The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-27
The risla Of waterloo.
From Our Regular Correspondent

FROM our Regular COrreepOnuentJ
BRUssELIs, Aug II, 1878,
Perhaps the reason why the field of
Waterloo is so impressive is because there
is nothing left to indicate the tsrri6cstrife
and mighty destinies that we're decided
there. Nothing but huge bronze lion in
whose open mouth bird has built its
nest. The visitor stands alone in the
midst Of portentous memories, undis
tracted by the inadequate monuments
with which men have essayed TO mark less
important climaxes and tnti-climaxes 10
the affairs of nations.
If General BOnsparte," as the English
guides about Waterloo persist in calling
him. had been favored with the fine
weather that your correspondent had on
his visit, he would have opened the en-
gagement earlier, his artillery would not
have stuck in the mud, and he would have
pehaps annihiIated Wellington before the
Prussians came to his assistance. If the
abundant harvest that stands on the field
to-day had been there then, neither
army, even if they had been all cavalry,
need have been encumbered or weakened
by subsistence or foraging trains.
No field could appear less favored by
nature for vantage of contending armies.
The slight elevation occupied by the Eng
lish was naturally no stronger than that,
three-quarters of q mile distant, held by
the French. Neither elevation was high
enough, nor was the intervening or sur
rounding ground anywhere soluneven as
to prevent the rapid easy movement, in
any direction. of infantry, cavalry, and
artillery. The desperately contested
walled garden Of Hugemont was strong
only in the fortitude of the men who held
IL. tae 1oA
We started from Brussells at 9 a. m.
taking an excursion ticket for Braine
FAllend, which is the railway station
nearest the field and only forty minutes
ride from Beleium's capital. This is q
cheaper, more comfortable, and much
quicker way to see The field than the route
frequently taken by diligence from Brus-
sells. Arriving at Braine PAlleud, we
started on. foot for tho field and were soon
encountered by numbers Of small boys
with pockets full of bullets which they
were willing to sell'cheap. Genuine relics
are still occasionally turned up by the
pillow, they are. however, becoming very
raro, but the supply of bullets. scraps of
shell, buttons, etc, in the hands of these
little peddlerR of the field is never ,ex-
hausted. met three women who were
able to carry on the traffic in three Ian
guages; each of them had basket con-
tanning Photographic views Of the field,
and relics which they were trying TO self:
when / expressed doubt of the genuine
ness OF the relics, they battered me by
saying that had.n0 green in my eve, and
before / could recover from the sweetness
of that surprise, piled me with their pho
tographs. Ny friepd boughta bullet, foi
four cents. which he dropped on the field
and picked up again in order to make il
more plausible and interesting.
There is constant stream of visitors to
Waterloo. We met on top the mound
that Is surmounted by the bronze lion Eng
lish, Germags and rBelgians, but more
Americans than of any other nationality
The number Of Americans travelling on til.
continent this year must be very large.
have met them on almost every train il
France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany
= Holland, and England. They are all NOR,
or less homesick. The first questions ar,
when did you arrive. and when will you re
tprnI The general verdict is, tina
Europe will do to visit, but that It is not
country to live in iaQf eonrselthis is moth
Ing but the old refrain Of every exile