The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-27 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT BOULOGNE.

13ouLoaNE, Sept. 26.—The Empress arrived by special
train at five o'clock yesterday, and was received at the
station by the Emperor. The Guides, the Garde Im-
perials, and the Cent Gardes were in attendance as an
escort, and all the customary honours paid on such occa-
sions were duly observed. A large number of the inha-
bitants of Boulogne had assembled, and gave her Ma-
-1 jesty a very loyal welcome. Among them was a kind
of deputation of fishmongers' wives in their characteristic
dresses, the leader bearing a magnificent bouquet, obvi-
ously intended as an offering, with something very like a
petition slyly inserted in it.
Those who are well acquainted with the features of
in
the Empress say that she has apparently benefited much
A health by her recent sojourn in .the seath of France.
mid the virats of the spectAtors.she was escorted to the
Imperial Hotel, the Emperor riding beside her carriage.
Having actually seen the
troopsmarch out of camp
this morning at six o'clock, and
d
proceed
Desvres, I am able to state positively that the great
inar4oeuvres 'so long talked of
willay positively commence
tr,m
-morrow. Bow long theyno continue,() or whata
able
the exact nature of them may be,
to tell, but it is something to know at l.:set see
to
and
where they are to begin. The Emperor, it is under-
stood, reaches Dosvres about ten o'clock to-morrow,
and there and at Escoueilles the troops will bivouac to-
night. They carry with them considerably more bread
than on the occasion of the sham fight at Marquise,
and it is said are prepared to remain out for five
days. Beside his kit, tent-cloth, and pole, blanket.
and other accoutrements, the French soldier also
carries a large loaf of bread, which is made of such a
shape as to be easily strapped on the back of. his knap-
sack. The thick crust protects it against being impreg-
nated with dust on the march, and it is a wise precau-
tion which gives every man the ready means of recruit-
ing his strength with the staff of life when be feels him-
self exhausted and hungry. Our troops have their pro-
visions when on the march in haversacks—a plan which
may have some advantages, but hardly admits of the
same quantity being carried. The bread, too, is well
protected against rain by the overhanging tent cloth.
While referring to this subject it may not be out of
place to observe that in the French service the weight of
the pack is thrown more upon the shoulders and less
upon the back than ours. The British soldier has his
knapsack fastened on him by straps passing under his
armpits, so that there is always a great strain upon the
play of his chest, whereas the Frenchman's load is eased
by straps passing down on either side, and attached to
the waistbelt. He, however, is, as I have already more
than once observed, very heavily weighted, and, what is
even more objectionable, his equipment is qumbersome
as well as oppressive. With a discipline which has
hitherto required men to act in lines three deep, this
must be a serious disadvantage, for the tendency of it is
obviously to prevent the rear ranks from taking steady
aim, and to expose those in front to casualties from the
fire of those behind.

The march of the divisions from their camps this
morning was a sight worth seeing. Before sunrise had
finally dispelled the grey light of dawn they had foamed
in extended lines upon the heights facing the sea from
Honvault and Wimereux to 'Ambleteuse. Through the
fresh clear air came the roll of the drum and the bugle
call, while the eye could faintly distinguish in front and
rear officers superintending the preparations for departure,
and laggards falling late into their places. Then the
sun rose brightly over the horizon, giving promise of
splendid weather as he shot his rays against the " night
cloud" still brooding over the face of the Channel.
Shortly after six o'clock the order to march was given,
and regiment after regiment, headed by its band and
portentous drum-major, moved grandly away. In little
more than half an hour the long lines of huts were de-
serted, and 30,000 men had taken the field. Let sober-
minded civilians denounce it as they may, the pageantry
of military life possesses an immense attractiveness. An
army in motion, with its music, banners, and forests of
glistening bayonets, appeals 'strongly to the dullest ima-
gination. Though we know how often,it Is used to op-
press liberty; we must' also recognise in it the great
symbol of governing power, and the chief guarantee
for the maintenance of order and stability in human
affairs. •

As an instance of the care with which the French
army is perfected in its training, it may be mentioned
that at six o'clock this morning, on the sands between
Honvault and Boulogne, there was a karge party of the
Garde Imperiale busily engaged in target practice. This
special corps, revived by the Emperor, and now in pro-
cess of organisation, has a very fine appearance. The
men are tall, stately fellows, and are well set off by their
uniform, which, except, of course, the trousers, closely
resembles that worn by the force in the time of Napo-
leon I.' The shako is of a much more military shape
than that of our Guards, but the white braid ornament
rather spoils it. There are about 800 grenadiers of the
Garde Imperiale here at present ; the tents were at first
pitched close to the jetty on the Capecure side of
the harbonr, but this situation was found to be un-
healthy, and within the ' last few days they have
been removed. The Guides form another portion
of the force here, having a special character from being
more immediately attached to the person of the Empe-
ror. They also are a picked corps, and are splendidly
mounted—for the most part on English horses. What
with the fine appearance of the men, their handsome
uniforms, and careful equipuient in every respect, they
arc the crack cavalry regiment in the French service.
The band is said to be the best in France. Of all the
corps d'elitc, however, in this army, the Cent Gardes
are undoubtedly the most shusiry. ,In constituting them
the Emperor probably had an eye to something beyond
their mere theatrical effect, as a part of his escort; for,
being made tip'of soldiers taken 'from the ranks, with
very high pay, the intention, no doubt, was to provide
desirable appointments for men of good conduct, and to
whom nature had also given a stately and imposing ex-
terior. The troops of the line, however, do not at pre-
sent look upon the new corps in that light, and never
was a beautiful woman in a ballroom regarded with
fiercer jealousy by her own sex as she flashed along in
the pride of her charms than these fine fellows are where-
ever they appear. It is stated that one of them omitted
the other day to give the usual salute to a fiery little
Chasseur, and the consequence was a duel, in which the
latter at the second thrust mortally wounded his stalwart
opponent. The Cent Gardes have a new carbine, load-
ing at the breach, which I have not yet seen, but which
is said to be a most formidable weapon. Undoubtedly
that is the next great improvement to be made in the
manufacture of firearms. In the present state of me-
chanical art there ought to be no insurmountable diffi-
culty about it, and it would enable a soldier to fire five
or six times as quickly as he can do at present. Load-
frig at the muzzle and the necessity for using a long ram-
rod are barbarisms which it is high time that our gun-
makers should get rid of entirely Aen manufacturing
for the troops of their own country.