nothing but a few peaBants, who, scowling at us as we passed, retreated into their houses, and closed the doors. Finding one who appeared less Bulky than the rest, we beckoned him to the carriage, and asked where the Prussians were to be found. " Nous sommes tous Prussians " (We are all Prussians), he replied, trembling. On revealing to him our nationality, he became reassured, and informed us that the Prussians hadfcot yet occupied the town, but were hourly expected there. He advised us to leave the streets at once, as the Francatireurs fired at every one they saw in them; and a couple of shots, which whistled by our heads in rather disagreeable proximity, added weight to the advice. We left St. Cloud a* fast as we could, and took the road to Versailles. We bad not proceeded for 20 minutes, when we caught sight of two sentinels, standing bolt upright like those we had met before, the road behind them being barricaded with earth and trees, at the rear of which we could see the heads and guns of about 50 riflemen. Having shown our passes to the sentry, he went in search of an officer ; this officer being

f ound, he went in search of two others ; these haying come up, all three started in search of the commandant ; and so our appearance was the signal for a great deal of disturbance, of earnest debate, and rushing to and fro. At last we were told to move on ; but, as the road was barricaded, we had to go into afield. Suddenly we came upon a ditch ; but this obstacle was soon removed by the Prussian soldiers, who covered it with a number of trees, surmounted by an old mattrass. The postilion cracked his whip, spurred the torses, and we cleared the ditch in regular steeplechase style. Proceeding onwards, we •entered a park, the ground in which the La Marcbe races take place, and all at once found ourselves in the midst of a Prussian encampment. The officers were seated at tables, -smoking, drinking wine, playing cards, evidently in the best humour. Some of the men were lyiDg down, and they had above their heads a most ingeniously contrived substitute for a tent. It consisted of a number of boughs, which were plaited together by straw, and laid on supports. A sour-looking officer very gruffly demanded our business ; but before we could answer a dragoon gallopped into the camp, and with great glee communicated some intelligence to the commander, pointing at the aame time in the direction of St. Cloud. In a moment all was commotion. The men sprang to their arms, the officers mounted, and soon nearly all the occupants of the camp had disappeared. We, meantime, were hustled into the courtyard of the hospital, immediately opposite the park ; and having met the doctor, he informed us that the enemy were supposed to be in front, that an engagement would soon take place, but that we need not fear — the Prussians were sure to get the beat of it. The officer in charge of us spoke with similar contempt of the French soldiers, and seemed to think that in a few days he and his friends would be comfortably quartered in Paris. After some time an aide de-camp came into the yard ; inafew moments we were hustled into the carriage, and, without being allowed to say a word, were driven back in the very direction by which we had first come into the field, over the ditch, back to the sentinels again. Here we were told that back to Paris we should immediately go; and, finding that a deaf ear was turned to all our entreaties, we had bpgun to resign ourselves to a return to the Grand Hotel, and meeting ob tiers, chambermaids, waiters, fellowcountrymen, when a general officer, with a general officer, with a large staff, came down the road. In reply to his questions, we exposed our situation, and he told us to go back into the field, saying that he would do his best for u», A Bavarian officer, who spoke English perfectly, and has some friends in England, advised us to write to the Crown Prince. A sheet of note-paper immediately became the object of our anxious search. At last we found a small piece of not over clean paper, and, writing with a piece of lead pencil, the carriage step being our desk, we indited an epistle to bis Royal Highness, dating it from " Within the Prussian lines." An officer soon after returned, and, telling us that positive orders had been issued on the previous day to let no one pass the lines, said there was nothing for us but to return to Paris by way of Sevres. We immediately produced the letter which we had written to the Crown Prince, and at this he appeared sorely puzzled. After much solicitation, we induced him to let us stay where we were for the night. We spent it in an open stable at the rear of a little cottage, where we heard the whole night long the booming of the cannon of Foit d'lssy, and the continuous crack of the rifles of the Francs-tireurs. Morning came, and with it a sergeant, who told us he had orders to briDg us to Sevres, there to await the answer to our letter to the Crown Prince. Sevres we found occupied by artillery and cavalry, and what was much more important to us, a detachment of 12 dragoonß and two officers was in waiting to receive us. Thus escorted, we proceeded along the road to Versailles. We had not gone far when we were met and stopped by a commanding officer. By him one of the officers in charge of us appeared to be soundly rated ; and before many minutes the postilion was ordered to turn the horses' heads back to Sevres. Here a further escort of about 20 dragoons arrived ; a dragoon mounted the box ; and we were all blindfolded. Tbus in utter darkness, not knowing whither we were going, but suspecting and fearing that they