The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-18 00:00:00

THE

ESCAPE OF ikIADAME ROSSUTII.
EXTRAORDINARY NARRATIVE.
The following extraordinary and authentic narra-
tive of the circumstances under which Madame Kos-
suth escaped from the men-bloodhounds of Austria,
who were in pursuit of her, will be read at the present
moment, when that lady is among us, with profound
interest. We are indebted for it to one of the New
York journals :
During the month of August, 1848, the President-
Governor of Hungary, Louis Kossuth, with the
principal officers of his provisional government, were
in the fortified town of Arad, on the river Maroseb.
Between that place and the town of Zegadin, on the
Tisch, in the vicinity of Arad, Gorgey, with the
Hungarian troops under his command, lay en-
camped ; while behind him, towards the Tisch, was
the Russian army of reserve, under Paskiewitch.
Dembinski, with his men, besieged Temeswar, and
he had already carried its third wall. Between him
and the Tisch lay the united Austro-Russian forces.
The army of Bern had been defeated at Herman-
atadt, by the Russian general Luders, and he had
fled, with a small band of faithful followers, towards
Temeswar.
With this position of the combatants, the plan of
Dembinski was to unite with Gorgey, near Arad, and
then to attack the Russian forces. Before this was et-
fected, news reached him of the capitulation of Gorgey,
and that the Governor, M. Kossuth, had been com-
pelled to forsake Arad, and retire to the town of
Vilagos. Before leaving Arad, the Governor sepa-
rated foom his wife and children, and their parting
scene is said to have been one of the most touching
nature. Under the circumstances of the moment, it
was subject of even more than doubt whether they
would ever again meet on earth. It was only
when a young Hungarian nobleman, named Ash-
bot, now in exile in Kutayiah with M. Kossuth, so-
lemnly swore to his wife that he would never leave
her husband, that Madame Kossuth consented to be
separated from him, and seek safety in flight. The
children were confided to the care of a private secre-
tary of the Governor, and this individual subsequently
delivered them up to the tender mercies of Haynau,
for the purpose of securing his own pardon and safety,
The children set out before their mother, and the
latter, in her flight, endeavoured to keep so near to
them as to hear now and then of their safety.
Madame Kossuth sought out a brother of hers,
residing in the town of Vilagos, and he is now im-
prisoned in the fortress of Comorn, with many others
of the unfortunate Hungarian patriots, for 18 years,
on account of the succour which he then gave to his
sister. Leaving him, she next went in search of her
children, and wandered to a pesta or farmhouse, of
Boeksak, belonging to a relative. There she fell ill
of a typhus fever, which nearly ended her life ; and
when so far recovered as to be able again to travel, she
continued her journey in search of her children. She
soon learned that they had been given up by their
protector to the Austrian General Haynau, and taken
to Pesth. Her own safety depended wholly upon the
fidelity of the Hungarian peasants, and on their at-
tachment to her husband.
Now, having no other object in view than her own
safety,! without friends better off than herself, she
soon became reduced to a state of complete destitu-
tion. In disguise, she wandered over the most miser-
able part of Hungary. She even, as a means of safety
as well as support, sought for service as a servant, and
by telling that she was a poor woman, who had just
been discharged from a public hospital—which,
indeed, she very much resembled—was so fortu-
nate as to find employment in the family of a humble
carpenter, in the town of Orash Haya, who little
thought he was served by the lady of Louis Kos-
suth, the late Governor of Hungary. Every where
notices were exposed in the streets offering forty
thousands florins for her capture, and proclaiming
death as the punishment of the person who should
dare to harbour or conceal her from the authorities.
Among the persons who fled with M. Kossuth be-
fore the overwhelming number of his enemies, was an
elderly lady, whom it is necessary to designate as
Madame L—, and who, from being unable to ride
as fast and as long as those who were stronger and
younger than herself, soon became exhausted and was
left behind. She had a son, a major in the Hunga-
rian army, near the person of the Governor, and both
the son and the mother were warmly attached to his
interests. Madame L—, when unable to proceed
longer with the fugitives, in order to reach a place of
safety in the dominions of the Sultan of Turkey, de-
termined to remain in Hungary, and devote herself to
the finding of Madame Kossuth, and restoring her to
her husband.
For this benevolent ipurpose, Madame L—, dis-
guised herself as a beggar; and after a long and
weary journey, oftener on foot than in any convey-
ance, she crossed the Test sandy plains of Southern
Hungary, and at length reached the place in which
Kosauth's children were, but could hear nothing of
their mother.
She learned that the children had been sent, soon
