The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

THE CHRISTMAS FARE INSIDE.

• Little tins of foies gran, about the size of an old-
fashioned snuff-box, are marked from 4 to 8 francs, and
the smallest path is worth nearly the same money. A
truffled turkey at the present time would certainly be sold
for £5 at least. A fine one, filled with the truffles, is
worth about forty francs at ordinary times. 'To give
an idea of the prices of pork-butchers' delicacies,
I may mention that Lyons sausage is worth ten
shillings a pound, or three times the usual price. To
meet this state of things a requisition has been issued, and
declarations required to be made of all kinds pf salt pork,
ham, &c., and preparations of chareuterie of all kinds
whatsoever; the prices to be fixed by two arbitrators.
The working classes in Paris eat little else than soup,
bread, and wine, at any time, and I question whether
many of them do not sell or barter the bits of meat they
get to their richer neighbours.—Correspondent' of Food
Journal.

The new decree ordering the expulsion of the Germans
from Boulogne is being very rigorously carried out ; those
even who have lived there for twenty or thirty years have
received notice to quit, and cannot obtain grace.
The Independance Beige states that two important
seizures of arms intended for France were made this week
on the southern frontier. On Sunday, at Howardries,
108 chassepots with sword bayonets were seized, valued at
o,lBof. and on Tuesday, at Blandain, 18,000 f. worth of
muskets of old pattern were also taken.
Multitudes of fresh French troops are being sent for-
ward from the west to General Chanzy. They, are not,
however, described in very flattering terms by writers who
have seen them. "There were thousands of them, hardly
one had a great coat, and many had boots out at the toes,
and all looked very miserable."
The new balloon cannon invented by Krupp has
recently been tried at Versailles and found to answer
admirably. It is said that projectiles can be hurled from
this remarkable piece of artillery to a height of 13,000
feet. The easy way in which the gun can be handled and
pointed in any direction proves its especial fitnest for the
particular purpose for which it has beeh constracted.

A number of letters have been found on the dead
Prussians, and in the possession of the Prussian prisoners.
In all the writers express their regrets at not being able to
celebrate Christmas in the midsty of their families.. In
one letter, which was found on a dead lieutenant, a curious
passage occurred. The writer said that the worst of it
was when the present frightful war was over, there wculd
be 'a still more dreadful struggle to get through, but there
was no indication as to which war he referred.

The greater part of the historical families of France are
represented in the Army of the Loire, and they have dis-
tinguished themselves greatly in the fights that have taken
place. The young Duke of Lugues was killed when
fighting valiantly at the head of his company, and his
brother, the Duke of Cheureuse, was seriously wounded.
M. de Chatelineau is always in the first rank of the com-
batants. M. Montalembert, nephew .of the celebrated
orator, is also in the Loire Army.
An order has been posted at St. Germain en Laye for-
bidding the inhabitants to leave their houses for more
than two hours during the day, and ordering them when
out to salute the Prussian officers they meet. This has
been issued because the population left their houses
during the whole day to, avoid coming in contact with
their unwelcome visitors and deserted the cafes directly
the Prussians entered them, turning their heads away in
the streets when they met Prussians, and grouping to-
gether in the public places of resort.
The Castle at Versailles is used as a lazaretto, which
accommodates from 200 to 300 wounded. Even the
" Salle des Batailles " is used as a store-room, where,
amongst other things, sewing machines are at work,
forming a strange contrast with the glorious battle
pictures of Horace Vernet and Yvon. The " Salle des
Glaces," the most magnificent part of the palace, with all
the adjoining suite of gorgeous apartmEnts, alone remains
undisturbed, and is reserved for the occasion of the
homage of the German princes to the new Emperor of
GOrmany.
The commandant of Phalsbourg, according to a Stras-
burg letter in the Carlsruke Gazette, offered to capitulate
on the 11th on condition of marching out with arms and
baggage. This was, of course rejected. Fourteen
Mobiles deserted from the fortress that day. The smoke
of powder which• ascended every evening from the place
evidently indicated that a surrender was imminent, and
that the stores of gunpowder were being gradually burnt,
in order that they might not fall into the hands of the
enemy. The commandant had been inquiring in the
suburb for provisions. On the 12th, the virgin fortress
which was designed by Vauban capitulated.
A writer to the Paris Soir says that in the recent
engagements outside Paris a Prussian battery fired unre-
mittingly on the French troops and mowed down the men.
Five times the Zouaves advanced to take it, five times
they were repulsed. At last the officer gave orders: to
sound the retreat. An old Zouave pushed forward-from
the ranks and said, " Pardon, mon offieier, but if we
retreat like this, they will say we are cowards." The
officer looked at his men, and changed the order•into " Eri
avant." This time the point was gained the artillery men
were killed at their posts, and the battery captured. A
few days after the writer visited the wounded
at Fontenay-sous-Bois, and found the old Zouave
and his officer in the same room. The soldier
was triumphant, and was demonstrating to the officer
that it was always possible to take cannons with the
bayonet. " And you would take them again ?" asked the
visitor. "Certainly I would," said the old man, "only
you must first give me back a leg." He had been
wounded in the action and had suffered amputation in
c ansequence.

Tait GERMAN LOIRE ARMY.—According to the
high authority of Captain Hozier, the number of German
troops with which Prince Frederick Charles won his nu-
merous victories on the Loire was considerably inferior in
strength to the French host. The Army of the Grand
Duke of Mecklenburg was formed of the 17th 22nd,
and lit Bavarian Divisions. The 17th and the 22nd
numbered about 10,000 bayonets each, a and the
strength of the Bavarian division was half as
much again, or, in round numbers, 15,000. Thus, the
Grand Duke could dispose of 35,000 infantry.. The
strength of his artillery is not known with certainty. The
army more immediately under the command of Prince
Frederick Charles, who was at the same time Generalis-
simo, contained three corps d'armde, the 3rd, the 9th,
and the 10th. The 3rd and the 9th were of about
equal strength, each . counting 15,000 bayonets,
whilst the 10th could shew at most but 8,000.
Their tenuity in point of numbers is to be ac-
counted for by 'the double fact, that they were far
from being of their full strength when they left Metz, and
that after quitting Troyes the Prince was obliged to leave
very heavy detachments behind him to guard his com-
munications. In artillery, however, he was very strong.
With the 10th Corps were 72 guns, with the 3rd and 9th,
81 each. The cavalry, too, at his command was most im-
posing. It counted four cavalry divisions, containing 20
regiments, whose joint strength was not far short of 10,000.
Thus, the entire German force was not much short of
90,000, but it was certainly not above it.