The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-18 00:00:00

IRE StJl, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 18, 1810.

constant skirmishing goes on at the outposts. The soldiers,
however, have regained their spirits with the sun-
shine, and are hopeful of victory. The Prussians muster in
formidable numbers, though only a small part of their forces
are in the immediate vicinity of the town, with the view,
no doubt, of entrapping their adversaries into the woods
where they lie concealed. Altogether their forces amount
to more than 300,000 men, in three formidable armies,
commanded respectivelyby the Crown Prince, Prince Fre-
deric Charles, and General Steinmetz, who commanded at
Forbach. The two first have each from 130,000 to 140,000
men, the third nearly 100,000. To these compact forces
the French at Metz can only oppose 160,000.
The French troops, however, are full of courage.
The Emperor and the Prince Imperial were
present at the Cathedral this morning at eight
o'clock. The church was crowded, and the congrega-
tion seemed deeply moved. The nomination of General
Trochu has been well received by the troops, but the
population of the eastern districts are still flying in alarm
from the advancing Prussians. The distress is very
great. The Prussians continue their reconnaisance
which they carry on at considerable distances from their
army. When General Ladmirault's troops left Boulay
his last men were scarcely out of the town on one side
before the Prussians entered it on the other. It is
said they did not leave food for either man or
horse in the place. The Prussians have made
several attempts to get possession of the railway line— the
only one which keeps Metz in communication with the
rest of France, and they have already succeeded in cutting
the telegraph wires.
A painful scene was to be witnessed yesterday. A
soldier belonging to the 3rd Grenadiers had been missing
foi five days. He had disappeared on the frontier, and It
was believed he was a spy. He was found and taken
back to his corps and tied to a tree. For six
hours this poor man, who had missed his way
and was innocent of the charges, had to submit to the
insults and even the injuries inflicted by his comrades, for
so great was thewrath of the soldiers, that the four men who
guarded him could not always protect him. After a con-
siderable time had elapsed, he was examined and proved to be
a Parisian volunteer, having nothing in common with a
Prussian spy ! The manner in which he was treated
proves, however, the estimation in which spies are held
by the soldiers who are the chief sufferers
from them. The head of the Prussian service in these
parts was arrested a day or two since. He is
named Schultz, and several details of the Prussian spy
system were obtained from him. It is divided into
various sub-divisions, each having its chief, who collates
the intelligence obtained. Schultz had the twelve regula-
tion balls and a French passport thoroughly en regle.
For the Prussian side of the frontier, where it
seems they are more suspicious, he had a particular
medal known to all thesenerals. The spies go about their
work very calmly, believing that the French will not kill
them, if caught, and that the Prussians will conquer and
demand their liberation.
The communications between Metz and Paris have been
very uncertain for several days, partly owing to delays in
the trains, partly to the rails being taken up by the
Prussians. Of our couriers who left Paris for Metz
on the 11th only one succeeded in getting there by the
13th. A hundred Uhlans arrived at Pont-lb-
Mousson two days ago, at the moment the Paris
train was passing, and fired at the engine-driver, whom
they missed. Their fire was returned by some soldiers
who were in the train. Soon after another train brought
a body of Chasseurs d'Afrique on the scene just
as a strong body of Uhlans came up. The
Chasseurs pursued the Prussians, and captured, it
is said, 150 prisoners, one of them being struck
down by a ball at the very moment that he was cutting
the telegraph wire. The daring of the Uhlans is every-
where the subject of remark. A body of them entered
the town of Pont-h-Mousson, and ordered a dinner for 114
for that evening, knowing that the town was not de-
fended.

Two hundred residents of Luxemburg arrived here on
Friday, intending to enrol themselves as volunteers in the
French army, but they were rejected on the ground that
they were from Luxemburg, at which they were highly
indignant. . _

Everything points to a battle immediately. Indeed,
some news of fighting has already arrived, but we are
unable as yet to make anything of it.

THE BATTLES NEAR METZ.
PARIS, TUESDAY.

