ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 903, 28 December 1870, Page 2

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

The eorresppndent of the Daily News writes from Tours, Sept. 28 : —" I have to-day gone through the ceremony which seems to be now an ordinary part of tha duty of an English correspondent in France, of being arrested as a Prussian, spy. I had been on foot to pay a Visit to one of Lord Lyons' attaches, at tha Chateau de Rigny, about two miles from Tours. This attache was good enough to lend me some numbers of the Daily News, which I was very glad to have, not having seen a single newspaper during the ten days that I have been here. On my way back I went into a little inn, on the banks of the Cher, to sit down and read my papers, and, for the good of the house, I called for a glass of wine—price two sous. I asked the landlady what fish there was in the Cher, and particularly whether there was any trout. She assured me that the Cher was far more favoured than the Loire, but touching trout she seemed quite uninformed ; I do not think she ever heard of any such fish. Although the weather was hot and the road dusty, I was not thirsty (thanks to the hospitality I had just enjoyed at the Embassy), and, moreover, the wine was disagreeable to drink. I should have contented myself with the first sip, had it not been for a desire not to hurt the feelings of the landlady; I therefore did violence to my palate and stomach so far as to swallow about half the tumbler full, and I left the rest. This story of the glass of wine, which seems trivial, is, as you will presently see, the leading incident in the little drama which I have to relate. I had not left the inn three minutes before I was collared by two powerful men in blouses, armed with formidable iron bars, who, with furious, voice, looks, and gestures, said they arrested me ' in the name of the law* aa a Prussian spy. They pinched me very hard, and shook me violently. I told them they were mistaken ; said they were quite right to keep a good look out; but begged them to observe that, as I did not resist their arrest, there wa3 no occasion to lay hands on me. Not listening to me, and not relaxing their hold, they said, ' You paid for a glass of wine, and did not drink it ; therefore you are suspect t therefore you must he a spy and a Prussian.' Such is Tourangeau logic, and J am quite certain the poor fellows honestly believed their syllogism to be impregnable. Who, indeed, but a madman, or a Prussian, who is too barbarous to relish French wine, would expend the sum of two sous, for liquor which he did not drink ? One of the men was drunk, the other sober. Addressing myself to the sober one, I told ray plain story : that I was an Englishman ; that I had just come from the chateau (to which I pointed), on the top of the hill where the English Ambassador lived ; and that I had not only my English passport certified by the Paris Prefect; of Police, but a pass from my friend M. Jules Ferry, a member of the Government in Paris, authorising me to. circulate freely pour les besoins du Gouvernement de la Defence Nationale. The reasonable man of the two looked at my papers, and though somewhat awe-stricken by the lion and the unicorn on Lord Lyons' passport, made the reasonable remark that he could not understand the language in which it was written. [[, let me say parenthetically, have never been able to understand why a passport which is never wanted in England should be made out in English instead of the universal diplomatic language—-French.] But he knew the name of Jules Ferry, and recognised the Hotel de Ville stamp on the card signed by him. He apologised for having interrupted me, and told me I was free. I went on towards Tours, five minutes after I heard the voice of the druukeu man with the iron bar calling after me by the name of ' Captain.' He had made up his mind that I was not only a Prussian spy, but a Prussian officer. He called out loudly,.' Arrest that man/ and several villagers rushed out from their houses and placed themselves across my path till he came up. He proceeded to say, and for a time was believed, that I was a Prussian spy ; that I showed, papers- which he knew were forged, and dwelt Uoon the damnatory circumstance of my having paid for wine winch I did not drink. In a few moments I was surrounded by a group of fifty people, men, women, and children, theiipan with the crow bar, keeping a firm grip on my shoulder all the while, and swearing th,ai

he would take me to prison ' in the name of the law.' A sort of village council of war was held upon my case, which it was voted required serious investigation; The truism that a passport might possibly be forged struck the popular mind greatly. Fortunately for myself I speak French very readily, I harangued the mob in a .conciliatory speech, and soon found that I was making a favorable impressjou. But I doubt yet whether I should have escaped durance vile and ill-usage bad it not been for ii comely woman, who addressed me in very good English, cross-examined me about what part of England I came from, said she was half English-herself, and finally certified to trie company that I spoke English without any German accent, and that she had no doubt my story that I came from the English Embassy was a true one. An intelligent &arde Mobile in uniform, who looked at my papers, seconded the lady, and I was told that I might go on, I took my hat off to the villagers, and begged them to protect me against the man with the «row bar. They did so, and forcibly prevented him from rushing upon me a<*ain. He growled terribly when he saw hfs prey escape him'. I feel for his sad lot when he wakes with a .headache tomorrow morning, for he was accompanied by a wife as drunk as himself, who abused him and me alternately." The Russian preparations for war are discussed by the St. Petersburg correspondent of the Daily News, who, writing o.n the 26th Sept., expresses his opinion that ■" there is something in the air." Every day (he says) regiments go past my window, evidently either arriving or departing, for they are without arms or knapsacks, their baggage being probably sent to the trains in vans. Cannon too are being taken past, usually at night, and are probably intended fur Cronstadt. It is reported from Moscow that from tomorrow there will be only oue passenger jtraio south until further order?, as fourteen trains of soldiers must be taken daily. The newspapers all talk of ti e Eastern question, and the necessity of tl e abrogation of the treaty of Paris'. The same talk is in every one's mouth. Some of ihe most experienced diplomatists say that they have no doubt that Pri ice Oortschakoft has made up his mind to be rid of tluft treaty, and very soon. lam of the same opinion, but though I give you all these things I have no anprehei.* sjon of war. Russia lias too much to risk, even though it is now the arbu r of Europe, If Bismarck is not too wily for .GortscbakcC and the Prince is hard to dupe, some peaceful way will be found to settle the whole thing. Indeed, if Bismarck only consents to keep quiet, no one will dare object to the demand of Russia Turkey would if she could ; but Fiance jis crippled, and England is not in a position to fight, even if she cares much now .about the Eastern question.