selves with one more illustration. The only placed his troops behind such ramparts coasts of this country are dotted round with as an American army could have thrown up Martello towers, designed for protection in a few hours. The way to extract the against invaders. They have become per- sting from the Chassepot is to intrench, fectly useless. A single modern projectile while the needle-gun behind the temporary would smash them to pieces, and they could field defences would be more terrible and not carry our heavy ordnance. But there destructive than ever. The guns which are is no reason in the world why the vulner- taken into a battle-field cannot, of course, able parts of the coast should not be stud- be nearly equal in calibre to the great maded with sunk works in the form of Mon- chines which are regarded as necessary for crieff gun-pits, capable of carrying any ord- the defence of fortifications; still, every

nance, alike invisible and impregnable. This invention, in fact, bids fair to have one most beneficent result. It may make the defence far stronger than the attack, and to England, whose motto is "Defence, not defiance," this will be the most irvaluable of all boons.

From The Morning Star, Oct. 13.

nation will strive to bring into conflict artillery as heavy and powerful as possible. There is nothing to prevent Captain Moncrieff's invention being applied to field artillery also. Natural defences would be taken advantage of as far as possible. They would give protection to the men, while the gun could be raised to a level at which the protection would be no impediment to the fire. Where such a position as a village is selected as the centre of a position, the spades would at once be set in motion to dig intrenchments instead of raising batteries. Altogether, the invention is one which, while it proves Captain Moncrieff's skill as a mechanician, seems des

CAPTAIN MONCRIEFF's invention renders it possible to raise the largest guns out of a trench to a level for firing, and by a selfacting process to sink them again for the purpose of being reloaded. A trench has many advantages over a parapet, and, even if there were no others, that of altering the position of the guns at will would be suffi- tined to have as much effect upon the mode cient to insure its superiority. The gun of fighting artillery as breech-loading has under the elevator system can be moved had upon the evolutions and requirements about on a tramway, appearing at unex- of infantry. Above all, it seems to put a pected places to discharge its contents, and immediately disappearing. The objection may be suggested, that if the gun is so completely sheltered from an enemy's fire, it must also be in a position from which it is impossible to take aim. Captain Moncrieff has provided for this by means of a mirror, from the reflection in which the officer in charge can lay the gun as close upon the object aimed at as if he actually took his sight along the barrel exposed to the missiles of the enemy.

As regards field artillery, the new system would bring into still greater prominence that indispensable article in the campaigns of the future the spade. All

period to the foolish outlay of money upon fortifications.

From The Spectator.

ELDERLY TRAVELLERS.

WE wish some one of our readers who knew the Continent thirty years ago would tell us whether it was then the custom for middle-aged or aged English men and women to travel much. It is certainly the custom now, and we, who can speak only from an experience of twelve years, have a fancy that it is comparatively recent, and a

through the American war the superiority of certainty that it has increased enormously the spade as a warlike weapon was at- during the last decade. The number of tested. The army which could intrench it- English men and women over fifty-five self in the shortest space of time was, other whom one meets in France, Switzerland, things being tolerably equal, certain of vic- Italy and Madrid, - we do not say Spain, tory. The army which assaulted intrench- - is astonishing, quite sufficient to be ments was almost invariably defeated. marked as a distinct feature in the tourist's The development of the breech-loading life. It is probable that the main stream principle in Europe has rendered it more of such visitors is confined to certain wellthan ever a necessity that the hands of the worn routes, and even to a certain class of soldiers should be frequently practised in rather expensive, very homeish, and decidthe indispenable art of digging and in- edly "easy" hotels; but in those hotels, trenching. The Austrian commander at and on those routes, their presence is an Sadowa would have deprived the Prussians unquestionable and, to some eyes, a very of a great part of their superiority had he pleasant fact. It chanced to the writer recently to be on the line of the old "grand sixty would at home chuckle with glee at

tour," and to be driven by stress of impedimenta to hotels he rather avoids - they are the best in the world, but one might as well be in London and he made in no less than eight a careful calculation. Threefourths of the company at the tables d'hôte were over fifty years of age, and a third of those three-fourths looked sixty, while nearly a half were women, travelling either

the thought of walking over the St. Gothard with one night's rest. Such travellers, when accompanied by their "families," are intelligible enough. They have been forced abroad by their daughters, like the life, brighten up, and enjoy those brief periods of second youth which are so charming to all who can perceive the beauty of old age. The motives of another class, too, are not

alone, or attended by a courier and a maid. obscure. They have always travelled, and

