H^R.^ POLONIC.E. 251 



three times during the day. I obtained fresh horses, and proceed- 

 ed in the direction pointed out, but was again doomed to dis- 

 appointment, for at Bromfield's I found only a troop of horse 

 conducting some waggon loads of wounded to Warsaw, and 

 learnt that the head-quarters had that morning been changed, 

 in consequence of the continued retreat of the Russians. In al- 

 most total darkness 1 continued my journey, halted about midnight, 

 and at the earliest dawn prepared to resume my route to 

 Bulimow, in sanguine expectation that my hopes of finding the 

 Polish army would be realized. A young man about 20 years 

 of age, earnestly entreated to accompany me. As he spoke 

 with perfect fluency both the German and Polish languages, and 

 was personally known to General Lubienski, I most gladly 

 consented. We passed, on our way, whole fields of corn> com- 

 pletely trodden down and destroyed by the armies on their march ; 

 and the places where they had bivouacked the night before were 

 plainly marked out by the remains of fires scarcely extinguished, 

 and cots yet standing, made of interlaced branches of trees, the 

 leaves of which were still green, forming an equal protection from 

 the dews of night and the burning sun during the day. Our 

 road lay through a forest, which we had scarcely entered when we 

 began to encounter signs of the vicinity of an army — light carts, 

 attended chiefly by women, who made a profitable trade by bring- 

 ing from Warsaw provisions and spirits, of a very much better 

 description than the rations served out to the army. Symptoms 

 still more unequivocal soon developed themselves, and we had the 

 pleasure of finding the wood on both sides occupied by the Polish 

 infantry. We passed unchallenged and unnoticed, reaching Bu- 

 limow at five o'clock, A. M. This little town, which is pleasantly 

 situated on an eminence commanding a beautiful view of the 

 neighbouring flat country, was filled with soldiers. Shortly after 

 our arrival we perceived a commotion amongst a troop of horse 

 and some infantry occupying a position in front of the town, 

 surrounded by mounted sentinels. Thither we directed our steps, 

 and observed whole troops receiving the sacrament from the hands 

 of the priest ; and soldiers, employed in throwing up breastworks 

 and batteries, were seen, suddenly, on all sides, to quit their spades, 

 run to arms, and fall into rank. Upon applying to a surgeon, 

 who appeared like myself an idle spectator, to know what all this 

 portended, he pointed to a wood about a mile distant, in an open 

 space on one side of which 1 could plainly perceive a large body of 

 Russian cavalry drawn up. The Polish position was threatened 

 by this force, and a movement made in advance had caused the 

 alarm. Accompanied by our new acquaintance, we ascended the 

 steeple of the church of Bulimow, in order to enjoy a better view 

 of the anticipated conflict, but it proved to be a mere feint on the 

 part of the Russians. After the Russian horse had retired, a 

 party of Cossacks hovered about the outskirts of the wood, but 

 they also retreated upon the approach of a body of Polish infantry, 

 who were sent to dislodge them. On the same day a skirmish 



