The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-03-10
The Bewlllered Traveller.


war in Europe, occasion-no matter
what-called an honest Yorkshire squire
to take journey to Warsaw. Untrav-.
eled and unknowing, he provided him
self with no passport; his business con-
cerned himself alone, and what had for
eign nations to do with him.
His route lay through the States of
neutral and contending powers. He
landed in Holland and passed the usual
examination; but insisting that the
affairs which brought him there were of
a private nature, he was imprisoned,
and questioned, and sitted; and, appear
ing to be incapable of design, was at
length permitted to resume his journey.
To the officer of the guard which con-
quent complaints of his treatment, and
lay; he swore it was uncivil, and un-
friendly, and ungenerous; 500 Dutch
men might have travelled through Great
Britain without question; they never
questioned any strangers in Great
Britain, nor stopped them, nor guarded
them.
Reused from his native phlegm by
these reflections on the policy of his coun-
try, the officer slowly drew the pipe from
his mouth, and emitting the smoke there
from-"Mynheer," said he, "when you
first set your foot on the land of the
seven United Provinces, you should
have declared that you came thither OF
affairs of commerce." and, replacing his
pipe, relapsed into immovable tacitur-
nifty.
Released from his unsocial companion,
he soon arrived at French post, where
the sentinel of the advanced guard re-
quested the honor of his permission to
ask for his passports; and on his failing
to produce any, he was entreated to par
don the liberty he took of conducting
him to to the commandant, but it was his
duty, and he must, however reluctantly,
perform it.
Monsieur lie commandant received him
with cold and pompous politeness; he
made the usual inquiries; and our trav-
eler, determined to avoid the error which
had produced such inconvenience to
him, replied that commercial concerns
drew him to the continent.
MA fol-" says the commandant, 'c'est
un negotiant, un burgeois; take him away
to the citadel. we will examine him to-
morrow; at present we must dress for the
considerations
Monsieur" says the sentinel, us he
reconducted him to the guard room,
"yOu should not have mentioned COM
MERGE to Monsieur lie commandant; no
gentlemen in France disgraces himself
with trade; we despise traffic. You
should have informed Monsieur lie COM
mandant that you entered the dominion
of the Grand Monarque for the purpose
of improving yourself in singing and
dancing, or in dressing; arms are the
profession of the man of fashion, and
glory and accomplishment his pursuits.
Vive lie Roi" He had the honor of pass
the night with q French Guard, and the
next day he was dismissed.
Proceeding on his journey he fell III
with detachment of German chasseurs.
They demaded his name, his quality and
his business in that country. He came,
he said, to learn to dance-and to sing
and to dress. HE is Frenchman,"
said the corporal. "A spy" said the
sergeant And he was directed to mount
behind dragon and carried to the
camp.
The officer, whose duty it was to ex.
anime prisoners, soon discovered that
our Traveller was uOt IfeHCHIlldu, anu
that as he did not understand u syllable
of the language, he was totally incapa-
BILE Of being spy; he therefore dis
charged him. and not without advising
him to no more assume the frippery char
acter of Frenchman. 1--WE Germans"
he said, "eat, drink and smoke; these are
our favorite employments, and had you
informed the party that you followed no
other business, you would have saved
them, me and yourself trouble"
He soon approached the Prussian do
minions, where his examination was still
more strict, and on his answering that
his only designs were to eat, and to
drink, and to smoke-''To eat and to
smoke!" exclaimed the officer, with as
constituent. Sir, You must be for
warded to Potassium; war is the only
business of mankind"
But the acute and penetrating Fred
erick soon comprehended the character
of our traveller, and gave him passport
under his own hand. 1T is an ignorant
and innocent Englishman, said the vet
eran; "the English are unacquainted
with military duties, when they want
General they borrow him of me-"
At the barriers of Saxony he was again
Intercepted. II am soldier, says our
traveller, behold the passport Of the first
warrior of the age"
"You are pupil of the destroyer o;
Al II