The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-03 00:00:00

971

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED—OcT. 1.
DOONS.

On the Search for a Dinner. By W. B. Harer.
J. F. Hope.
Ifoward and Plunkett ; or, Adrift in Life. Two Vol..
Whittaker and Co.
Popular Errora Explained. By John Timbs, F.S.A.
Kent and Co.

PAMPIIf.F.TSI.
What is to be done with the Bengal ;fang' Wilson—
The Life Boat.

rEnioincAts.

Frazer's Magazine. Parker and Son—The Train.
Groombri Ige—lllackwood's Magazine—Tait's Magazine.
Partridge—The Dublin Unieersity. Hurst and Blackett—,.
Le Polled. Shnpkin and Marshall—Bentley'e Magazine—
Titan. Goombridge—The London (Quarterly. Heylin—
The Ladies' Treasury. Ward and Locke—The Art Treasury.
Kent and Co—The Irestwinster Review. J. Chapman—The
Asylum Journal of Mental Science. Longmans—The ra-
tion Review. Chapman and Hall Colbura's New
Monthly. Chapman and Hall—Davenport Dann. Chapman
and Hall—Paved with Gold. Chapman and Hall.

THE CAMP AT CHALONS.
(From a Correspondent.)
CHALONS, Sept. 20, 1R57.
I CAME to the camp with the intention of keeping a
diary and sending you copies of it from time to time,
but I was obliged to abandon my original plan, the
rain and general bad weather having for a length of
time at first completely paralysed all military
manoeuvres, and for that period at least left me
nothing of interest to write down. My residence at
the camp has, however, convinced me of the superior
organisation of the French army to all continental
armies in the quality of their arms, in their
rnano3uvring, and in the care taken of their health.
The experience of the Crimea on all these points
appears not to have been lost upon the Emperor
and the Minister of War. As to the physical con-
dition of the troops, it is perfection. The active life
they lead, the careful surveillance which presides
over all that concerns their food, in short, the
precautions of all kinds which are taken, have
produced the best results. The sick are less in
number than are usually to be met with even in
the most healthy garrisons ; and the healthy are
active, lively, and highspirited to a degree. And
first for the domestic economy of the camp.
I particularly noticed the great care taken by the
superior officers that the minds of the men should
be continually occupied, without encroaching too
much upon that sacred period in the twenty-four
hours which the soldier likes to enjoy to himself.
Intrenchments are thrown up, roads cut, ravines
filled in, rough passages levelled, and ditches con-
structed, and these duties I observed were performed
by soldiers of every rank, so that one consequence is
that every man is now more or less an engineer and
an efficient pioneer upon a pinch. This is certainly
a commendable principle, and I think might be
pushed farther, say to the extent of teaching every
infantry soldier, so soon as he has mastered the
platoon exercise, some knowledge of the manner of
using field guns. We teach a sailor on board ship the
cutlass, musket, and great gun exercise ; why should
we not do the same with a soldier? He would be a
handier man. Who so handy as a sailor? Bnt, to
return to camp.
During the heavy rains great fears were enter-
tained that the low land of the camp would be
inundated. The Emperor, after visiting the ground,
gave the necessary order to prevent so great an
inconvenience. Well, within one hour from the
receipt of the Imperial order, this portion of the
bivouac, where the Zouaves and light infantry are
stationed, was dug up, then smoothed, ditches to
carry off the water made with artistic care, and no
trace remained of the torrents that occasionally fall
there. It is astonishing what 5,000 picks and
shovels effect in an hour or two.
To make up for the want of a Hippodrome, which
the troops had been in expectation of, but of which
the expense would have been too great, the Emperor
does his best to procure other diversions for his
soldiers. Fireworks, races, and athletic exercises
occupy the mind and give vigour to the bodies of the
men. _ _

The settlers and pedlars who supply the camp are
not permitted within its limits ; they have established
themselves at the village of the Grand Mourmelon.
It is there that the troops purchase not only the
trifles that their sous a day enables them to buy, but
also such stimulating drinks as have always been in
favour with the soldier. In most of the French
garrisons, even in the capital, the drinks that are
sold by the perambulating settlers are detestable ; in
fact, of late they have often had a prejudice influence
on the soldier's health. But here, in the Camp of
Chalons, that is not the ca,,e ; a severe surveillance is
exercised. A " taster-in-cbief," whose office is coveted
by many, is charged to see that no unwholesome or