at raw lads, who were
taken from the plough a few weeks ago, would fight as well as trained
and hardened warriors. This however, we are called upon, in defiance of
facts, to believe, because "the soil of France produces soldiers."

It is difficult to guess what will happen now. The generals must be
aware that unless one of the armies of the provinces takes the Prussians
in the rear, a fresh sortie will only result in a fresh butchery; but
then, on the other hand, the Parisians will not be satisfied until all
the Line and the Mobiles outside the walls have been killed, in order
that it may be said that the resistance of Paris was heroic. If I were
Trochu, I should organize a sortie exclusively of National Guards, in
order to show these gentry what a very different thing real fighting is
to parading about the streets of the capital and wearing a uniform.

The following is a list of the prices of "luxuries:"--Terrines of
chicken, 16f; of rabbit, 13f; a fowl, 26f; a rabbit, 18f; a turkey, 60f;
a goose, 45f; one cauliflower, 3f; one cabbage, 4f; dog is 2f. a lb.; a
cat skinned costs 5f.; a rat, 1f., if fat from the drains, 1f. 50c.
Almost all the animals in the Jardin d'Acclimatation have been eaten.
They have averaged about 7f. a lb. Kangaroo, however, has been sold for
12f. the lb. Yesterday I dined with the correspondent of a London paper.
He had managed to get a large piece of mufflon, an animal which is, I
believe, only found in Corsica. I can only describe it by saying that it
tasted of mufflon, and nothing else. Without being absolutely bad, I do
not think that I shall take up my residence in Corsica, in order
habitually to feed upon it.

FOOTNOTE:

[Footnote 1: A balloon letter, dated November 30, giving, it is
presumed, an account of the military operations on that day, suffered so
much _in transitu_, that it is illegible.]

CHAPTER XIII.

_December 6th._

I am by no means certain that I should be a hero at the Equator, but I
am fully convinced that I should be an abject coward at the North Pole.
Three mornings ago I stood for two hours by the Ambulances de la Presse,
and my teeth have not ceased to chatter ever since. I pity the
unfortunate fellows who had to keep watch all night on the plateau of
Villiers more than those who were put out of their misery the day
before. When it is warm weather, one views with a comparative
resignation the Prussian batteries, and one has a sort of fanatical
belief t