The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-09 00:00:00

ADVENTURES OF A COURIER.

A courier who recently made his way with great diffi-
culty, and after a long delay, into Paris, with despatches
from Tours, has given an account of his eventful
journey, from which it appears that he left. Tours on
the 24th November. and proceeded to Rouen, from
whence he went to Vernon, and then to Meulan. Passing
through Poissy, in company of a friend, he arrived at St.
Germain on the 29th, and next day attempted to reach
Paris by way of Bougival, but the strong forces occupy-
ing this portion of the lines compelled them to desist
from their intention, and they went into Versailles. On
the Ist of December they proceeded to Ville d'Avry and
Sevres, and after having examined the positions in these
quarters, decided on attempting to cross the lines on the
next evening. The night unfortunately was one of bright
moonlight, and after getting near the old manufactory of
&tyres they were seen by a sentinel, who fired upon
them. They leaped over some boundary walls, and were
making for the bank of the Seine, when a score of Prus
sian soldiers came from behind a hedge and arrested
them. The packages which they carried were
taken from them, and they were taken before a Prussian
officer, who spoke French, and who they told that they
had tried to return to Paris to see their wives and children

from whom they had been separated for two months.
They were taken for the night to Chaville, tobe conveyed
to Versailles next day, and were separated from
one another, and the hero of the tale contrived
to get out of the loft in which he was con-
fined and to drop down a height of about twenty feet ;
not, however, without feeling the effects of the fall.
After wandering about in the woods for the night, he
entered Versailles next morning by Montreuil, and as
he had with him 100 f. concealed in the lining of his
paletot he was enabled to purchase some necessaries, and
to have himself shaved. He next procseded to
Saint Germain, where he remained concealed in
an auberge for three days, after which, on the
sth December, he, with another companion, set
out for Chatou, where he hoped to cross the Seine.
This time the Franc-tireurs fired upon him and
roused the Prussians, who began also to salute
him in the same fashion. He saved himself by running
along the road to Saint Germain, but was followed by
horseman, whom he escaped by entering the wood of
Vesinet. Here he hid for a couple of hours, and at
length venturing out reached a village unknown
to him, where he made out the curt, who kept
him safely until the middle of the next day. On the
7th he tried by way of the Quarries, but with similar
results. He returned to St. Germain on the Bth, and two
days later obtained a pass for Meulan. On the 12th he
was at Evreux, and reached Lisieux with some difficulty
on the 14th. While yet 13 kilometres from this town, and
while breakfasting in an auberge, he was arrested by the
National Guards and conducted to Lisieux as a Prussian
spy. The Prefect was from home, but the Procureur
de la Rdpublique opened and read his despatches and con-
signed the bearer to prison. Here, after having been very
badly treated, he was released next day on an order from
the Government.

The Bordeaux correspondent of the Daily News says he
has reason to believe that if M. Jules Favre goes to Lon-
don, M. Gambetta will very likely go also.
The French Commission of Armaments has eupplied
the country with 430,000 .rifles and 76,000,000 cartridges
within six weeks.

An unfortunate pork-butcher at Bapaume, who had the
honour of entertaining some German officers of rank,
expressed himself as follows :—" Monsieur, the unluckiest
news I can receive is that of a French victory ; for as
sure as I hear of it, so sure do the Prussian troops enter
my house four hours after."

Blois is still in the possession of the Prussians, and,
according to the latest accounts, the population is reduced
to the last extremity of distress by requisitions which the
inhabitants are utterly unable to meet. A letter says
that the German soldiers go so far as to stop people in the
streets and take off their shoes.

The Rappel says that the aspect of Paris at night in con-
sequence of the extinction of the gaslights is very singular.
Many persons find it convenient to carry lanterns, and for
their accommodation a new kind of lamp has been invented,
which is carried easily by being suspended from the button
hole of the coat.

The official journal of the besieging army at Versailles
has just taken stock of the defensive and offensive capa-
bilities of Great Britain, and the conclusion at which it
arrives is as follows :—" Without military reorganization
_ _

it is perfectly idle to discuss the attitude which England
should take in view of future continental complications.

Its present military system allows it but one attitude, that
of dbliteration."