We are floundering here in the midst of a chaos
of unintelligible and contradictory telegrams, and the
longer we wait the more confused does the intelligence
appear. We are informed that there has been a battle or
battles somewhere near Metz. Yet do complete is the
muddle that the papers gravely make their appearance
confessing their inability to state how many battles
have taken place, where they took place, who
was there, what has been the consequences, where
the Prussian army now is, or where the French army now
is. This account of the position is really not exaggerated.
Even the English papers do not help us this time, though
we are looking for light from this quarter by the
next post. They are commonly very useful, those
English papers, and we generally learn important news
from them before the worthy Minister of the Interior
communicates it ; but this time they are of no assistance.
The scantiness of intelligence goes to prove that the
latest momentous events are not favourable to France,
and the intelligence, such as it is, points to the same con-
clusion.

First we received an official telegram stating that the
Germans had made an attack upon Bazaine's army whilst
crossing the Moselle, but had been repulsed with con-
siderable loss. In the English papers quite another story
appears. They publish a telegram from the King of
Prussia, in which the victory is claimed for the
Germans. The Emperor's telegram is dated from Longville
and announces a battle just outside Metz, but with
triumphant result for the French. The King's is
datedHernay, and says simply that a struggle took place,
in which two German army corps were engaged,
the combat being victorious. This event or events are
supposed to have occurred on Sunday. In addition,
another message, of an unofficial character, says that
fighting has been going on yesterday somewhere between
Metz and Verdun. It was reported that the Prussians
had been beaten with the loss of 40,000 men ! This tele-
gram is published by the Minister of the Interior, who, how-
ever, does not guarantee its accuracy, but who, at the same
time, furnishes no news of his own. Imagine agreat battle
being fought in the almost direct line from Paris to Vardun,
the enemy being beaten, and 40,000 lost, and yet no news
of such an event having reached the Government, which
publishes a telegram from a Sub Prefect ! But worse
remains. In the Corps Legislatif to-day a ministerial
statement has just been made, to the effect that there was
no battle yesterday properly so called, but a series of en-
gagements, several of which were important, but none of
a nature to entail decisive results. The forty
thousand killed and wounded Germans' victory,
then, has been transformed into " a series of
engagements" of which the Ministry can say no more than:
that " our line remains intact." So it ought to do, after
a so-called repulse of the Prussians with heavy loss. Who
ever heard of such procedures on the part of a Govern-
merit? Who would believe in a victory under such cir-
cumstances ? The public is more alarmed at this
victorious intelligence than at any of the miserable bul-
letins which followed Saturday, the 6th. The Corps
Ldgislatif to-day is a terrible picture of anxiety, fear, and
indignation.
A little thought, however, will suffice to exact a 1
residuum of truth from these shameful bulletins.
No matter how many battles have been fought,
nor who have won them, the French army
has been retreating, and is still falling back. These
fights have been engaged in solely to cover that retreat.
If the Prussians have been beaten they have only been
thrown off temporarily whilst in the act of pursuit ; nor
can the check have been decisive, for we know that the
falling back of the army goes on, and that the final stand
will be made near Chalons—if the army can get there. It
is obvious that more news would have come of a battle in
which the French bad been strikingly triumphant.
Any slight check to the Germans fades into insignificance
when we learn, at the same time, that the pursuit
is kept up with hot has,te. A glance at the map will chew
how the matter stands. The direct road from Metz to
Chalons, and thence to Paris, runs a little south of
Verdun. To the south, on the flank, of this
line, are the towns of Nancy, Toul, Commercy.
and Bar-le-duc. All these (even the latter it is
said, have fallen into the hands of the Crown Prince.
The armies of Steinmetz and Frederick Charles are pres-
sing forward in front ; the Crown Prince is on the flank
obviously making great efforts to interpose be-
tween Chalons and the retreating French army.
Will he succeed? It is doubtful. There . is no
little reason to fear that he will, and hence,

in spite of the news of a victory, this city is profoundly
depressed.
The Figaro comes out with one of its characteristic
surprises to-day. Is it true, it asks, that the wife of
Marshal Lebceuf is a Prussian lady, and that the late
Minister of War is imprisoned at Vincennes ? Is it, in-
deed, true ?

