as men only can—or only do—live and spend
money in Paris. At six-and-twenty he found
himself so far ruined, that, in order to let his
estates recover themselves, not a penny of their
rents should be touched for at least ten years.
He determined to make the sacrifice, kept a
hundred pounds a year to live on, enlisted in the
Chasseurs d'Afrique, went through the Italian
campaign, is a steady soldier, an excellent horseman,
and will in due time gain his epaulets.
The officers of the same squadron have one and
all risen from the ranks, having all enlisted as
private chasseurs, and in a few years worked
their way upward. They have all seen more or
less service, many in the Crimea, others in Italy,
and the whole corps at various times and in
different expeditions in Algeria. They appeared
a very gentlemanly well-informed set of men,
not too professional in their talk, but showing
considerable esprit de corps when the subject of
their regiment was broached. I observed a
particularly kindly feeling between all ranks of this
regiment.

The Chasseurs d'Afrique are well mounted,
their horses bearing considerable resemblance to
those provided by the government of India for
the use of our dragoons serving in that country.
In stable duties, although superior to many of
the French cavalry regiments, they fall short of
the corps in our own service; their horses not
being as well groomed nor in as good condition
as they ought to be. Their accoutrements, too,
are by no means so neat, or so neatly kept, as
in the English cavalry. On the march each
trooper carries one-fourth of a tent d'abris,
which, on arrival at the camp, forms a shelter
from the night air for himself and three
companions. The horse blanket, which folds under
the saddle, serves as a cover at night for the
soldier. The arms consist of a carbine, which
is carried slung, muzzle upwards, behind and
above the left shoulder, and under the right
arm. Although a good weapon, it is much too
long to be used with any effect on horseback.
Their swords are of the usual cut-and-thrust
pattern. The uniform is a light blue jacket,
with the usual red trousers of the French army,
booted with leathers up to the knee. Latterly
the Emperor has made an improvement in the
jackets of this corps, which might be copied
with advantage in every cavalry regiment in
the world. Instead of the usual tight-fitting
garment which goes by that name, it is changed
in shape and size, so as to form an easy loose
pelisse, coming well down below the hips, long
enough to keep clear of the rider's seat on
horseback, and large enough to be quite cool in
summer: while in winter a thick waistcoat, or
even a jacket, might be worn under it with
comfort and ease. This pelisse is of a light blue
colour, handsomely braided with black, and forms
by far the most useful and most soldier-like
garment I have ever seen worn by any cavalry.

There were two admirable changes in costume
which I observed in all the French troops in
Syria last year. The first of these is the
adaptation of the broad warm Eastern sash, which
winds round and round the stomach and loins,
greatly preventing cholera, bowel complaints,
and rheumatism, and affording great support
to the back. This is an article of dress
universally worn by all travellers and sojourners in
the Levant. In the French army it is made of a
light blue merino, is nearly eighteen inches
broad, and about twelve feet long. It is much
liked by the men, and is said to have saved
many lives both in very hot and in damp
weather. The other alteration in dress, and to
which too much praise can hardly be given, is
the total abolition of the stock, both for officers
and soldiers: the former wearing narrow black
silk neckcloths, which are almost hidden by
the collars of their jackets: the latter having
a light blue merino neckcloth, or small shawl,
worn once or twice round the throat,
according as the weather may be cold or otherwise.
I was told that the Emperor intended to
abolish stocks altogether from the army.

The Zouaves form a service which has some
of the same peculiarities as the Chasseurs
d'Afrique, but has also its particular
"specialities." Besides the Zouaves de la Garde,
which always form part of the garrison of Paris,
there are three regiments of these troops, raised
exclusively for service in Algiers; composed,
like the Chasseurs, entirely of Frenchmen; but
raised exclusively for service in Africa, although
sent to take part in the campaigns of the Crimea
and of Italy, and latterly in the Syrian expedition.
The Zouaves consist of three regiments,
each regiment having three battalions of a
thousand strong: so, in addition to the Zouaves
of the Guard, there exist nine thousand of this
picked infantry. In Syria last summer, there
was but one battalion of these troops, nearly
every man of which was decorated for former
services, in Africa, the Crimea, or Italy, either
with the Legion of Honour, the Crimean, or the
Italian medal. Many of these warriors had
two, three, and some had even four decorations,
on the breast. The discipline of the Zouaves
is considered in many respects very loose by
the rest of the French army, and would be
deemed exceedingly so in the English service.
Still it cannot be denied that they form a
splendid body of infantry, with a peculiar dash
and esprit de corps, which carries them through
anything. Many a time have I wondered to
see these men mounting the steep goat paths of
Lebanon, carrying the enormous loads which
the French infantry have to bear, and still as
fresh and lively at the end of a ten hours' march
under a Syrian sun as they would have been
after a pleasure trip on a French spring day.
No doubt their dress helps them greatly in
accomplishing pedestrian feats with ease; and the
wonder is that a costume so vastly superior
to all others for the infantry soldier has not
been extensively copied in Europe. In the
article of dress one thing surprised me very
much last summer in the Lebanon. The sun
was fierce and burning, as a Syrian sun always
is from June to November; so fierce and so
burning, that although I had been pretty well