, 1870-08-11

Quentin, or perhaps ought 10 say Forts St.
Quentin, for there ATE two, stand on the sum-
,6s m d G sa sEaq h of o1s b. oTsF9sss aSss for sS s
Metz stands. Their guns would play
with tremendous effect, on any en-
stack The town 1t It's feet. aad beaten Or
demoralised army might lind ample shelter in
the valley, which We had just csossed. guarded
on one side BY tho guns Of the town, and on
tbs other By the foEs We wese in ouf fs;ena
the Lieutenant complained terribly OF the
difficulty Of getting his mon to work on the
fost- "They are all thinking and talkiog ct
nothing but fighting, royss rous. and every
row and then put down their ,pickazes and
ahoysls to listen to comrsde WIN has come
up from Metz with some absurd story OF
great tsttle having begun. However, vo
shall BE- of 10 the frontier. in eight days"
ho added. I asked him il he had seen
guns mounted on the Aoncrien
Nor did he know what Spencer or Henry re-
pea.er Was. La tusu aigu.As, OF prussiaa
needle gun, WAS all be seemed to caro- about.
How long did he think tho war would last?
About two months; not longer. Tbs Prua-
siaue, eyen victorious, cannot keep their
armies in the field for moro than three months
at time. for u hy their syatem they taxa all
men. Of al ranks and occupations alike, to
fight, they exhaust themselves terribly in a
| very short tune, all commerce and business
| being at i cotnplete atandati1l whi1a the wsr
lasts" This, OF ccnrse, is an opinion that
must be taken for vhat it il worth. He told as
| how two Prussians had been taken in tha forts
on the opposite side the valley. Que
Of them, = Captain Of Engiuears, WIS recoc-
| nized By PTusei1n workman employed ou
| the ea1th~orks. This MAD told his comrades
that there IVES Captain vou - walking OF
the bastiou the guard Was turned ont, and
| the Captain Was arrested 10000 francs were
I mn I'm n ",
was. He is now rneditating on the errors oi
| bis waye in the military prison Of Metz cita.
! del. l should not omit 10 mention that the
! {act Of these SANG foztihcstions having been
commenced some time ago ia clear proof, il
proof we're needed, Of how the French had
fensive war outhe first opportunity For the
new forts are not merely destined to defend
Metz The town is tuagnifceutfy fortified
Is it is. No, they are intended to protect .
vas encampnent Is at the present moment
or to give shelter and bsesthing time to 4
| beaten army.
As we returned to Metz ws passed batter,
Of the much-talked OF mitrailleusea coming il
from tho station. They hAd each tarpauliI
over them, b1t it was plain to any ono wbS
had ever saen nitrai1leusa what they we're
BeAides the care taken to prevent any ont
from coming ne2r them HAS sufficient 10 shoV
that they we're not common slx-20undar helt
pieces. Il il hardly necessary to tell you,
IakdeIa that the tremendous secret about thes
weapons is no secret At all, there being draw
ings Of the French weapons in every arsenal il
Europe. It ia besides well known that th
French Government has adopted . very in
ferior model to that choseu By the Belgian
Austrian, and British Goyarnnents. Tt
Prnssians. too. hare . model Of their OWE
which il superior to the French. Ali artilier
officers Aze unanimously declaring that m!szail
leuses will only bs able to be used in psculis
places and circumstauces-in the breach OF
fort, III barrow defle, or in stree.-dghtins
! It is doubtless for this latter purpose thst ID
French Government think they may want the
present large arork. The range ot the mitrai
feuss being far inferior to thst Of tho l;ghte
. tie9d-pleceH, they would At once be silanct
, In the field. am afr.id must dispel Il
Illusions OF many Of 5Fonr readers
= daily Walking sbout the streets he1
= or selling eau de-cie in camp. are very d
fe1ept from Madlle. Patti. in In FI{le di Re
ime.a. Coarse and sunbuzns, they have ve
4. little poetry in their looks, though many
them carry the Legion OF Iouor Tor brave
! in carrying drink and help to tho wound
. under IRE.