after their mother had lost sight of them, to the bouse
of General G--, now in the service of the Sultan
in Syria, to be kept with his own three children,
hoping that they would thus be screened from those
who sought after them. The eldest named Louis, after
his father, was seven years of age, and all were told that,
they acknowledged they were the children of the
Governor, they would be imprisoned by the Austrians,
and never see their parents again. So that when an
Austrian officer traced them to the house of General
G--, he was at a loss to know which of the children
were those of General G--, and which those of M.
Kossuth ; and, approaching the eldest of the latter, he
said—" So, my little man, you are the son of the
Governor ?"
To which the youth replied, " I am not, sir."
His firmness surprised and vexed the officer, who
was certain, from the statement of their betrayer, that
these before him were the lost treasure of his ambi-
tious search. He now endeavoured to frighten the
children, and, drawing a pistol, directed it to the
breast of the boy, and said that if he did not at once
acknowledge that he was the son of Kossuth he would
put a ball through his heart. Young Louis, who, it
is said, shows himself, now in exile at Kutayiah, much
of the character of hi 3 father, replied in a tone equally
firm—
" I tell you, sir, I am not the son of Kossuth."
The officer, baffled by the child's simplicity of
manner and apparent sincerity, was divested of his
convictions, and led to believe that he had been im•
posed upon.
But before Madame L— could get near them,
other agents of the Austrian Government had
been more successful, and the three children had
been caried off in secret to Pesti), near the
clutches of the butcher Haynau. The mother and
sister of M. Kossuth had also been captured, and
placed in strict confinement. It may be here men-
tioned in this little narrative of the sufferings and de-
liverance of the relatives of Louis Kossuth, that
Madame L--, on finding where and how her
children were situated, found out her own maid-ser-
vant, and so succeeded as to have her engaged at
Pesth as their nurse. This person never left them
until the moment of their final deliverance from their
Austrian gaolers was arrived. After thus having
provided for the welfare of the children of M. Kos-
suth, Madame L---- renewed her search for their
destitute and suffering mother.
Finding no trace of her, Madame L— deter-
mined to follow the fugitives, and if she reached
Widdin, to ascertain from Al. Kossuth himself where
his poor wife had gone, and then return in search of
her. Continuing in the disguise of a beggar, some-
times on foot, at others in a farmer's cart, this heroic
woman reached the frontiers of Hungary, and, crossing
them, entered the foctified and walled town of Widdin,
where the late Governor of Hungary and his brave
unfortunate companions were, enjoying the protection
and hospitality of the Sultan of Turkey. Madame
Is— applied to M. Kossuth, but not being known
to him personally, and the 'Austrian General having
set so high a price on the capture of his wife, he at
first regarded her in the light of an Austrian spy.
Having, however, soon found her son, who had fol-
lowed the Governor into Turkey, he readily con-
vinced M. Kossuth of the identity of his mother.
All the information which M. Kossuth could give
her was, that there was a lady in Hungary, in whose
house he believed his wife would seek a refuge ; and
if she was not still there, this lady would most
probably know where she was.
The Governor now furnished Madame L— with
a letter to this lady, and another with his own signet-
ring for his wife, which would be evidence of her
fidelity. It is not here necessary to follow Madame
L--- on her toilsome
journey. Devoted to the
workphilanthropic which
reachingshehiclith
he undertaken,littadletownin
she wandered over th
sandy steppes of Hungary,
until she succeeded %e
which the lady resided, and delivered to her M. Kos-
auth'srs_
ot immediately burned
it, not daring even to allow
letter. This she read and nie
possession. 'the lady informed M exist in her
e nd
iacdaanmt e
abd-- - -
that the wife of Governor Kossuth had leftn heri
residence in the guise of a m
tended assuming the name of Martha Isn;
that she was to feign herself to be the widow of g
soldier who had fallen in battle, and that if possible,
she would go to the very centre of Hungary, in those
vast pasture lands where she hoped no one would seek
after her.
With this information, Madame L-- again re-
sumed her journey. She feigned to be an aged grand•
mother, whose grandson was missing, and that she
was in search of him. She made many narrow
escapes while passing guards, soldiers, and spies ;
at length she reached the plains before mentioned.
She went from house to house, as if in search of her
grandson, but in reality to find one who would answer
the description given of poor Maria F—a. At
length in a cabin she heard that name mentioned,
and on inquiry who and what the person was,
learned that she was the widow of a Hungarian
soldier, who had fallen in battle, and that she
bad a child, who was with its grand parents. They

