The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-06
THE BOATMAN OF THE LOIRE.

The greatest interest has been excited among
certain class of persons by the investigation
of papers of the rich capitalist who died lately
in Paris, leaving behind him not only an i'm
mense fortune, the greater part of which is to
be distributed in deeds of charity, but also
reputation unstained, name hOnored and
blessed by the poor and needy, to whom he was
indeed friend and benefactOr. 1t appears lat
least thus goes the Paris gossip that the said
individual has kept very curious memoirs of his
life, wherein are preserved the chronicles of all
his transactions with the high mobiles of the
country The numberless occasions wherein
the bearers of the greatest names among the
arstocracy were fan to have recourse to his as
sistance to extricate them from pecuniary en-
barrassment; the correspondence which from
time to time has been going on with every
member of the exiled family of BOurbOns, all
tending to the one soul-absOrbng subject of our
epoch the raising of money are all set forth in
these memoirs, which will be of the most ex-
traordnary interest should the family persist in
causing them to be published. This man, with
the soul of philosopher, the heart of a prince,
was the son of poor boatman who worked the
ferry at Ancenis, on the Loire-a true Vendean
Chouan to the very sOul-and yet by dint of
prudence and circumspection, managed to earn
u living without suspicion on the part of the
sans culOttes all through the Vendean war.
With the steady courage of his race he would
ply the oar the whole day long upon his usual
beat, conveying horses, men. and baggage for
the service of the Rcpublic--belying his princi-
pies not for the sake of gain, but for the OPP
portunity which the occupation bestowed for
serving his friends-the royalist chiefs-and at
night would start forth, under cover of the
darkness, to convey arms and provisions from
one bank to the other, in order to assist the
Vendeans in carrying on the war One night
the bOatman was lying as usual waiting
amongst the reeds which line the shore just
above the passage at Ancenis; his oars were
mufied, and himself closely enveloped from
head to foot for he had received intimation
during the day that family of royalists of
great Importance would cross the river at mid
night, in order to join their party then shut up
in Laval, where they were bent on making their
last stand. 1t was dark and dreary night,
just fitted to favor the escape of the fugitiyes
and the honest boatman was forced to trust to
his ear alone for the announcement of their APP
proach. The night was far advanced ere the
well-known kissing sound, initiative of the
screech owl, the rallying cry of the Chouans,
broke upon the stiffness of the night In u
moment the little black craft cut through the
water with the swiftness of an arrow towards
the spot whence the sound proceeded, and with
out saying a word-for both speed and silence
were necessary in those days-Jean Landrean
proceeded to assist the fugitives on board. The
party consisted of gentleman and lady with
two infant children. The gentleman was stand
ing holding one of the children in his arms,
while the lady was seated on n small chest with
| Al Al. A.. L.
sound of the pdtdche which brought them to the
spot was distinctly hhrd in the distance The
passengers soon were seated in the boat and
the boatman proceeded to lift the chest, but all
his efforts were in vain. The weight of its con-
tents and the imprudence of the lady who had
seated herself with her child upon it while
waiting for the boat caused it to sink so
deep in the mud rs almost to disappear among
the reeds, and it became evident at once that it
would be impossible to recover it without as
sistance. In the midst of this dilemma, the
heavy gallop of horses and the clanking of the
swords of the horse-patrol, who in those troub-
lous times were ordered to pace the shore the
whole night long, were heard approaching In
a hurried whisper the gentleman babe Jean
Landrean push Off "The chest contains my
fortune" said he" the hopes and security OF
our most righteous ca,ise-but the safety Of my
wife and little ones is Of more Importance
Let US row them across and we will return
and fetch the chest when we have seen
them safely landed on the opposite shore. ?
Jean Landrean did as he was bid he rowed
the party across the river, and landed them
all in safety. By this time the patrol had ap-
preached close to the spot they had just quit
ted, and the sound of their voices could be dis
tinctly heard. They passed on, however, with,
out observing any trace Of the strangers; but
the incident had caused the lady to feel such
nervous terror for her husbands sake that she
would not suffer him to leave the place of safety
he had reached, in order to rush upon danger
as it were, by crossing again to the opposite
bank. Jean Landrean therefore departed alone
in search of the chest taking with him ropes
and tools to disengage it from the mud III
succeeded in a short space of time, and return
cd in high glee, bearing it in triumph before
him. His terror may be conceived when, upof
reaching the spot he haa quilted short tim'
before, ne found il deserted-not trace OF the
travellers he had ferried across TO be seen-no
sound indicative of their presence to be heard
lie wandered distracted up and down until thu
dawn; and the first light Of day showed HIN
traces of strife and murder, which must have
taken place during the short time he had beer
occupied on the other aide Of the river. Tn
grass and reeds were all trampled and broken
and evident tokens Of scufile and resistance :.
be observed a. far a. the entrance to the small
wood which clothes the rising ground which
encloses the Loire at this spot Jean Landrear
followed, through bramble and through brisr
the path which had evidently been forced By
the resisting fugitives until beneath tree h
found the liielcss corpse Of one Of the children
lying bathed in blood, its brains having beer
dashed out against a tree BY It's side lay tn
hat and cloak Of the lady, oil drenehed in gore
but no other token Of the passage Of the fagi