They were decidedly for their ends successful travellers. Accident having called his attention to their extraordinary number, he made it an occupation to watch them, and arrived at the conclusion that of all travellers on these well-frequented routes, the old, and especially the decidedly old, were

are loth to give up, or they are revisiting scenes admired in youth; but there are hundreds of old and apparently lonely Englishmen about in Switzerland every autumn who never were there before, cheery old men who take small mischances as boys take them, who are the delight of guides, and

the cheeriest, the most enterprising, and the betes noires of all travellers who hate the least embarrassed. The men, no doubt, wasting money. Who are they? Are made a point of dinner, were slow and they people who have always wanted to see slightly selfish in their choice of dishes, Switzerland and never had the money in and showed a tendency to order a luxury youth, or men weary of England, or widunattainable on the Continent, old pale owers whose children have quitted home, or sherry. They were not very quick either what? They go about, usually alone, someabout languages, old gentlemen who talked times in couples, with knowing faces and

French very fairly getting utterly puzzled with that tongue when spoken German fashion, and still more with English when pronounced in no fashion at all. "What on earth," said an old gentleman at Basle, with sharp grey eyes, who looked like a solicitor in great practice, "can bloomboye' mean?" and the correct suggestion that it was "plum pie" quite lowered his confidence in himself and his education.

Apart, however, from these trivial weaknesses, the old men travelling are decidedly pleasant companions, very cheery, very tolerant, very well informed, and adventurous to a fault. They see everything worth seeing, and not requiring too much exertion, better than the young; keep up with facts much better, learn more, so to speak, from anything they see, or rather fit it more neatly into the proper pigeon-holes of the brain. They receive more through their mental pores, partly, we suspect, because they are less reserved, partly because on the Continent the liking for mature age is

decided ways, utterly free of mauvaise honte, entirely devoid of the irritability which characterizes their compeers at thirty-five, the pleasantest, easiest, best informed "tourists" to be met.

Still more remarkable are the old ladies, women of fifty and upwards, widows, spinsters, or it may be in a limited number of cases wives. The writer, or rather his wife, counted on the beaten route in a journey of six weeks upwards of two hundred such Englishwomen travelling without men, or, rarely, with a courier in attendance, and inaintains that of all travellers they were the easiest, jolliest, and in their way least vexatious to other human beings. He is inclined, from his own experience, to lay it down as an axiom that wherever in Switzerland a goat can go a British female over fifty-five thinks it her duty to go, and is perfectly safe. She can be cheated, but the cheating must be done en règle, which means according to Murray. She can be fatigued, but it is only by the presence of weak-kneed

better developed, partly, we fear, because companions of the male sex. She can be there is more cash to be got out of them, frightened, but it is only by the absence of and so the harpies take trouble to make a Protestant Church or the presence of things pleasant. Anyhow, they enjoy them- something very decidedly Ultramontane. selves without worrying other people, and Her main difficulty, after the general fact they attempt expeditions from which the that she wants two glasses of claret, and young seem to shrink, walking, for exam- does not know what in the world to do with ple, distances they would consider in Eng- the rest of the half-bottle, is whims, but it land utterly out of the question. The is one she surmounts with a courage and Gemmi, for instance, in England would good-humour far beyond rivalry. seem quite a walk to an Anglo-Indian of One we met, a cheery old lady of, say, seventy, and we question if many men of not to offend her, fifty-nine, had a clear determination to have her dog, an energetic nent, save and except young Scotchmen. nearly white Skye, with her in the trains. There is a grave, simple, heavy-voiced way, Of course no such proceeding could be en- a tone of "Is that the law now?" in which dured, - people in cocked hats were horri- these particular people resist disburse

able experience, - and said nothing. The so tolerant as the American who knows compartment was full, the door was shut, something, but there is a class of Americans

Englishwomen above fifty wandering over passes human comprehension. Americans Switzerland and North Italy, taking care at home or in England display none of of themselves, enjoying themselves, and those foibles, and why a special class of leaving, on the whole, decidedly pleasant them should give themselves that reputation impressions of old Englishwomen. For one on the Continent remains to be explained. thing, they fight an evident overcharge in a The evil will pass away, but if some Amerquieter, more persistent, better-mannered ican satirist would laugh his travelling comway than any human beings on the Conti-patriots out of their "ways," as Englishmen have at last been laughed by satirists | marked that she liked sweets, and gravely out of theirs, he would make the great went in for dinner. Of ten or twelve dishroutes far pleasanter to the remainder of mankind.

