otable feature in the southern portions of the area is the Foret de
Mormal and in its neighbourhood the Bois l'Eveque.

The Foret de Mormal, which is 22,460 acres in extent, is situated on
the summit and slopes of the high ground bordering the left bank of
the Sambre between Landrecies and Boussieres. It is crossed by one
first-class road from Le Quesnoy to Avesnes, and several second-class
roads.

The forest is also traversed by two railways; that from Paris to
Maubeuge, which follows its southern boundary from Landrecies to
Sassegnies, and that from Valenciennes to Hirson, which runs from
north-west to south-east and joins the former line at Aulnoye. On
account of its thick undergrowth, its streams and marshy bottoms, the
forest is not passable for troops except by the above-mentioned roads.

Le Bois Levesque (1,805 acres), situated between Landrecies and Le
Cateau, may be considered as an extension of the Foret de Mormal, from
which it is only about 2-1/2 miles distant. It is traversed by the
railway line from Paris to Maubeuge, by the road from Landrecies to Le
Cateau, and the country road from Fontaine to Ors.

In conclusion, let us glance at the principal places of strategic
importance in this region which witnessed the opening stages of the
retreat from Mons.

In the beginning of the war, _Maubeuge_, with 20,000 inhabitants,
belonged to the second class of French fortresses, which possessed a
limited armament and which were destined to act as _points d'appui_
for mobile forces acting in their vicinity. The strategic value of
Maubeuge is due to the fact that the main lines from Paris
to Brussels _via_ Mons, and to northern Germany _via_ Charleroi and
Liege, pass through the town, while from it runs a line towards the
eastern frontier _via_ Hirson and Mezieres, with branch lines leading
to Laon and Chalons. It is also a junction of main roads from
Valenciennes, Mons, Charleroi, and Laon.

The fortress has a circumference of about 20 miles. The forts, which
lie in open country, are mostly small. Shortly before the outbreak of
the War the defences of Maubeuge had been strengthened to meet the
increased effect of high explosives, and various redoubts and
batteries had been constructed in addition to the above-mentioned
works.

_Mons_, the capital of Hainault, had a pre-war population of 28,000
inhabitants, and is situated on a sandhill overlooking the Trovillon.
It is the centre of the Berinage, the chief coa