, a
Swiss, deserving little thanks from us, who has taken in hand to command
these Missionaries of the Pit), can help the results above described.
Which are justly characterized as abominable, to gods and men; and
not fit to be recorded in human Annals; execration, and, if it were
possible, oblivion, being the human resource with them., The Russian
Officers, it seems, despise this Cossack rabble incredibly; for their
fighting qualities withal are close on zero, though their talent for
arson and murder is so considerable. And contrariwise, the Cossacks, for
their part, have no objection to plunder, or even, if obstreperous,
to kill, any regular Officer they may meet unescorted in a good place.
Their talent for arson is great. They do uncountable damage to the Army
itself; provoking all the Country people to destroy by fire what could
be eaten or used, the foraging, food and equipments of horse and man;
so that horse and man have to be fed by victual carted hundreds of miles
out of Poland; and the Russian Army sticks, as it were, tethered with a
welter of broken porridge-pots and rent meal-bags hung to every foot it
has.

East Preussen is quiet from the storms of War; holds its tongue well,
and hopes better days: but the Russians themselves are little the better
for it, a country so lately burned bare; they are merely flung so many
scores of miles forward, farther from home and their real resources,
before they can begin work, They have no port on the Baltic: poor
blockheads, they are aware how desirable, for instance, Dantzig would
be; to help feeding them out of ships; but the Dantzigers won't.
Colberg, a poor little place, with only 700 militia people in it, would
be of immense service to them as a sea-haven: but even this they have
not yet tried to get; and after trying, they will find it a job. "Why
not unite with the Swedes and take Stettin (the finest harbor in the
Baltic), which would bring Russia, by ships, to your very hand?" This
is what Montalembert is urgent upon, year after year, to the point
of wearying everybody; but he can get no official soul to pay heed to
him,--the difficulties are so considerable. "Swedes, what are they?" say
the Russians: "Russians what?" say the Swedes. "Sweden would be so handy
for the Artilleries," urges Montalembert; "Russians for the Soldiery,
or covering and fighting part."--"Can't be done!" Officiality shakes its
head: and Montalembert is obliged to be silent.

The Russians