From The Spectator.

BABY TRAVELLERS.

es that child tasted every one, insisted on a separate glass of claret, and at last fixed the affections of her over-filled little person on some cheese-cakes. First she ate her own share. Then she sidled up to her governess, remarked in American that she had not had half enough, and, in French, ENGLISH travellers on the Continent that the lady opposite was clearly English, rarely or never take young children with and, under cover of her chatter, quietly them. French people do, Russians do, and stole and bolted the poor woman's cheeseso do Americans, though the latter seem to cakes. Then she turned to her mother; prefer boys and girls just out of the nursery. but her mother had passed the dish, and we Germans, however, seem to be the great thought she was at the end of her resources. offenders, wealthy persons of that nation Not a bit of it. In the shrillest and calmest thinking no shame to be accompanied by of trebles she ordered the head waiter, entire families, children, governesses, nurs- then about fifty feet off, "to bring papa es, wet-nurses, and all. What with one some more cheesecakes," clutched three, people and another, children are numerous and putting one on the governess's plate, enough on the great routes to form a dis- either out of a theory of restitution, as we tinct feature in tourist life, a class well hope, or an idea of making her an accomworth studying, a race who supply to ob- plice, as we fear, - bolted the other two, and servers perhaps the most distinct and curi- then nudged her mother for admiration. ous of all subjects of speculation. They With insignificant variations of circumare, to begin with, so very separate and so stance she was the typical American female very national. We would undertake in child as encountered in Switzerland, the any hotel on the Continent to tell the na- most independent, self-helpful, greedy littionality of any child by the arrangements tle imp alive. Male children from that con

made for his or her food, and by his or her relations to the servants. There is the American child, first, whose position is the simplest and easiest conceivable. She, if above three years of age, is "a grown up," paid for like any other guest, entitled to the same privileges, displaying the same entire independence of any kind of control, and evincing all the curious national contempt for servants of all grades. An American child of four in a Swiss hotel is perfectly capable of ordering a petit verre after dinner, and if she did would get it without the slightest interference from mamma, or the governess, or indeed any human being except possibly the waiter, who would speedily be brought to a due sense of his position and responsibilities. Dining at Zurich, a few days since, the writer noticed a perfect spec

tinent, we are bound to say, are different, their main characteristics being a portentous gravity, and a certain slow, but real, politeness wonderful to behold. Outside the table d'hôte the last remnant of self-restraint seems to be thrown off, balconies are turned into play rooms, passages into racecourses, till the entire building seems given over to shrill-voiced, dyspeptic, highspirited little imps, who in an hour or so attract to their sides a cosmopolitan assembly of all colours and ages, make them all as wicked as themselves, and, we are bound to add, rule them all with the most serene aplomb.

Next to the American children, the German are the most prominent; but their prominence is not at dinner. There they are at work on the business of life, and are

imen of the kind. She was a bright-eyed, remarkable only from the half quizzical, fair-haired little thing, probably seven years half servile attention paid to them by their old, but in appearance scarcely five, who fathers, and their astounding linguistic camarched into the room with the air of min- pacity. One of them, who sat opposite us gled curiosity and pomp so comical in sharp a fortnight since, a meek, staid-looking, children, made way for her father, a grave self-impressed little person, with red hair,

man of fifty, but calmly ordered her mother to take another chair. Mamma had seated herself outside her husband, and Baby intended to sit between her and the governess. This arrangement accomplished, ed, and waiter who proffered a high chair summarily sent into disgrace, Baby unrolled her napkin, read the menu carefully, re456

a

LIVING AGE.