DEFENCES OF PARIS.—The fortifications of Paris
extend over a circumference of 20 miles, and have no
fewer than 98 bastions, Amongst the forts on both sides
of the Seine near Paris are—on the left bank, Ivry,
Bicetre, Montrouge, Vanves, Issy, and Mont-Valdrien ;
on the right bank, the forts at the north and east of
St. Denis, Romainville, Rosny, Nogent-sur-Marne, Fais-
anderie, Gravel, and Alfort. In order to protect the
approaches to Paris on the Clamart side, a fort of earth-
works is being constructed on the plan organised for the
defence of Sebastopol, by General Todleben.' All the
pains of the engineers, however, will be of no avail if the
villas and woods in front of the fortifications are allowed
to remain to give cover to the enemy's sharpshooters; but
the prospect of the wholesale demolition of valuable
property and the destruction of the Bois de Boulogne
where the axe is already at work, makes the scheme very un-
popular. It is said on the one hand that Paris will never be
besieged, that long before the enemy can arrive, either the
valour of the army or the good offices of diplomacy will
have removed the danger ; and, on the other, that a great
and luxurious city like Paris cannot submit to the intole-
rable press le of a siege, and that peace must be made
before matters become extreme. The Government,
however, continues its preparations, and has placed six
hundred cannon more than are mounted at Metz
or Strasbourg on those forts which are nearest the
enemy. Persons who publicly say in Paris, that
this plan of defence is mistaken, are threatened in the
Official Journal with trial by court-martial. The Minister
of Agriculture is giving his attention to the provisioning
of Paris for a siege, a work which was begun by the late
Administration. Already forty days' consumption of flour
is laid in and warehoused in the market at Paris, and in
the stores of St. Denis, de la Villette, and Ivry. A plan
is under consideration for bringing an immense number of
cattle into the city, but it seems likely to break down
under the difficulty of feeding them.—Daily News.

THE FRENCH SQUADRON IN THE ELBE.

The Sentinel, steamship, belonging to the Tyne Steam
Shipping Company, has arrived in the Tyne with a general
cargo, completing the tenth voyage that has been made by
the steamers of that company since war was declared. The
Sentinel on Saturday passed the French fleet which is
blockading the Elbe without molestation. She hoisted and
dipped the British ensign, to which the French fleet replied
by hoisting and dipping the French ensign. The French
blockading squadron consists of ten very large ironclads.
Nine of them are anchored in a row to the south-west of the
island of Heligoland. and one of them, a paddlewheel
-
steamer, is cruising in the fairway. News of their ap-
proach was taken to Hamburg on Friday afternoon by
a Norwegian vessel, and the Hamburg authorities at
once ordered a lighter laden with torpedoes, which had
been lying in readiness, to go down the river near Cux-
haven, and wait orders. They also at the same time
despatched their two fast river steamers, the Cuxhaven
and the Heligoland, to the mouth of the Elbe to reconnoitre.
The Sentinel met both steamers on Saturday morning on
the Hamburg side of Heligoland, steaming home as fast as
possible, with the news that the French ships were close to
the island, and that a real blockade ha,d,Been effected. As
the Sentinel passed the fleet the cruiser was overhauling a
screw collier, bound inwards. Great animation prevailed
on the decks of the ironclads, but whether the moving
figures were soldiers or sailors, those on board the Sen-
tinel could not discover. At a meeting of the Tyne Ship
Insurance Societies, held on Tuesday, a formal resolution
was adopted not to insure vessels to those ports in a state
of blockade, or where the buoys and beacons have been
removed and lights been extinguished.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD RACES.—THIS DAY.
HORSES ARRIVED.
April Morn, Agnes, Adam Bede, Annie Wood, Birdie,
Belladrum, Bonnie Katie, Childe Harold, Calypso,
Chickalery Cove, Conrad Cestus, Delay Deh-con-Te,
Frailty. Colt, Gold Dust filly Gladice, Gipsy, Gnome
King, Grace Darling, Hapallas Hammerton, High Church;
Maid, Merry Monk, Morgan la Faye filly, Miss Sharp,
Miss Fanny filly, M'Sycophant, The Nigger Needle
Gun, Oxygen, Plenipotentiary, Peahen colt, Princess,
Procella, Riga, Rapidan colt, Sister to Cherie, Sour
Grapes, Stockhausen, Seamstress filly, Tartuffe, Theodore,
Tom Ansley, Temple, Thundercloud, Threatener, Wamba,
Clotilde f., Clytemnestra, Dentelle, Kettlewell, Lord
Berkeley, La, Sorrentina.
LATEST SCRATCHINGS.
Out of all engagements here.—Disguise, Rifleman, Gong
f., Robert it Diavolo, Westward Ho, Lapagarr.
Port Meadow Plate.—Dentelle.
Middleton Nursery Handicap.—Light Wine.