intended to send us back towards Paris, we proceeded. Suddenly, when our minds, which exclusion from the contemplation of all outward objects made particularly active, had coDJured up all the horrors of being left in the middle of the two hostile lines, the carriage stopped. An officer asked us for our letter to the Crown Prince, which, as may easily be imagined, we produced with the greatest readiness. On again, still blindfolded, until once more we halted. Thiß time the bandages are removed, and tired of the darknesß, we look around, finding a luxury in the use of our eyes. But we soon perceived that the Prussians had very tangible reasons for the kindness. We found ourselves in a lane, between two high walls. Look where we would, we could see nothing but wall and road, for there was in the latter a curve that effectually prevented us from seeing any distance beyond. Having halted in this uninviting locality for some time, we again proceeded. After going a long distance we were allowed to get out of the carriage and walk. Here again the recovered use of our eyes was to bring us, not the pleasure we anticipated, but emotions the most painful. Immediately in rear, tied by ropes to each other and to the saddle of a dragoon, were four unfortunate Frenchmen. Three were dressed in the blouse of the peasant; but the fourth appeared to be of a somewhat better class of life. One of them had fired at the soldiers ; the others had been found in the possession of a sword-stick or some other j arms. They were all ghastly pale ; and no j wonder, for certain death stared some of i

them at least in the face. One of them asked the officer in charge of us what he thought would be done to him. " You are going on the grand tour, monsieur," was the reply. Never shall I forget the dreadful s : ght The peasant who had shot at the soldiers particularly attracted my attention. He was a fine young fellow, dignified and fearless in his bearing, and whenever he looked towards his captors there was in his eyes the expression of unextinguishable hate. Poor fellow ! He will no more love or hate, for he was shot on the morning after the day I saw him. Sad and depressed for the first time during all our journey, we again entered the carriage, our eyes being once more bandaged. Soon our carriage began to jolt, the wheels to rattle as if we were going over the stones of a Btreet. By this we knew that we had arrived in Versailles. As we went along we could heir a crowd gathering in the wake of our carriage. " Les panvres malheureux ?" " Dieu les pro tege !" cried those who followed us, speaking in accents of the deepest pity. We perceived at once that the townspeople supposed that we belonged to the same party as the unfortunate peasants who followed us. We were brought to the Mairie, and an artillery officer, coming up to us, said that we were prisoners of war, and that we should remain there during the continuance of hostilities. We were conducted to two rooms upstairs, which, we were informed, would be our quarters. A sentry was placed in each room. We were allowed neither pen, ink, nor paper. We were not to be permitted to go out for any purpose, and we were asked to sign a written parole that we would not attempt to escape— a proceeding which, I ventured to remark, appeared wholly unnecessary as long as we were guarded so strictly. Though thus uncomfortably situated, we could not, when left to ourselves and the sentries, help laughing heartily. Our amusement was increased on disco ering that there was but one bed for the five of us. While thus chatting gaily, and trying to make the best of bad circumsiauces we suddenly heard without an altercation, in which the unmistakable accents of our countrywomen were audible. Before we had time to recover from our surprise, three young ladies burst into the room, followed closely behind by the sentinel, in whose features bashfulness, puzzlement, and despair were visible by turns. " Well, I never I" '' This is the heisht of impertinence !" ♦' And they are Knglish !" " I wonder what these people will do next ?" These were the expressions we suddenly heard whizzing around us. Now the ladies spoke to us, now to the sentinels; they darted looks of compassion towards their countrymen, of indignation towards the Prussians ; until at last one of them impatiently stamped her foot, aud, as a climax to all she and the others had said before, exclaimed, " I'll go and tell pa !" We thought that, however powerful the influence of the gentleman thus indicated, Colonel Walker would be, on the whole, the best man for us to apply to. So we asked our kind countrywomen to acquaint him with our situation, which they readily promised to do. Next morning brought Colonel Walker, looking very serious. We had a brief conversation — he blaming us for our " grave indiscretion " in displaying a white flag, and in bringing along with us an Italian gentleman We replied to the first remark, that we knew no other ensign which would become our condition; and to the second, that we had only shown to a stranger that hospitality on which Englishmen always pride themselves. The colonel promised to lay our case before the Crown Prince; and on returning told ub that he had been referred by his Royal Highness to General Blumenthal. He again blamed our conduct. He wondered, he said, we had not been shot, as strict orders had been given to fire on all parties coming from Paris who attempted to enter the Prussian lines. He again assured us of his intention to do everything in his power for us. Colonel Walker left. This was Sunday, and during the rest of the day we heard or saw nothing of General