448 
A CRUISING VISIT TO SOME GERMAN BATTLE-FIELDS. 
French and made him the hero of the battle of Kulm, a reward 
which he had not deserved. He was most surprised. That illustrates 
the many surprises there are in war, as in love. 
Kulm is the first place that the canoe reached on coming down the 
Elbe, and it is one of the most historical places in connection with the 
war of the Prussians in the year 1813 against Napoleon. It is a very 
easy run from the river where you can get a trap for the excursion. 
There is a castle at Kulm where Vandamme had his head-quarters. I 
wished very much to see this castle, it was a notable place and I heard 
that there were some very interesting historical collections there, and 
I thought that by sending in my card, fortified by a note saying that 
I was a member of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Historical 
Society, the owner would let me come in. But no, he sent out word 
that there was nothing historical about the place, so I must off. 
Evidently I was there taken for a German also. At anyrate, my two 
samples of Austrian courtesy were not encouraging. 
One can see standing near that castle at Kulm the whole of that 
battle-field of 1813, exactly as it is described in any fairly detailed 
history. You can see where the Prussians came winding down 
over the hills and you can appreciate perfectly how the French 
made their mistake. They were with their front turned to the 
south, fighting the Russians and the Austrians, when suddenly this 
army of Kleist came down upon their rear and demoralised them. The 
whole situation is perfectly clear while standing at that point and it is 
a most interesting battle-field to study. The Prussians, who were the 
victors, were so sure they were defeated that they ran for all they 
were worth back away from the French; and the French were running 
in the same direction for the same reason. They got so inextricably 
confused that when night came and they had run themselves out of 
breath, they decided to pass the night as friends and to abide by the 
decision on the morrow; that whichever proved to be the conqueror 
should take the other in tow. 
Then when we came down to the familiar battle-field of Dresden we 
find that the town has so grown since 1813 that of course much of it is 
now lost, but standing where Napoleon stood up one gets a tolerable 
idea of the place. 
From Dresden there is a charming little trip out to Bautzen, about 
30 miles east of the Saxon capital, through very pleasing scenery. 
There the whole population still speaks Wendish, and it is the head 
waters of the Spree that runs from there through the great spongy 
country that furnishes all the water for those lakes about Berlin. That 
whole country is a paradise for a canoeist, and it is hard to think about 
battles and war when you have such opportunities of enjoyment there. 
At Bautzen, again, one gets the country unspoilt and almost exactly 
as it was when Napoleon brought his artillery up against the position 
of Bliicher. The little heights which the Russians and Prussians 
occupied stand exactly there as interesting to-day as at the battle of 
Bautzen. The little river Spree is exactly as it was then, dividing the 
two forces, and one follows the road by which the Prussians and 
Russians retreated after that day, leaving 2000 on the field. My visit 
