The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-06 00:00:00

A VISIT TO PARIS.

The rays has the following curious story :—" As a police
patrol was two nights back going its rounds in the neigh-
bourhood of the Pantheon, it found a man, attired in a
most extraordinary way, lying on a stone bench at a porte-
cochere. His hair had been covered with some clammy
substance, over which copper filings had been sprinkled, so
that it was stiff and brilliant ; feathers had been stuck in it,
to form a sort of diadem; his face was daubed with paint
of different colours; he had on a necklace formed of corks
cut round, and covered with gilt paper; his shirt was
worn over his clothes, and was ornamented with ara-
besques in red paint ; his trowsers were raised so as to
leave his legs bare, and the legs, as also his
neck and hands, were painted of a chocolate colour.
Near him was a bundle containing his stockings,
cravat, coat, &c. He was fast asleep, and, on being
awakened, manifested Vie greatest astonishment at
finding himself in such a place and in such a guise.
Being taken to the nearest guardhouse, and questioned, he
stated that he was a well-to-do farmer in the department of
the Aisne, and had long been tormented with a desire to see
Faris. Having collected a sum of money, he had come to
the capital for the Emperor's fete, and remained there ever
since. The day before he was found so strangely accoutred
he went to the Jardin des Plantes, and sat down on a bench
to rest himself. Shortly after a young man of gentlemanly
appearance, who was reading a book, seated himself by his
side. They got into conversation, and.he related to the
young man what he had seen in Paris, but expressed great
regret that he had not been able to fall in with the Siamese
Ambassadors. " How lucky it is that we have met 1"
cried the young man. " The Ambassadors are
this very evening to visit a naval surgeon of
my acquaintance, who cured their/ Queen of the
hooping cough : and if you like I will take you to his
house 1" The farmer at first hesitated to accept the stran-
ger's offer, but the latter pressed him so courteously that
he consented. An appointment to meet in the evening in
the Place du Pantheon, was made, and both the farmer and
the young man were punctual. The latter led the coun-
tryman up and down several obscure streets, and then en-
tered a house in which there was concierge. In one apart-
ment to which he was introduced the farmer found several
young men drinking and smoking, and he was induced to
drink with them. After a while he was shown through a
hole in the door several persons male and female dressed in
strange costumes, and was told that they were the ambas-
sadors and their wives, but that he could not to be admitted
to them unless he would consent to have certain changes
made in his dress. He at first refused, but at last after
being well plied with wine, submitted. His toilette having
been completed he was introduced to the ambassadors.
They courteously entered into a conversation with him
through an interpreter, and then insisted that he should
partake of their refreshments. What he ate, he said, was
very strange, and what he drank still more so. At last
the Ambassadors notified that they were so pleased with
him that they would decorate him with the Order of the
White Elephant; but they said, that in accordance with
the custom of their country, ho must first chase one of them
down stairs, and succeed in catching him. He math) no
objection, and one of the ambassadors rushed down stairs,
and the farmer pursued. But on reaching the bottom, the
outer door was suddenly opened, and he was pushed out;
the door was then closed on him, and a moment after a
bundle containing the articles of dress ho had taken off was
dropped from a window. He knocked loudly at the door,
but received no reply. He therefore went away and walked
about until overcome with fatigue and the, fumes of drink,
he sat down to rest. He soon fell asleep, and remained so
until found by the police. After he had told this singular
story he was made to count his money. He said that not a
sou had been taken from him. It was thus clear that he
had only been made the victim of a practical hoax, and it is
thought likely that the perpetrators of it were students."