The Mineral argus., 1884-06-26
WATERLOO.
A Graphic Account of a Visit to the Ia
NOUS Rattle-aeld.

a G1hpn1c Account OH Visit 20 the Ia
nous Battlefield.
A Buffalonian Abroad.
The battlefield of Waterloo as it
lies to-day is an %uninspiring spectacle
a good place to sit down and muse on
life and men and the vanity of human
things; but we had a viyacious little
guide who spared no time for musing,
but engaged us with a very dramatic
recital in broken, though quite intelli-
gible, English of the stirring things
that happened on that bloody Sunday
in 1915, when Bonaparte's brief candle
went out and the European kaleidoscope
| ratified itself into a fresh combination.
I can't help sy~mpathizing with the bot
tom dog. The dramatic symmetry of
Napoleon's career wins us against our
reason.
l went out to Waterloo with some
Englishmen, and I took solid comfort
in giving them my small opinion of
their Iron Duke, although we must al
low that he did this business very hand
somely.
But that guide. I shall not soon for
get him. He made more of an impress
sion on me than all the books 1 have
read on the subject of Waterloo. He
omitted nothing. He opened his soul
to us, and he suited the action to the
world. He ~gesticulated, he attitude
nized, in short, he fought the battle
over again for us. His English was
doubly English. He was especially
happy in his 'Fhup, guards, hand hat
hem!" He recited this thrilling incl
dent over his shoulder as he led us down
the two hundred and odd steps thai
mount to the summit of Mound OF the
Lion, and it was only by the most ex-
~traordinary presence of mind that L
grasped the railing in time to escape a
fall. a.,
The Mound of the Lion is an artificial
elevation which has heen reared very
i'll advisedly, / think in the midst OF
the field and of its earth, thereby modl-
flying the configuration of the landscape,
so that one can now gain so accurate an
idea of the battle-ground as might 9TH
erwise have been obtained-unless IN
deed, the loss is compensated by the
fact that the summit of the mound al
fords q commanding view.
The tranquility of the scene is i'm
pressive, and enc is reminded of Byron's
line: -.
'How that red rain made the harvests growF'
Inever saw a fairer stretch of coun-
try-hills and valleys and winding roads
and shining villages. Every feature OF
this sweet landscape played its part In the
: drama of that day. On the right Is the
, Chateau of Hougomont, against which,
: all day long, the French lines beat like
|. the waves oil the seattle key of the
!. English position, held to the last by the
4. gallant Coldstreams Guards, though
: the house was burned over their heads
. The old brick wall around the orchard
still stands pierced with loop-holes
worn away by the pelting rain of mus
ket balls. If you have any sort of Inn
e agination you can stand there to-day
and see the fight. 1 suppose there hai
q scarcely been a closer, hotter, bloodiei
! battle in modern times. The lines wer'
u posted only a mile apart, and from th'
moment of the first assault upon Hougo
h mont to the low despairing cry of tn
French General, "Tout est perdu
Sauve qui peutl" the battle was lik
the straining struggle of we'll matches
IL wrestlers.
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