Blumenthal. On Monday morning the officer in charge brought ub separately into one of the rooms. Then we were subjected to a very strict search by three police agents. The investigation gave us much amusement, and I was particularly tickled by the puzzled air with which the iron spring of my cravat was regarded. I did not care to explain the mystery; and at last it was returned to me with a smile. Even our boots were not allowed to pass unexamined. They narrowly scrutinised the soles, lest any papers should be inserted between the leather. At last, the process over, we were sent under escort to the headquarters of General Blumenthal. Ushered into his presence, we found ourselves in front of an elderly, peaceable-looking gentleman, who spoke English perfectly. He also soundly rated us for carrying a white flag, which he said ought only to be used by belligerents. We answered that this was the sole protection which we, as neutrals, could use ; that we had nothing to do with the quarrel between France and Prussia ; that we were, in fact, running away from it. What crime, then, had we committed that we should be imprisoned ? Besides, we added, we did not come within the Prussian lines voluntarily. " True," replied the General ; "my officers committed a great mistake; they oughttohave sent you back to Paris." He then produce i our letter to the Crown Prince. Why had we in that omitted to mention that we were accompanied by an Italian gentleman ? After some further inquiries, the General told us he would permit us to go home, but that we should proceed by way of Germany. We strongly remonstrated, and begged to be permitted to go on to Mantes, as we expected to find a railway somewhere between that place and Rouen. But the refusal was firm, though polite. We had, the General said, seen too much already. Perhaps our Italian friend was a delegate from the Parisian to the Tours Government, who, once clear of the German lines, would proceed on his mission. After much ado we obtained permission to proceed to the Belgian frontier via Uheims and Sedan.

As the road, he said, was not very safe, he would give us an escort, which would be at our service when we were ready to start. The General then turned the conversation on Paris ; and asked several questions, which we endeavoured to answer in such a way as to be polite to him and faithful to our duty to France. First he inquired what whs the cau3e of the firing in the streets of Paris. When we replied that no such thins had occurred, he looked astonished and somewhat incredulous. " What is the amount of the forces ? " was the next question. We answered, about 400,000 to 500,000. Again he looked surprised. "Do you mean soldiers ?" he said. " No," we replied, "armed men," " How," he went on, " can you account for the fact that the French refuse to fight ? This is something quite new. The French are considered fighting soldiers par excellence ; now they are running away." We replied that the army was, doubtless, much demoralised ; but that the young men from the provinces, particular'y the Gardes Mobiles, who were all fine, enthusiastic young men, would make a good fight, und were only longing for the opportunity. " I only wish he replied, " they would come out and give us a chance." He then went on to ask U9 about the supplies of the city. "Did th-y begin to feel the want of water yet ? " " Certainly not," said I ; " for the morning I left I had my usual bath in the Grand Hotel." Again the General appeared somewhat amnzed. " Was smallpox very prevalent in Paris now ? *' Not more than usual," answered we ; adding that the Tuileriea, it was rumoured, was about to be used as a fever hospital. They had be?n told, he said, that there were a great many cases of srnaH-pox in the city, and he should not like to take his men there if such was the ease. .Returning to the subject more immediately concerning us, the general remarked that that it would not do to let any more neutrals out of the city — by doing so the number of mouths to be fed would be decreased. After some more ques ions he bade us good day, and we took our departure. Entering our carriage, we proceeded to wards Seeaux. Did I not fear to weary your readers by prolonging an account which has already gone beyond reasonable limits, I could give you several other incidents of my journey. How, one of our horses having broken down, we had to take refuge in a villa, which turned out to be that of M. Chaiißßon, the well-known champagne manufacturer of Kpernay; how, at Meaux, we vainly searched every part of the town for a single cigar : how at Sedan I visited the battle-fiel], at Bazeilles the ruins of the village, in which not a house was standing; all these things I must pass by with this one remark — that I whs astonished to see the weakness of communication between the German forces along the route. In Bethel, for instance, we found but 50 to 100 Prussians ; and between Rheirns and that place we did not come across more than half a dozen. In like manner the field telegraph could be destroyed by the hand of a child, and with considerable chance of not being observed. Yet neither the small Prussian detachments nor the feeble telegraph are touched — two facts which speak most eloquently to the utterly subjugated spirit of the country thr ugh which the Germans have passed. I arrived in London 14 days after my departure from Pari9, with feelings divided between thankfulness that the dangers and fatigue of my journey were over, and regret that the commonplace and unvaried scenes of ordinary life have succeeded to the exciting and ever- varying incidents of " my flight from Paris."