128 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 197. 



cipltately and in great confusion, under cover of the 

 Tarnparts of Cambray ; with a loss of 1200 men, and 

 ■three pieces of cannon. Tlie only British officer 

 \rounded was Captain Aylett : sixty privates fell, and 

 about twenty were wounded. 



" 'i'hough the heavy brigade was formed at a dis- 

 tance under a brisk cannonade, while the light dragoons 

 had so glorious an opportunity of distinguishing them- 

 selves, tliere are none who can attach with propriety 

 any blame on account of their unfortunate delay ; for 

 which General Otto was surely, as having the com- 

 mand, alone accountable, and not General Mansel, who 

 acted at all tunes, there is no doubt, according to the 

 best of his judgment for the good of the service. 



" The Duke of York had, on the morning of the 

 26th, observed the left flank of the enemy to be unpro- 

 tected ; and, by ordering the cavalry to wheel round 

 and attack on that side, afforded them an opportunity 

 of gaining the highest credit by defeating the French 

 army so much superior to them in point of numbers. 



" General Mansel rushing into the thickest of the 

 enemy, devoted himself to death ; and animated by his 

 example, that very brigade performed such prodigies of 

 valour, as must have convinced the world that Britons, 

 once informed how to act, justify the highest opinion 

 that can possibly be entertained of their native courage. 

 Could such men have ever been willingly backward? 

 Certainly not. 



" Genei-al Mansel's son, a captain in the 3rd I)ragoon 

 Guards, anxious to save his father's life, had darted 

 forwards, and was taken prisoner, and carried into 

 Cambray. Since his exchange, he has declared that 

 there was not, on the 26th, a shigh French soldier left 

 in the town, as Chapuy had drawn out the whole gar- 

 rison to augment the army destined to attack tlie camp 

 of Inchi. Had that circumstance been fortunately 

 known at the time, a detachment of the British army 

 might easily have marched along the Chaussee, and 

 taken possession of the place ere the Republicans could 

 possibly have returned, as they had in their retreat 

 described a circuitous detour of some miles." 



Mr. Simpson will perceive, from tlie above 

 extracts, that the brilliant skirmish of Villers en 

 Couche took place on April 24th ; whereas the 

 defeat of the French army under Chapuy did not 

 occur until two days later. A larp;e quantity of 

 ammunition and thirty-five pieces of cannon were 

 then captured ; and althouj^h the writer does not 

 mention the number who were killed on the part 

 of the enemy, yet, as he states that Chapuy and 

 near 400 of liis men were made prisoners, their 

 loss by death was no doubt proportionately large. 



The 15th Hussars have long borne on their 

 colours the memorable words "Villers en Couche" 

 to commemorate the daring valour they displayed 

 on that occasion. T. C. Smith. 



In Cruttwell's Universal Gazetteer (1808), this 

 village, wliich is five miles north-east of Cambray, 

 is described as being " remarkable for an action 

 between the French and the Allies on the 24th of 

 April, 1794." The following officers of the 15th 



regiment of light drngoons are there named as 

 having afterwards received crosses of the Order of 

 Maria Theresa for their gallant behaviour, from 

 the Emperor of Germany, viz. : 



" Major W. Aylett, Capt. Robert Pocklington, Capt. 

 Edw. Michael Ryan, Lieut. Thos. Granby Calcraft, 

 Lieut. Wm. Keir, Lieut. Chas. Burrel Blount, Cornet 

 Edward Gerald Butler, and Cornet Robert Thos. 

 Wilson." 



D. S. 



SNAIL-EATING. 



(Vol. viii., p. 33.) 



Tlie Surrey snails referred to by H. T. Rilet, 

 are tlius mentioned by Aubrey in his account of 

 Box Hill : 



" On the south downs of this county (Surrey), and 

 in those of Sussex, are the biggest snails that ever I 

 saw, twice or three times as big as our common snails, 

 which are the Bavoli or Drivalle, which Mr. Elias 

 Ashmole tells me that the Lord Marshal brought 

 from Italy, and scattered them on the Downs here- 

 abouts, and between Albury and Horsley, where are 

 the biggest of all." 



Again, Aubrey, in his Natural History of Wilt- 

 shire, says : 



" The great snailes on the downes at Albury, in 

 Surrey (twice as big as ours) were brought from Italy 

 jijy * * * Earle Marshal, about 1638." — Aubrey's 

 Historij, p. 10., edited by John Britton, F.S. A., pub- 

 lished by the Wiltshire Topographical Society, 1847. 



The first of these accounts, from Aubrey's Surrey, 

 I have quoted in my Promenade round Dorking, 

 2nd edit. 1823, p. 274., and have added in a note : 



" This was one of the Earls of Arundel. It is pro- 

 bably from this snail account that the error, ascribing 

 the planting of the box (on Box Hill) to one of the 

 Earls of Arundel, has arisen. The snails were brought 

 thither for the Countess of Arundel, who was accus- 

 tomed to dress and eat them for a consumptive com- 

 plaint." 



When I lived at Dorking (1815—1821) a breed 

 of large white snails was found on Box Hill. 



John Timbs. 



Mr. II. T. Riley is informed that the breed of 

 white snails he refers to is to be plentifidly found, 

 in the neighbourhood of Shere. I have found 

 them frequently near the neighbouring village of 

 Albury, on St. Martha's Hill, and I am told they 

 are to be met with in the lanes as far as Dorking. 

 I have always heard that they were imported for 

 the use of a lady who was in a consumption ; but 

 who this was, or when it happened, I have never 

 been able to ascertain. Nedlam. 



The breed of large white snails is to be found 

 all along the escarpment of the chalk range, and is 



