THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR. 75 



9th. Business connected with our Society took me to 

 Phalsburg. It was three weeks and two days since this 

 stronghold had fallen. Darkness set in ere we could climb 

 the steep ascent, and it was night when we heard the 

 challenge of the sentries summoning us to halt. The orders 

 of the guards were to be very particular about admitting 

 any persons after nightfall. After a short parley we were 

 permitted to show our credentials, and when they had been 

 examined and nothing treasonable found, we were marched 

 off under military escort to the guard -house, where, after 

 being detained for an hour like prisoners, we were per- 

 mitted to go our way. The tight little city of Phalsburg 

 underwent three assaults, and forty houses were destroyed 

 irretrievably. However, it fared better than Thionville, 

 for whole streets were untouched ; but the petroleum shells 

 had set the church ablaze, and the stone of the tower had 

 peeled off in great flakes. It does seem wonderful to me 

 that these cities did not prefer surrendering at once, know- 

 ing that they must eventually capitulate, by which they 

 might have saved an infinity of property. After an hour 

 spent with the authorities, we set out for the villages under 

 the guidance of a lad. 



The Cure at the village of Mittlebrun appeared to be a 

 more honourable man than some of his fraternity. He told 

 us frankly that he did not consider his parishioners to be in 

 want, indeed he said they were well off compared with the 

 villages round Metz. The next place was the Protestant 

 village of Zilling. Only about eighty inhabitants, few of 

 whom could speak French. They said the principal trade 

 of the place was the straw hat manufacture. Since the war 

 broke out, trade had been depressed, and they had only 

 been receiving two " sous " a hat, straw provided. 



On our way home I went to see the earthworks of one of 

 the Prussian batteries. The guns had been placed on the 

 brow of a slope, facing away from the town, so that while 



