The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-31 00:00:00

THE PAPAL ZOUAVES.

Charles Gordon, of Drimnin, Argyleshire,
in a letter to a contemporary, dated August
24, says
was surprised to find on my return
from Rome an opinion generally prevailing in
England that our Zouaves were in a very des-
titute state, almost as bad as our own troops
were at one time in the Crimea.

This is a misconception. At the period of
the battle of Mentana, and for some time after,
those who went out had of course difficulties,
delays, and privations to encounter—all the
harder for those who came late that there was
no fighting or excitement to compensate for
it. It could not well be otherwise, unless the
Holy Father had possessed miraculous powers
of creatinc, resources. Not to mention the
French, the corps of Zouaves, alone, doubled
in number from the crowds of recruits that
poured in from all nations, when it was feared
from the hesitation of the French Emperor
that the treachery of Castelfidardo was to be
re-enacted. Those especially who had to wait
along time in depot needed at that period a
stock of patience. Now, however, everything
is in working order, our men are all out of de-
pot and in the Campania. The Papal Defence
Fund Committee in London have taken mea-
sures, so that the life of the Zouave is not only
tolerable but comfortable. They have increased
the pay of those who required it, and provided
them with tobacco free of cost. They have
also established a library which serves as a
club, and which has proved a great boon in
many ways. The diet and pay of the Zouave is
superior to that of most Continental armies,
but, of course, our labouring men, accustomed
to the high pressure system of heavy feeding
and hard work, such as is nowhere practised
on the continent, find a difficulty at first in
accustoming themselves to it. Moreover, the 1
other nations in the Zouaves have had advan-
tages over our men in being furnished with
funds to obtain coffee, wine and other things
which are really necessities in the foreign
method of living. Until the committee, by in-
creasing their pay, enabled them to obtain
these, our men were at a disadvantage. It is
to be hoped that those who have not the leisure
to volunteer, will assist the Papal Defence
Fund Committee in making the condition of
those who have done so as comfortable as pos-
sible. Of all the noble spirits who are at pre-
sent banded for the defence of the Holy Father,
none have made such sacrifices as our British
working-men. They had large wages at home,
at Rome every five days see them in posses-
sion of only sevenpence of pay. Yet, one of
these men earned as much as three pounds a
week at home. Another gave up a pension
of eightpence a day, besides what he could
earn, and he is still young. The Continental,
on the contrary, makes an exchange for the
better. He is better clothed, better fed, better
housed than at his own home. Moreover,
he has chance of promotion, and he leaves
his country and returns to it amid the applause
of his neighbours, who look upon him as a hero.
Our poor fellows have no hope of promotion,
from the difficulty of acquiring French. They
left amidst the jeers if not the curses of their
fellow workmen, and far from looking for an
ovation on their return, will be too glad, when
the Holy Father has no further needlor their
services, to go back to the workshop they left,
and find that their old employment is not re-
fused to them.

As for gentlemen Zouaves with money,
the sacrifice, except that of the will, unavoid-
able in the military life, is nothing. They can
spend a good part of their time agreeably
enough. The wonder is that more of that
class have not gone to Rome. When duty
calls the rumour of hardship and danger is
an incentive to our hardy race. At present
there is neither the one nor the other, but
doubtless if war broke out, which must happen
before many months, there will be a share of
both. As for those who have only their stout
hearts and arms to offer to the Holy Father,
they may rest assured that they will get better
treatment in his small and gallant army than
in any in Europe. Their countrymen at home,
now that they know what is required, will assist
the Papal Defence Fund Committee in London
in carrying out its present work, in providing
rifles and taking care of those who handle them.

Ike Keefer, of Birmingham, England, a well-
known pedestrian, has accept3d the challenge of James
Miles, the champion of California. and Australia, to walk
a match of ono hundred consecutive hours, neither party
during that period to have rest or sleep. The stakes are
$5OO a side, and the match was to come off on the 18th
instant. Ike Keefer tried this feat last winter in Birming-
ham, but failed to perform it.
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