Year: 1864

During the famous expedition OF Louis XIV,
this sort of locomotion was used against the
Dutch themselves in one of the most curious
and daring exploits recorded in history. When
the States sued for peace, the terms offered by
the pride of Louis were so monstrous, that the
people tore open their sluices and laid the coun-
try under water. The frost, after time, how
ever, rendered even this unavailing and at
length General Luxembourg, one dark and freez-
Ing night, mounted IL, 900 men on skates, and
sent them over the ice from Utrecht to surprise
Hague. The result is given as follows, by
writer who takes his facts from French histo-
yian


'' When they left Utrecht it was clear, frosty
weather, and the effect of the and stars
upon the even sheet of ice, over which they
swept like a breeze, was truly magical. By
degrees as they advanced, the visible horizon of
earth was obscured by vapor, and they could
see nothing around above or beneath them, but
a circular expanse of ice bounded at the edge
by thick gray clouds, and canopied by the STAR
~ curtain of the sky. The strange groaning
sound which ever anon doomed along the frozen
wilderness, had at first something inexpressibly
terrific to the imagination and as it died fitful-
iy away in the distance, the space surrounding
them seemed extended almost to nfnity.


The sky was at length gradually covered by
the vapors rising as if from the edges of the cir
Gle of earth veil of hazy white overspread the
heavens and obscured the stars and dim round
spot of watery brightness was the only indica-
tion of the site of the moon, by which they
could now steer their course. A rapid thaw
had come on, their skates sunk deeper and deep
er into the ice at every sweep; and at last, the
water gathering upon the surface, it was agitated
by the night wind that had risen and assumed
appearance of sea. The wind increased the
sky grew blacker and blacker their footing
grew more spongy and insecure and the ice
groaned and cracked beneath them ; they pung-
ed almost to the knee. Every one looked upon
himself lost and the horrors of fate hitherto
untold in story, appearing to belong neither to
the fortunes of the land nor of the sea, appalled,
the boldest Imagination.


At length faint, twinkling light appeared in
the distance, sometimes seen, sometimes lost in
the varying atmosphere and they had the sat
isfaction, such as it was, of at least knowing the
relative bearing of the place which they
were about to perish The light proceeded from
a strong fort in the enemy's hands, impregnable
with cannon and what added bitterness to their
misery, the knowledge that beyond this
fort was dyke, which in all probability afford
ed path, however narrow and muddy, by
which they could return to Utrecht. The fort,
however, was the gate to this avenue of safety,
and even if they had possessed the requisite
means of siege, if it was defended for single
day, they would either be swallowed up by the
water in the the continuance ofthe thaw, or per-
ish miserably through cold and fatigue. But
anything was better than inaction.


The water creeping insiduously around them
was a deadlier enemy than stone walls or cannon
shot and they determined at least to rush upon
the immediate masonry of the fort, and provoke
the fire of its defenders. 1t is impossible to ac-
count for the result. 1t may have been the sight
of so large body Of men rushing in upon them,
and as if from the open sea, their numbers null
tiplied and even their individual forms distorted
and magnified in the mist, struck panic terror
into the hearts of the garrison, while this may
have been increased by the shouts of courage or
despair, that came booming wildly over the icy
waste, and mingling like voices of demons with
the rising wind. But however this was the
gates of the fort opened at their approach and
the hapless and half frozen adventures rushed
in without striking blow.