The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-02 00:00:00

COMPEIGNE, AUG. 29.—This day the ordinary business
of the camp commenced ; and a series of amusements took
place on the extensive plain south-west of Compiegne, which
has been devoted in preceding years to the same purpose.
The two camps, which arc situated at different sides of the
town, and are named respectively the Camps de Nemours
and d'Qrleans, after the two princes who hold the chief com-
mand in each, poured out the entire of their military occu-
pants in two successive streams, the march of the men being
regulated by military music at the head of each regiment.
Each camp holds about 10,000 men, being entirely occu-
pied by infantry, with the exception of the Camp d'Orleans,
in which two batteries of artillery are quartered. The
entire of the cavalry, with the hulk of the artillery and the
genir, ere quartered in Compiegne and the adjoining vil-
lages. The troops which form the Camp de Nemours passed
the river Oise between 10 and 11 o'clock, and were the
first to occupy the Champ de Manoeuvres. At two o'clock
they were succeeded by the infantry composing the
Camp d'Orleans, who continued to exercise until five
o'clock, at which hour they returned to Compiegne. The
camp occupied by these latter troops, although not so
pictuaesquely, is more commodiously situated than that
of Nemours. It extends along the banks of the Oise
for the space of an English mile, the colours of each
regiment being placed in the central point of the front
line occupied by the tents. 'File tents, which are pieced at
a convenient distance from each other, are nearly formed
of a very thick and close description of canvass. They are
tents of 15 men each, and are of barely sufficient extent to
give sleeping room to 14 men, one man out of each tent
being occupied in rotation with the duties of mounting
guard and of serving in the camp police. The formation
of the tent is exceedingly sharp, so that a great deal of rain
must fall before the men can become incommoded by it ;
doubt, however, whether it will afford a sufficient protec-
tion against the rain which, with the accompaniment of such
thunder and lightning as one seldom witnesses in England,
falls at this moment in torrents, or, as the soldiers here ex-
press it, "in bayonets and ramrods." On a line with the
colours of the several regiments of which the camp is com-
posed, are small- baroque: covering the collected fusils,
bayonets, and cartouches of the men. Then follow six
rows of tents, occupied by 15 soldiers each. Next come
the cuisines, which are small wooden houses open at each
end, in each of which there is excavated in the earth a large -
fire-place, where the euisinicr, with his attendant continieres,
deals forth the rations to the men. Deal tables, with
forms, rude and warlike enough in their construction, extend
between each cuisine and the opposite tents, and here
the heroes who form our camp take their different meals.
Brown bread of the very coarsest description, with soup
and boulili (and haricots now and then), washed down by
very bad wine, very much reduced, for the staple of this
never-varying feast. Their entreticn is altogether of the
most inexpensive description ; and the quantity a labori-
ous exercises through which these men pass, ill-fed as they
are, is positively extraordinary. The bread, although of
the most ultra-Spartan description, rather a dark and
mouldy-looking iron-gray than black, cannot fail to be
somewhat nutritious ; for the men, although thin, are evi-
dently capable of undergoing a great deal of fatigue, and
went through their numerous evolutions this day with a
degree of activity as remarkable as their accuracy was
commendable. It is really a pity that these poor fellows
should not be better fed, considering the quantity of work
which they are called upon to perform. The life which
they 2:,ad while they are in camp is infinitely more litho-,
rious that, that of the criminals on the Enlist) treadmills;
and the breaa which is served to them is much worse.
Some of the men,
to srliom I spoke upon the subject, va-
lued this bread, which thee cut before me, in order that I
o sous the pound, and did
might judge of its quality, at
et, the fault be-
not hesitate to assert their belief thee the commissaire pues
more than as many more sous in his poc::
ing not chargeable to the Government, but to certain inte-
rested underlings.
Behind the cuisines extends another row of tents occu-
pied by private soldiers, and two other lines, including the
tents of the officers, complete the series. The General's
tent is in front of the entire line, on a suitably large scale,
composed of a striped material, and ornamented with fly';og
colours. Small tri-coloured flags float from all the tents
which arc immediately opposite this grand point of attrac-
tion ; and on each side of the General's tent are the smaller
baroque-a of his aides-du•camp. The offices' tents aro fitted
up with camp-beds and other convenience:, which render
them by no means an unpleasant residence in summer.
Doen to the rank of captain each officer has a whola tent
to himself. Below that rank a tent is allotted to two offite:s.
I have gone into this detail for the purpose of showing that
an exceedingly simple arrangethent`is productive of a very
pleasing whole ; and I am informed that. this arrangement
does not belie its appearance, but is found commodious ia
the extreme. Amateur camps of this description have not
as yet, I believe, taken place in any part of Eagland, and
in their
certainly there appears to be no reason why we should not
them ; hut, on the contrary, every reason is
have
ftv,:etr. Tney constituf e an essential ingredient during times
of peace, in teaching the art of war effectually to numerous
n:asses of men, and ii!mast all the great Powers of Europe,
ours excepted, hold similar camps annually.
Tue Duke of Orleans set out thiS morning for Paris;
lie will remain for a day or two, It, is not certain whether
the grand manceuvres will commence upon the first of the
next month (Friday next), as was announced. The har-
vest rather later-then usual this year, in consequence of
the tardy arrival of the summer heats. The space cleared
by the proiseonecurs is nut yet sufficiently large to admit of
so extensive movements as an united army of 25,000 men,
including cavalry and artillery, would require. It is not
imprehaVe that the grand maeceuvres will be postponed
until the ensuing week. This day 1 witnessed the greater
pat of the ,xercises ; and can hear the very highest testi-
mony to the skill with which the French infantry manage
their arias and perform the various manceuvres of foot sol-
diers. It is not exaggeration to say that their movements
were as ncsrly as possible those of one man, and that the
instant die word had issued from .tbe commanding officer's
mouth the command was executed ; greater precision it
would be difficult to meet with. The French troops arc all
ycitm; men, from 18 to 30 years of age ; and by the terms
of their service they seldom remain longer than seven years
in the army ; but they are admirably taught and made ex-
cellent soldiers in the course of as many months.—Tenses.

Yesterday morning, at an early hour, a man named
Thomas Collier, was taken into St. o,_o-ad's JI JaPitill. 110'
tug sustained injuries of a most dreadful miler', by Wog
run o'er by a train of waggons, on that part of thi i aof
the Chia %morn guilroad near to Hanwell, where 110
wa, at work. The poor fellow expired soon after his arrival,
Yesterday morning, about half-past nine o'clock,
two youths named Hawkins and Reevely, whose parents
reside in Union Terrace, Vauxhall-road, were rowing for
amusement in a wherry, just above the Penitentiary, Mil-
bank, when the boat came athwart the mooring chain of a
barge, and the tide running very strong, it upset. Hawkins
s 1
e.:l‘r.rt'idedhaiteir vbybtyheelitniifii!,lgantdo attirer ta.hsaeitn'erebus tt
r lutgegelvetcY
;isun wayk to
rise no more. Ha was about 15 years of age.
The regimentals worn by George 111., as Captain
in the Royal Horse Guards, are now in the possession of
Major-General Hill, late Lieutenant-Colonel of that regi-
' mcnt, to Whom they were presented by his late Majesty
George IV. King George 111. bad a great partiality to
the regiment, and not only wore the uniform, but also exer-
cised the functions of an officer of that regiment.