A resident of Roubaix, who travelled to Germany for
the purpose of conveying clothing and assistance to his
countrymen who are prisoners of war, writes that he
found most of them suffering horribly from cold. He
was present on the arrival at Berlin of prisoners from
Orleans, who had been travelling for fifteen days and
fifteen nights in cattle waggons while most scantily
clad ; seventeen of these unfortunate fellows were frozen
to death.

A German soldier says that in order to perform the
heavy duties which fall to it, the German army in the
Vosges requires a supply of clothing. Almost everything
is wantinr. " Most of onr men have to endure the greatest
privation ; they have actually no shoe% to their feet, some
have to run barefoot, and that in the deep snow, and con-
tinual mounting guard is no joke. Although fresh sup-
plies of clothing have long been ordered they have never
reached us. Who is to blame for this I know not. How
we are off for coats and trousers you can easily imagine to
yourself from the story of my inexpressibles—they were as
rotten as tinder."

Attention has been directed to the rampart guns which
the Prussians are using. There are numerous depots of

these guns at Cologne, Coblentz, and Mayence, but they
have only recently been forwarded to the Prussian forces
now besieging Paris. Their weight prevents them from
being used in a battle, but they are of great service when
they are supported by battlements or ramparts. The
balls are elliptic in shape and abeut the size of an olive.
From a letter published in the " non-official " part of
the Staats-Anzeiger, and written by General Fransecky,
chief of the 2nd Corps, and commander of all the troops
in the affairs of the 30th of November and the 2nd of
December, it seems that the counter-attack on Champigny
was of even a more formidable character than had
hitherto been reported Three of the four brigades of
Fransecky's corps, and the whole of his artillery, sup-
ported the Wurtembereers. Nevertheless, the general
admits with great distinctness that half the village re-
mained in the French possession. Champigny is divided
by a wide and deep road perpendicular to its main street,
which road became the line of demarcation at the end
of the fight. The Germans never lodged themselves

across it.
KARL BLIND ON THE WAR.—The German
democrat, Karl Blind, has made some remarks respecting
his recent article in the Fortnightly Review. He says that
while Professor Von Sybel is in favour of the revival of
an Empire, he deplores such a result of the war. He
regrets that the new Republic was imperilled by the con-
tinuance of the war, through Jules Favre's uncompro-
mising resolve that France should not part with her for-
tresses. He has been exiled from Germany and France—
from the former for having aided the Republican cause,
and from the latter for supporting Ledru-Rollin. Karl Blind
does not think that the same sentiments prevail among
French and German democrats. The Germans disclaim the
notion of supremacy on the part of any nation; but the
case is very different with the French. Victor Hugo
desired a rectification of frontiers on account of the " in-
tolerable aggrandisement" of Germany, and hardly any
members of the Corps L4gislatif refused the war supplies
to the Emperor Napoleon. The German nation cannot
forget these things, and the democratic meetings and jour-
nals in France declare the " march to Berlin" to be still
the real programme. He fears that if peace is not con-
cluded shortly. the French Republic will pass into a mili-
tary dictatorship, or that monarchy will be revived. He
cannot understand how Republicans can offer the French
people such fatal advice as to fight on until their strength
is quite exhausted, more especially when they see the
determination of the German people.
AN INCIDENT IN THE EAST.— letter from a
German soldier, speaking of a skirmish between Gravy
and Besancon, says :—" One young fellow attracted our
notice particularly. Springing from tree to tree, and con-
tinually firing, ho had already done us much harm when
an under officer, renowned as a good shot, who had already
aimed at him several times without effect, said, Herr
Lieutenant, I shall hit that fellow yet, and stop the jumping
of that French harlequin.' At the next shot our adversary
rolled in the snow. I was quickly at his side ;he was a
handsome youth with the first dawn on his upper lip ; his
white hands did not appear to have ever done an hour's
hard work. The ball had penetrated his breast, and the
blood gushed in streams from the wound. As we con-
sidered the fight at an end, and had completed our task, I
remained st bis side, and sought to raise the groaning form.
Ho could speak no more ; suddenly he seized me con vul-
sively by the hand ; his limbs quivered—his whole form
seemed to stretch itself out—his eyes appeared about to
burst from their sockets—a deep groan—and he was no
more. Slowly I let his body glide down on the snow. It
was a weird and ghastly scene ; the pale countenance of the