STOCKTON MEETING.—WEDNESDAY.
The Trial Stakes. One mile.
Mr W Osborne's Star and Garter, by Crater—Medal,
3 yrs, Tat 111 b (2300)
Mr J. Vass's Mansfield, 3 yrs, 7st 91b (2200) ..... . (Hunt) 2
Mr A. S. Brigg's Snowflake, 2 yrs, 6st 21b (2200) 3
Morphia also ran. Won in a canter by ten lengths
The Cleveland Stakes. T.Y.C.
Mr P. J. Jackson's Caradoc, by Caractacus—Flower
Safety, Bst 101 b (Hudson) 1
Mr W Coweyii Lady Langden, Bst 71b (Snowden) 2
Mr A. de Montgomery's Mdlle. de Mailloc, Bst 71b
(T. Chaloner) 3
Lady Di, Lord Hawthorndale, Brigand Chief, The
Dwarf also ran. Won cleverly by half a length.
The Stockton Tradesmen's Handicap. Two miles.
`Mr James Hope's Enterprise, by Adventurer—Vimiera
3 yrs, et 41b (M`Ewan 1
Mr S. Murland's Badinage, 3 yrs, 6st 101 b , (W. Gray 2
Mr J. Johnstone's Good Hope, 4 yrs, Bst 111b(Osborne) 3
Won in a canter by a length.
The Harry Fowler Stakes. T.Y.C. from the Red Post.
Mr T.P. Hope's East Coast, by Mildew—Vega, 4 yrs,
Bst 31b (Snowden) 1
Mr W. A. Baker's Prior, 4 yrs, Bst 71b (Vinell) 2
Mr G. Silversides' Promptress, 3 yrs, 7st 81b...(Dorrity) 3
Scottish Rose, and Canon also ran. Won by a head.
Second Year of the Thirteenth Zetland Biennial Stakes.
One mile and a half.
Mr Launde's Agility, by Adventurer •
Adventurer, Mandragora, 9st
11b (in. 81b ex.) (Osborne) 1
Mr A. De Montgomery's La Risle, Bst lib (T (Chaloner) 2
Lord Zetland's Falkland, 9st 41b 81b ex.) (Snowden) 3
Alhambra and Silverband also ran. Won by three
parts of a length.
The South Stockton Selling Stakes. T.Y.C.
Mr W. Cowen's Annie Stewart, by the Marquis—Rubra,
5 yrs, 9st 71b (240)
Mr. Brown's Callipm' 3 yrs, Bst 51b (40) ...... (Martin) 2
Mr, Hunter's Hugo, 3 yrs, Bst 31b (240) ..... . (Lawrence) 3
Aurora, Rapolano, Bonita, and Lady Temple also ran.
Won by three lengths.
The Town Plate. Half a mile (straight ih).
Lord Durham's Alhambra, by Newminster—Jung Frau,
3 yrs, 7st
Mr. C. Troter, jun-'s, Saratoga, 3 yrs, Bst 71b Osborne) 2
Mr C. Silverside's Produce, 4 yrs, 7st 61b (Dorrity) 3
Simplon, Scottish Rose, Alice, Leoville, Official As-
signee, Viscountess, Maraquita, and Jamaica also ran.
Won, after a good race by a neck.
BETTING ON THE COURSE.
EBOR HANDICAP.
Bto 1 agst Myosotis (taken)
9to 1 agst Torreador (taken)

