The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-20 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

PARIS, January 15.
The bombardment goes on steadily, though it varies a
good deal in degree. Some petroleum bombs have fallen,
but the result is only to produce great irritation
among the people. Such fires as break out
are speedily quenched, and the number of
casualties has been slight. As the extreme limit
which the Prussian missives have reached is at St. Sulpice
and the Odeon, it is easy enough to remove the people out
of harm's way. The chief drawback to this hasty
removal has been the confusion it has pro-
duced in the matter of rations, When the in-
habitants of the left bank of the Seine hurried

over to the right bank it naturally followed that
the daily supplies, which had been sufficient prior to such
a sudden influx of population, no longer went round. In
the deserted districts there was more than enough bread,
in others it ran short. This produced somc slight dis-
turbance. There was a pressure round the baker's shops,
and a general commotion, but it was not in any way
serious, and as the equilibrium of supply and demand was
soon restored, it is not likely to continue.
The fact is, whatever may have been stated, there
is no prospect of immediate dearth. It is confidently
asserted, by those most qualified to know, that the
resources of Paris must be reckoned by months not weeks.
The recent requisitions have brought to light an immense
quantity of grain whose existence was never suspected.
Numbers of the peasants who had taken shelter in Paris
had concealed grain in their mattrasses.

A leading manufacturer of the city, wno ought to be
an authority, gives a most satisfactory account of the
state of affairs. He says :—" Public confidence is greater
than ever, and the general harmony has never been less
disturbed. The demagogue clubs are nearly deserted. and
many of them are shutting up. Only one feeling is pre-
valent here, and that is the anxiety not to capitulate,
but to afford an opportunity for the armies of the
province to come near Paris. We hope by the prolonga-
tion of our resistance to give them time to come to our
succour. Bourbaki's march to the East has caused great
excitement, and revived hopes of ultimate success. Until
to-day, the 13th, the effects of the bombardment in the
town are not very considerable. Fires cannot spread in a
town whose buildings are mostly in wood and iron, and
where a population of two millions are ready to extinguish

them. The Parisians are even more anxious than their
leaders to hold out, and it is impossible to overrate the
resources of a city when the popular desire aids the efforts
of the authorities. All manufacturing establishments are
placed at the disposal of the Government. The great
workshops of B-, instead of their locomotives, are
now furnishing six thousand kilogrammes of powder
a day and forty thousand kilogrammes of flour
at our place rice is passed through our improvised mills.
At S. " bomb shells are made with heaps of cast iron, of
which we have still great quantities in Paris."
One of our first duties has been to look after the people
who have suffered severely from the intense cold. To
save the wood we have burnt asphalte in the mills, and
the rice and chocolate manufactories. This is abundantly
supplied by the pavements of Paris."
" With respect to food, do not believe what is said on
that subject, for few persons in Paris itself know how
much there is. With the bread which we are making,
and in which we have put proportions of barley, rye, and
rice, we shall have a sufficient supply until the
15th of March. Wine need never be rationed. You
can never guess the ingenious devices to which we have
have resorted. We eat not indifferent butter, made out
of pomatum, and collections from the shops of the great
perfumers. Tallow, of which there is always plenty in Paris,
is tr. ade into lard, which doesnot betray its origin. Bones,
subjected to chemical process, form a kind of gelatineous-
meat which is very good." "We have great difficulty
in getting workmen, as the military service takes six
hours a day. The municipalities provide the people with
food very successfully, and if there are no more robbers,

there are no more beggars either. As a
proof of the confidence that is felt I may
state that some buildings begun before the siege are
still carried on. Financial affairs are not abandoned, though
little is done at the Bourse. The cannonade still con-
tinues, and an officer in Fort Rosny has told me that the
result of six days bombardment has been a loss of five
hundred francs." .

The determination of the people to resist to the last is
more resolute than ever. The German papers found on

the prisoners maintain that Paris is under a Dictatorship,
and is forced to continue the resistance unwillingly. So far
from this being the truth the popular feeling is deepening
in intensity, and the public irritation is considerable
against Troche, for not pushing forward his plans more
vigoronsly, and for refraining from employing cruel and
effectual means of reprisal There is some excuse for the
inhumanity of the latter complaint in the severe provoca-
tion received by the Parisians. The Prussian firing,
though not half so destructive as might have been
expected, seems chiefly to destroy inoffensive victims,
young girls, children, and old men.
The papers are actively discussing the question of
whether or no M. Favre shonld be represented at the
London Conference. Public opinion is very much divided
on the point, and oddly enough the France and
the Constitutionnel are for once ranged on the side of the
Radicals, and declare that France should not at this time
be represented at the Conference. The 'Mats and the
Patrie hold that M. Favre ought not to neglect the
opportunity of opening negotiations if they could lead to an
honourable peace. The Government itself, if rumour is to be
believed, divided on this point, but Jules Favre himself is
is inclined to the representation, and will probably
carry it out. The Soir asserts that a lady of rank, coming
from Tours with a safe conduct and a flag of truce, pre-
sented herself at the Bridge of Sevres, and asked permis-
sion to re-enter Paris. The Parisian authorities,
amazed at such a request in the midst of bombardment,
refused it. A new battery is being erected
with the object of bombarding Mont Valdrien. It is in
the direction of Nanterre, but sheltered at present from
the fort it threatens. The scarcity of news is still a com-
plaint; but, thanks to new inventions, the amount of
news brought by each carrier pigeon can henceforth be
much increased. By using extremely thin sheets of paper
four or five sheets, each containing as much news as two
numbers of the Debats, can be sent by one of those invaluable
little messengers, who are to be honoured by being inserted
in the Parrs coat of arms. It will be a fitting tribute to pay,
and an interesting memorial of this eventful siege, of
which Louis Blanc is preparing a complete account. The
Bank of France has made a new loan of 400,000,000 f. to
the State. It is believed that the armies of the
provinces have advanced, for the Prussians have
certainly fallen back on Paris. The Pettple Francais
boldly declares that Chanzy is only ten leagues off. The
Francais, in its turn, asserts, on good authority, that
Prince Frederick C+tarles has been seen at Versailles, and
that he is wounded, though not dangerously. Reports of
all kinds are, in fact, current, but the spirit of the people
remains undaunted, whatever turn they take.