the ground shake with the steady thud of their march as they tramped on.  The men looked dirty and tired, but were fat, and many of them were laughing.  Looking down the road as far as possible, we could still see helmets, spikes, and guns all leaning exactly the same way, and glittering in the sunshine.  All the officers looked like gentlemen, with great whiskers, and jolly, fat faces.  None of the men talked, much less sang, as the French do.  When these had passed, there came a splendid band of sixty pieces, playing beautifully, and then regiment after regiment of cavalry (not carrying as much, nearly, as the French cavalry do).  Their horses were in excellent order, many of them very handsome.  Lots of the soldiers were smoking great German pipes.

“This was the army of the Crown Prince, less than a third of those that entered the city.  They passed through Versailles, only stopping to repair the roads torn up by the peasantry.  Next came artillery and baggage-wagons, and carts of ammunition; more infantry, more bands, fifty pontoons on carts; more cavalry; then hundreds of soldiers on peasants’ carts, which they had requisitioned as they passed through the country; then ambulances and carts, full of wounded, who were brought to the Hotel des Reservoirs and to the Palace.  They began to pass at half-past one, and were passing three hours; and I saw just as many more going by another road, where they passed till seven in the evening.  There seemed, at times, to be a hunting corps, for every man would have a fat hare or rabbit, or hens, ducks, pheasants, or partridges slung on his back.  One man I saw with a live sheep, full grown, over his shoulders.

“Only four regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, and four batteries of artillery remained in Versailles that night.  They camped upon the Place d’Armes, lit fires, and cooked.  Everything was remarkable for neatness; the cannon and powder-carts were arranged in order in a circle, horses all fastened inside the circle, soldiers all sleeping round it.  They took off their knapsacks, stacked their guns, put their helmets on the top of their bayonets, unrolled their great-coats, and lay down, still wearing sword and pistols, with their guns at arm’s length.  Thus they pass the night, rain or shine (they have no tents) and they look as hardy and strong as lions.

“By the time the Prussians were fairly in their quarters the inhabitants of Versailles seemed to take heart and to be much less frightened.  Many French peasants could talk German, and conversed freely with the Prussians, interpreting what they said to an eager crowd.  The soldiers seemed to be well fed; we saw them dining on bread and cheese, butter, sausages, and wine.  In the evening they were very jolly.  Fires flickered all around; the soldiers sat singing and smoking.  Some milked cows that they had stolen, and some were cooking game.  The formal way in which everything was done was very curious.  At the gate of every house where officers were quartered were two sentries, and every time an officer passed, these men were obliged to go through five movements with their guns.  On all the doors of all the houses the names of the officers stationed there were marked in chalk, and a field-telegraph line in the streets connected every such house with the mairie.”