BROMLEY RACFS.—WEDNESDAY.
Stand Plate. About six furlongs.
Mr Lawrence's Miss Thackeray, by Vengeance, or Ather-
stone—Becky Sharpe, 4 yrs, Bst 121 b ...(Sherrington) 1
Mr G. Clement's Maggie, 4 yrs, 7st 101 b (car 7st. 111 b)
(Owner) 2
Mr T. P. Pearson's Lavandiere, 3 yrs, Bst 121 b (White) 3
Mr J. Green's g, by Ruby, dam's pedigree unknown, 5
yrs, 7st 101 b...........
Won by a neck.
Welter Stakes. One mile and a distance.
Mr C. Rupert's Brennus, by Voltigeur—Sweetbriar, 4
yrs, llst
Mr A. Yate's Ring, 3 yrs, 9st 91b (Mr Crawshaw) 2
Won in a common canter by four lengths.
A Plate of 40 sovs. About five furlongs.
Mr A Poole's Emily, by Cape Flyaway—Sister to Staf-
ford, 4 yrs, Bst 111 b (car Bst 131 b) (Owner) 1
Mr F. E. James's The Coleroon, 2 yrs, Est 111 b
(Newhouse) 3
Mr Nightingall's Grand Falconer, 3 yrs, Bst 71b
(White) 3
Chateau la Rose, Lavandiere, Blackthorn gelding also
ran. Won by two lengths.
Bromley Summer Handicap. Nearly one mile and a half.
Mr H. Wright's Little Fairy, by Wamba,—Columbine,
3 yrs, sst 121 b
Mr Ra:s Cawdor, 5 yrs, 7st 121 b (Killick) 2
Mr C. Rupert's f, by Lord Clifden—Maid of Derwent,
3 yrs, 6st 71b
Won in the commonest of canters by two lengths.
Beckenham Plate. About five furlongs.
Mr, Lawrence's Miss Thackeray, 4 yrs, 7st 121 b (inc
71b ex)
.Mr T. Goddard's Valentine, 3 yrs, 6stl2lb (F. Lynham) 2
Mr London's Juanita,. 4 yrs, 7st 71b (Payne) 3
Satellite and Election also ran. Won after a splendid
race by half a length.
Railway Plate. About six furlongs.
Mr H. Wright's c by Master Bagot—lnfanta, 2 yrs,
6st 51b (Newhouse) 1
Mr Donaldson's Desert, 3 yrs, Bst
Satinstone also ran. Won in a canter by two lengths.

LICHFIELD RACES.—WEDNESDAY.
The Beaudesert Welter Cup. One mile.
Captaiu Atkins' The Boy, 3 yrs, list 11b (inc 71b ex)
Mr. Bevil 1
Mr. Bentley's Weather Isle, 5 yrs, 11st 71b (Mr.
Bentley) 2
Sir E. Buckley's Surprise, 3 yrs, 9st 101 b (inc. 51b ex)
• (Britton) 3
_ .

Sensation also ran. Won by three-quarters of a
length.
_ The Copeland Nursery Plate.