SUN,

LONDON,

then described her person, but added that she had
suffered so much from illness and grief, that she was
greatly changed. " Before she came here," said the
speaker, "she worked fur her bread, even when ill ;
but after her arrival, she became too much indisposed
to labour, on account of which they sent to the Sisters
of Charity for a physician, who came, bled and blis-
tered her; when she was able to go, she had been
conveyed to the institution of the Sisters, where she
then was." Madame L-, feeling that the poor
sufferer must be none other than the object of her
search, expressed a desire to visit her.
At the Sisters of Charity Madame L- had much
difficulty in procuring access to Maria; and the latter
was much opposed to receiving her. At length Ma-
dame L- told the Sisters to inform her that she had
a message to her from her husband, who was not
dead, as she bad supposed, and that she would soon
convince her, if she would permit her to enter. Poor
Maria, between fear and hope,-gave her consent, and
Madame L- was allowed to see her. Madame
L- handed her the letter of Governor Kossuth.

She recognised at once the writing ; kissed it ;
pressed it to her heart, devoured its contents, and then
destroyed it immediately. Soon a story was made
up between the two females ; they told the Sisters of
Charity that Maria's husband " still lived," and that
she would rejoin them. A little waggon was pro-
cured; as many comforts were put in it as could be
had without suspicion, and these two interesting
women set out on their escape from the enemies of
their country.
Madame L--- had a relative in Hungary who had
not been compromised in the war; so this person ar-
ranged to meet the ladies at a given place, and in the
character of a merchant, travel with them. After
they had left the pasture grounds, he passed as the
husband of " Maria," and the elder female as his aunt.
At night they stopped at a village and were suspected,
on account of the females occupying the bed, while
he slept at the door. They started early in the
morning, and the " husband" remained behind
to learn something more of the suspicions to which
their conduct had given rise. He again overtook
them, as they stopped to feed their horse, and bade
them to be greatly on their guard.
In the evening, while the two ladies were sitting
together in a miserably cold room, the face of
poor Maria so muffled up as to conceal her
features, and induce the belief that she was
suffering from her teeth, both appearing
much as persons in great poverty, overcome by her
afflictions, Maria had a nervous attack, and talked
and laughed so loud, that her voice was recognised by
an Austrian officer who happened to be in the house.
This person sent a servant to ask them to come into
his room, where there was a fire. Madame L-
inquired the name of the " good gentleman" who
bad the kindness to invite them to his room, and,
when she heard it, Maria recognised in him a
deadly enemy of her husband. While they were
planning the means of evading him, the officer came
himself into their apartment. Immediately arising,
they made an humble courtesy in so awkward a
manner as to divest him of all suspicion. Madame
L- spoke, and thanked him again and again for
his kindness, but added, that such poor creatures as
they were not fit to go into his room. So soon as
the officer retired, Maria had another attack, which
would certainly have betrayed them, had he been pre-
sent. Madame L- implored her to be composed,
or they would be lost.
Starting again, they; were not molested until in
the evening, when they were apprehended and con-
ducted by two policemen before a magistrate. There
the former spoke of them as suspicious characters,
but they were not told of what they were sus-
pected. While the examination was going on,
Madame L- slipped a bank-note into the hand
of the superior of the two policemen. This bribe
quite changed the affair • the men became their
friends, excited the pity of the magistrates in their
favour, and they were allowed to depart. Thus they
went on from station to station, until they reached
the frontiers of Hungary, near the Danube. They
entered the little town of Saubin and asked permis-
sion of the head of the police to pass over the river
to Belgrade. This was refused, until they said they
wished to go there for a certain medicine for a
daughter who was ill, and that they would leave their
passports as a security. He then gave his consent,
and they crossed the Danube, and entered the domi-
nions of the Sultan of Turkey.
It was night when they entered Belgrade. They
knocked at the door of the Sardinian Consul, who had
recently been stationed in that frontier town by his
King, whose whole heart sympathised in the Hun-
garian cause, and who had formed a friendly alliance
with M. Kossuth for the freedom of Italy and Hun-
gary. The Consul had been advised by M. Kossuth
that two females would probably seek his protection,
but not knowing them, he inquired what they wished
of him? Madame L replied, "Lodging and
bread." He invited them in, and Madame L--
introineed him to Madame Kossuth, the lady of the
late Governor of Hungary.
It will readily be perceived that the Consul could
scarcely believe that these two miserable beings were
the persons they represented themselves to be. Ma-
dame Kossuth convinced him by showing him the
signet-ring of her husband. In his house Madame
Kossuth fell ill, but received every possible kindness
from her host. They learned that all the Hungarians
and Poles had been removed from Widdin to Shumla;
and, notwithstanding that it was in the midst of a
severe winter, they decided upon proceeding at once
to the latter place. The Sardinian Consul applied to
the generous and very liberal Prince of Servia, in
whose principality Belgrade is, for his assistance in
behalf of the ladies, and in the most hospitable and
fearless manner be provided them with his own car-
rriage and four horses, and an escort, and in this way
they started through the snow for Shumla. Their
journey was without any apprehension of danger,
tor the British Consul-General at Belgrade,
Mr. had provided the party with a
passport as British subjects, under the assumed
names of Mr., Mrs., and Miss Bloomfield ;
yet the severity of the weather was such that Madame
Kossuth, in the ill state of her health, suffered very
much. Often the snow was as deep as the breasts of
the horses, and not unfrequently, four oxen bad to
be attached to the carriage is their places. A journey
which, in summer, would have required but a few
days, now was made in twenty-eight.
On the twenty-eighth day a courier was sent in ad-
vance of them to apprise Governor Kossuth of their
approach. He was ill ; and, moreover, on account of
the many plans of the Austrians to assassinate him,
the Sultan's authorities could not allow him to leave
Shumla, and go to meet his wife. The news of
her deliverance, and her approach occasioned
the liveliest satisfaction to all the refugees ;
the Hungarians and Poles went as far as the
gates of the city to meet this heroic martyr of the
cause of Hungary. It was night when the carriage
neared the city ; as it entered the gates she found the
streets lighted up with hundreds of lights, green,
white, and red, the colours of the Hungarian flag,
and was welcomed with the most friendly shouts
from the whole body of the refugees.
When Madame Kossuth descended from her car-
riage, she found herself in the presence of her hus-
band, who had risen from his bed of illness to receive
the poor " Maria F- " of the plains of Hungary.
In place of receiving her in his arms, M. Kossuth,
overcome by feelings of admiration for the sufferings
which his wife had undergone, and by gratitude
fur her devotion to the cause of her country, threw
himself at her feet and kissed them. She endeavoured
to speak and offer her husband consolation and tran-
quillity, while her own poor feeble heart was ready
to burst with emotion. Her voice failed her, and
amid the reiterated shouts of the Hungarians and
Poles, this heroic woman was carried to her husband's
apartments.