VOL. XI.

talked three languages with equal fluency, ordered her father's wine, dictated some extraordinary combination of footstools and chairs which ultimately seated her about six inches above the table, and was watched by her father, a widower obviously, with a sort of admiring awe. Somehow she was like Pauline in Currer Bell's Villette, and

1

before she had been in the hotel three hours some specialty in the child was recognized; everybody nodded, or rather bowed, to her,

salutes which she returned with the gravest of inclinations, - and the waiters watched her as if their places depended on her fiat. We have an impression, quite without evidence, that her father was a man of consid

pay a franc for a glass, then, as the train started, buy the glass itself, and then, when the little imp threw glass and water out of window in a pet at the delay, take him on his knee and spend half an hour in vain attempts to bring him to a happier mood. One could understand after that why freedom of bequest seems unnatural to French

erable rank, but anyhow, in twenty-four men. Sulkiness among French travelling hours the child had made her presence dis- children is, however, very rare. As a rule, tinctly felt throughout the house, and so they seem as happy as birds, and like birds completely asserted her position that if she had ordered champagne for breakfast some one would have brought it without a glance to seek the father's consent. She, of course,

they are everywhere at once, till they form a distinct feature in the prospect. Their momentary importance pleases them, and so does the variety of scene, and when not

was not typical, being in her way a char- suffering torments from indigestion they acter and, as we suspect, but do not know, generally contrive to fill the hotels with aided by her father's place in the world; life, and movement, and happy if somewhat but it is true that, next to the Americans, shrill laughter. Though not left indepenthe Germans seem to accord their children dent, they are left with servants much more the most liberty, to treat them with the than English children are, and not always least reference to disparity of age. Both with the most beneficial result. They see mations spend for their children, too, with too much of the great vice of French sera liberality which approaches extravagance; vants, their indifference to truth. Apthe Germans lugging about small armies proaching Paris from the South a little of retainers, and the Americans submitting, while since, the writer and his wife noticed on their behalf, to the most preposterous a child, obviously of very good class, atclaims. We met in the Oberland one party tended by two nursemaids, and a young of nine, for whom a careful mother had not seminarist, whose relation to the party was only engaged nine mules, but nine guides, not easily intelligible. Arriving at the all strictly charged to prevent the slightest attempt at rapid motion.

The French children are much less independent. French mothers also allow their children to join the table d'hôte, but they do not allow them such independence, on the contrary, restraining them, if anything, more than English people do. On the oth

ticket station, the superior bonne produced two tickets, and remarked audibly that she intended to carry the child through without paying for a third. The little lady was about seven; but the conductor was informed, with all the gravity of a Frenchwoman when telling a deliberate lie, that she was under two. "Under two! but

er hand, they pay them infinitely more at- Mesdames." It was of no use, she was tention. A Frenchman cares probably a under two, and the conductor turned to the great deal more about his dinner than an theological student, still reading his breviEnglishman, but he will interrupt it much ary. "At least, Monsieur, you will not more frequently to talk to a child, will mix affirm a story so monstrous, so incredible." its wine more carefully, will discuss with a The seminarist half-raised his eye-lids, waiter more at length the suitability of par- bowed in a manner quite sacrosanct, and

ticular dishes. The American child seems to rule the family much more; but the French child absorbs it, and has, we suspect, much more influence upon its movements. It is very unusual, for example, for any but a French family to seat a servant at dinner; but they, if they have children with them, do it constantly, solely that the little

replied, "I know the child, and she is under two." "Well," affirmed the conductor, with some slight temper, "if you get that child through the barrier without a ticket I'll eat her," and disappeared. The women seemed frightened - having, we suspect, received the fare from their mistress and we anticipated a scene; but we had un

ones may be well and quickly looked after, derrated French ingenuity. "Fan must and compelled rigidly to observe les conve- play baby," said the nurse, and Fan was nances. A certain forethought for the little obviously delighted. In a minute or two people, a sense that they have rights, is she was stripped, clad in a nightgown or very perceptible in their arrangements, the chemise of some sort, a handkerchief folded care sometimes, no doubt, degenerating over her head, her hair combed back, and into most injurious fondness. We saw a she herself transformed into a baby in French father whose son, about five, had long clothes. No human being could have expressed a wish for water en route to Chur, detected the deception, unless he had no