Mr. Beverley's Australia, by Y. Melbourne—Miss
Penhill, Bst 121 b (in 71b ex) (Maidment) 1
Mr. H. May's My Queen, 7st (A. May) 2
Mr. Beverley's Rataplan—Visionary, 7st 81b ex)
(Gradwell) 3
Elton, the Chance Shot filly, and Rhapsody also ran.
Won by a length.
The Lichfield Cup. Six furlongs.
Mr Beverley's Flyaway Jack, 3 yrs, 7st 41b (in 71b ex)
(Gradwell) 0
Mr H. May's Jersey, 3 yrs, 7st 31b (in 71b ex)
(F. Webb) 0
Mr T. Eskrett's Ceres, 3 yrs, sst 101 b (West) 3
Mr. J. T. Raworth's Edinburgh, aged, Bst llb (Britton) 4

A dead heat.
Her .Majesty's Plate. Two miles.
Sir Joseph Hawley's Siderolite, by Asteroid—Aphro-
dite, 9st 711) .. .... (Wells) 1
Sir E. Buckley's Award, Bst 51b (Britton) 2
Won by six lengths.

Handicap Plate, half a mile.
Mr. Elkin's Leases, by Rapparee—Phantom Sail, 6 yrs,
9st ............. . ............................................ Wyatt 1
Mr. H. May's Wanderer, 2yrs,7st
Mi. Trevor's Lady Lucan, aged, 7st 71b Gradwell 3
Botheration and The Miller also ran. Won by a length.
Welter Handicap, three-quarters of a mile.
Mr. Elkin's Leases, 6 yrs, 12st 71b (includingillb extra)
Wyatt 1
Mr. Bently's Weather Isle,.syrs, 12st 71b, Mr. Bentley 2
Mr. Bentley's Topsy, 4yrs, lOst 121 b Lord H. Paget 3
Lady Lucan also ran. Won easily by a length.
The Welter Plate, two miles.
Mr. F. Bartley's Cinderella, by Tim Whiffler, out of
Maud, 3yrs, 9st 111 b Mr. H. Brown 1
Mr. Geldard's Slingsby, late Dick, 4 yrs, 10st 101 b
Mr. G. Spence 2
Mr. Moon's Old Fashion, syrs, 10st 91b ... Mr. Goodwin 3
Gunboat also ran. Won hard by a length. The winner
was objected to for being in a training stable, and the
matter remains in abeyance. Early in the day Eyesfront,
Comedian, and Ajax, were disqualified by Lord H. Paget
and Mr. Chadwick.
BETTING ON THE COURSE.
EBOR HANDICAP.
100 to 15 agst Myosotis (taken and offered)

LATEST BETTING AT THE WEST END.
WEDNESDAY, Midnight.
The only change worthy of record on the Ebor Handi-
cap was that 10 to 1 might have been had about Mysotis
(5 years) and Cherie. Myosotis, Ploughboy,. as also Tor-
reador, were perhaps the most favoured animals during
the evening. So few being left in town nothing transpired
on to-morrow's racing, although several animals would
have been backed with a market. Prices :

ST. LEGER.
100 to 6 agst Normanby (taken).
35 to 1 agst Champion (taken).

CITY BETTING—WEDNESDAY.
EBOIt HANDICAP.
7to 1 agst Myosotis (taken)
7to 1 agst Lord Hawthorn (offered-8 to 1 taken
freely)
7 to 1 agst Mysotis (offered—take 8 to 1)
9to 1 agst Blandford (offered—take 10 to 1)
12 to 1 agst Cherie (taken)
100 to 8 agst Torreador (taken)
20 to 1 agst Ploughboy (taken)
20 to 1 agst Sagittarius (taken)
350 to 100 agst Myosotis and Mysotis coupled (taken)
6to 1 agst Blandford with a start (taken)
400 to 50 agst Cherie with a start (taken)
PLACE BETTING.
sto 2 agst Lord Hawthorn (offered)

BELTING AT MANCHESTER—WEDNESDAY.
GREAT EBOR HANDICAP.
7to 1 agst Myosotis (taken)
Bto 1 agst Lord Hawthorn (offered)
8 to 1 agst Torreador (taken and offered)
10 to 1 agst Mysotis (taken and offered)
10 to 1 agst Cherie (taken and offered)
100 to 9 agst Blandford (offered)
ST. LEGER.
2to 1 agst Kingcraft (offered)
600 to 100 agst Palmerston (taken)
100 to 8 agst Sunlight (taken)
60 to 6 agst Muster (taken)