GOLD DIGGINGS IN AUSTRALIA.
By the last accounts received w© learn that lumps in
one hole, weighing altogether 1061 b. had been dis-
covered, which were sold to Messrs. Thacker and Daniell
for 4,1601. With regard to the details of the state of
business and of mining operations, the following ex-
tracts of letters will furnish the best information. The
first is from Messrs. Young and Co., dated the 16th of
August:—
"Everyday brings forth new treasures. The winter
being nearly at an end, the western road is crowded
again with thousands of pilgrims to Ophir and Tofola,
attracted by the riches laid open to the world. At Ophir
the diggers have been greatly hindered in their opera-
tions by the rise of the waters; but at the Turon the
general success far exceeds all credit. I received a letter
from Macquoid the other day, in which he says, , ' These
diggings are far richer, I think, than you or the people in
Sydney are at present aware of. I walked up and down
conversedthe ri verwith appeared
doinghours,w
and everyl
by
stood onel
and saw a great deal of gold collected from the
different cradles; one party (Hall's) within the last
three weeks has collected upwards of 1,6004 ;
and when I yesterday, at three r.m., was talk-
ing to Mr. Hall, and asked him what had been his
luck during the day, he took out of his pocket a bag
containing 21b. of gold, which he had procured before
dinner. In thus instancing Mr. Hall's luck I do not
mean you to understand that it is common, because, so
far from this being the case, I believe he has been the
mbhapmryai oaesr ant
doing
s wooof
oiofnnfrmagt
stuhei
Ipwnataanarerreslt
ti l e individual as yet upon the river. Never-
y:,
Useless, all the others who are working alongside of him
uncommon.'
aaorn
nnf c
ddo
peoplemi
threehn
mas e t
t,ae
nnha. pc,
had
e dee i n
mmol t i :yak
deol
cuewf
oc
si goks
ooke
131 . di
hmi .
ani s l
doing
aaOar n
bt
ort well.
oh tt ehh
fortnight osr t- hafi
Orenor!err.
at Oakey Creek, a tributary of the Turon
; law working
and he and his party of 11 have for some time been'
raising their 7 oz. per man per day, or nearly 241. ster-
ling in value. This is the Arabian Nights over again.
The Government send down an armed escort with the
snail once a-week, and the lest few days they have had
over 10,0001. worth weekly, besides which a great deal
has come through the Post office and by private oppor- ,
tunities; so that probably the quantity at present re-
ceived weekly is not far short of 20,000/. The last ship,
the Boadicea, which 'ailed thia day week for Lcubp,