The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-16 00:00:00

872

was made in confusion, so their retirement was effected
ertect disorder, which was by no means improved
by a p
parting salute from the artillery and a volley from the
infantry.
With this charge finished the active military proceedings
of the day, the enemy's rear resting very near Wining,
Upon a small port on the coast now completely blocked up
by the sand, where Caesar's camp was formed, and whence
it is stated the Roman legions embarked on their expe-
dition against Cassibelanus. Had the Emperor continued
his advance, he would have driven the Russian " Leopards"
into the sea; bat, with the magnanimity of a great
warrior, he spared his foe for another occasion. The
movements of the troops were, in most instances, effected
in admirable order, and their picturesque appearance, as
they occupied many of their positions, was much admired.
The whole spectacle, as well as the manmuvres, *as'
brilliant and effective in the extreme. There are one of
two points in which a difference exists in the manceuvnis
of the English and French armies, as illustrated by the
camps at r;Chobham and by the proceedings of Friday,
which deserve notice. The infantry do not march up in
regular order to form; they straggle up in what may be
called a " free and easy " manner; whereas in England the
regular step, and steady, uniform march, appear to be
always insisted upon. During the proceedings of the day
it could not fail to be noticed, also, that there was an
absence of all that rushing to and fm of mounted orderlies
and galloping young aides-de•camp, intent only upon dis-
playing their feats of horsemanship, as they conveyed the
orders of the general in command. In this respect every-
thing was accomplished with the most perfect order and
decorum ; and it was a matter of surprise to many how
such extensive and complicated evolutions could be
ordered and carried out with so little confusion. It was
observed, too, that the troops formed a line two deep, a
plan which was seldom or ever adopted during the revolu-
tionary war, or under the first empire, the advance by
column being the favourite tactic of the Emperor.
The total number of troops on the field was about 20,000,
and consisted of two corps d'artnee. There were two regi-
ments of Dragoons, two of Lancers, and one of the Guides
for the cavalry, six regiments of the light and line infantry,
several battalions of cha.ssenrs, some engineers, and four
batteries of artillery.
THE FAREWELL.
After the battle the imperial party returned to the
Hotel Brighton, where a farewell banquet was pre-
pared with all the magnificence suited to the occa-
sion. M. Soyer had specially imported the pineapples
from the Duchess of Sutherland's garden at Taunton,
and their truly regal size excited general admiration.
The Emperor made a speech in honour of his "inti-
mate ally," Queen Victoria, in which he said that
" the two flags of France and England—the rainbows
of promise to liberty—would speedily crush the yoke
of the despot;" and the Prince responded by declaring
that "his reception was such as had surpassed all his
expectation, and could never be effaced from his me-
mory."
At eleven o'clock the Prince, accompanied by the
Emperor and the acclamations of the people, went
on board the royal yacht. This was the signal for a
burst of rockets so grand and terrific as to frighten
the Boulogne paraders into an agony of terror : they
flung themselves at the feet of the guard, and en-
treated protection from the infernal enemy which
thus started up from the midst of the darkness. The
horses of the piqueurs were equally disturbed. The
Emperor then took a cordial farewell of his guest,
and stepped on shore amid a new display of rockets,
which lighted up the vessel and displayed the Prince
and the Duke of Newcastle bowing their acknow-
ledgments to the delighted crowd. As the Victoria
and Albert stood out to sea she was suddenly
illu
urinated by the opening of the portholes, displaying
a profusion of waxlights, and producing a new burst
of enthusiasm from the multitude. A salute of
twenty-one guns was then fired, and concluded the
welcome given by the French to their illustrious
guest.
The town of Boulogne was magnificently illumi-
nated, and fireworks, displayed from different quar-
ters, added from time to time to the excitement of
the scene. The initials V., N., A. (Victoria, Napo-
leon, Albert), gleaming in the centre of the quay,
formed the principal ornament of the illuminations.
LOUIS NAPOLEON AND HIS STUD.
During the late visit of Prince Albert to Boulogne,
one of the chief objects of notice was the imperial
stud. The horses of the army, hitherto procured
principally from Normandy, have been greatly im-
proved by his attention, mainly through crossing
with English stock. The Norman horse has great
bone and sinew, and is capable of much improve-
ment :
Large purchases of English horses are frequently made
by his agents, and, seeing the prices which are given for
good steeds, and the rivalry which exists between the buyers
for the French and German Governments to secure the
best animals, some astonishment is expressed that Eng-
lish farmers do not more generally avail themselves of the
facilities they possess for rearing first-rate horses for so
certain and so good a market. Resides the hares of the
Emperor, he has a stud and breeding establishment at St.
Cloud, at which colts of extraordinary value are reared
from a mixture of English and Arab blood. The
Emperor's chargers, reserved for his exAnsive use
et reviews ad the field, a all English, as are,
Indeed, the ri
gveater part of the saddle and carriage
horses, and as &eh-fattier names int retained, and ever&
stall heal the horse's name painted over the animal's