“ The passing through the town day and night of wagons filled with various stores, on their way to the military bridge, occasioned prodigious noises of all descriptions. Many heavy pieces of artillery, each drawn by ten horses, passed through with caissons and ammunition-wagons, leaving about five or six regiments in the entrenched camp. Day and night, this scene of the passing and repassing of every military requisite continued, impressing the mind of the uninitiated with the desperate character of war. Troops, horses and men filled all the streets. ”

“ On the dyke or road above, there were light horse, foot-soldiers, horses, horses of all sorts roped to the wagons, some of which were in motion, others stationary; and all these various objects seen beneath a stormy sky, made the finest sight an artist could behold! But the weather and the fear of being taken for a spy compelled the artist, much against his will, to refrain from making any use of these picturesque materials. Captain Woodford left Nimeguen about the middle of October, and in less than three weeks after it was in the hands of the French. ”

“ Even where the road was what might be called good, in comparison, it was still so bad that no farmer s wagon would have attempted it, and the only wonder was that the carriages did not sustain more serious damage.
Travellers we found as rare as birds of paradise [writes Mr. Reinagle] . Not one did we ever meet either on foot, on horseback, or in a wagon. The fact was that no human being could find a safe footing anywhere in these straits and ravines of ice, water and mud, years old. No repairs ever take place in all the north of Germany. ”

“ The next morning the procession started again and steered for Steinfurt, along a wretched, winding road, filled with ruts two feet deep, and large hidden holes full of snow, slush, and broken ice. The Westphalian roads were, too, often so narrow, besides being bounded on either side by banks of earth, that it was impossible for two vehicles to pass one another. Moreover, the axles of the English carriages were wider than those of the country and gave infinite trouble ”

“ All the ornamental trees on both sides of each road leading to and from the city were cut down and laid across the said roads, as barricades to the advance of the French. The enemy were so near us that if any one went on the ramparts he was sure to be fired at. I was mortified at being forbidden by Captain Woodford to attempt such a thing. I feared nothing. I observed that, go into whatever house I would, the people were drinking tea day and night; their teapots being always close to their turf fires. Bread and butter sliced was in constant readiness ”

“ At last he had the good fortune to meet with a M. Devaux, a Fleming, and after some time spent in negotiations as to terms, etc., this gentleman undertook to persuade the Prince of Waldeck to allow the worn-out wanderers to take refuge in Pyrmont, and promised to discount bills, and provide lodgings, horses, baggage-wagons, forage and all other necessaries. This good news brought relief and joy to multitudes, for fear and hatred had closed every heart and door against them; the Dutch hated the English with all their hearts, and not, it is to be feared, without serious cause. ”

“ Women and children were screaming from the intense cold and want of food, and the miserable troops, after halting for a few hours, were obliged to move on without their rations, to make room for those who followed.
Some officers, who were acquainted with Captain Woodford and came to his quarters one morning, half starved and nearly frozen to death, to ask for some breakfast, reported that they had passed hundreds of men on the way, who had lain down on the snow from sheer inability to proceed any farther, and had there perished. ”

“ The road recommended to them was said to be good all the way to Custerlot, but when they had passed Rheda, it was found to be completely inundated, frozen over, and impassable. The road was narrow, the banks steep, and the horses were sunk above the girths in water and ice, as with great difficulty and no little danger they struggled up the bank and into the meadows which bordered the road, dragging their respective vehicles after them. The cook's wagon had the narrowest possible escape from being overturned into the water ”

“ So we went on for an hour, he thundering his Dutch, I parrying in French. Then he appealed to the idle officers and consulted them; but they said they could not interfere, he must act on his own responsibility and according to his instructions. "Oh! ah! yes! I know that." Then addressing the soldier, he went on: — "I tell you what, Soldaten, take good care not to bring me fellows who can't speak Dutch. Take care you learn that first, and don't bother me to examine people whom I can't understand. Here, Mr. Artist, as you can't speak Dutch and I can't French, you may go about your business." ”

“ The magistrate had only wanted to get rid of them, and no congratulated himself on his success; for the hatred to us English was universal. Every man, woman, and child was our bitter enemy, thanks to the pillaging, burning, and destroying of all that came in their way, practised by our troops. "Not a cottage within any distance" of their route was spared; for wherever the inhabitants dared to resist the plunderers, their houses were fired.
"As to our officers being present to save the harmless country-people, none came within the range of our observation," says Mr. Reinagle. ”

“ By this time the winter had set in with bitter severity, and heavy falls of snow impeded their flight. Several splendid horses, worth £80 a piece, were purchased for sums varying from £15 to £20; four fine black ones for Captain Woodford's carriage — two for the curricle driven by his secretary, and four for the Hussar and three servants who attended them — so the train was a conspicuous one. Their route lay east in the direction of Deventer, and their usual pace was one mile an hour over sandy roads, rendered still more heavy by the deep snow. ”

“ When we arrived at our next station, there was a woman who was very kind to us, an event quite remarkable and deserving of note, for we found no feelings of humanity anywhere. Men and women were alike brutalized. Troops were scattered all along the roads we travelled on, creeping at a slow foot-pace. ”

“ It was impossible to get out of their prison; but by dint of great effort, they succeeded in wrenching open a window, and the smoke slowly escaped, but the cold wind came in, and they dared not extinguish the fire; so in this plight they had to remain till morning, when a party of soldiers arrived, set them at liberty, and removed the straw. Not one of the peasants was to be seen; but in the chimney were found nearly twenty hams and plenty of beef, which the starving troops did not suffer to remain there long. ”

“ The retreating army was pursued at all speed by fifty thousand of the French, who hoped to compel it to surrender. After a two months' march, during which the men were frequently up to the middle in ice, snow, mud, and water, Bremen was reached at the end of March, and the unfortunate troops were received and entertained with the utmost kindness by the inhabitants, whose conduct formed a marked contrast with that of the Dutch. ↑ Their anticipations were so far realized that Mr. Reinagle searched one town all over for a tooth-brush, but in vain ”

“ If the body should be claimed by relations or friends, it would be given up to them on payment of twelve guilders (about a guinea) .
No one dared take the drowned person out of the canal until the hospital authorities had been communicated with, unless it was evident that life was not extinct. ”

“ Before they could muster their train, however, the soldiery were in advance of them, and they took another road, which, though less direct, gave them the advantage of being able to proceed at something more than a foot-pace, their usual rate of progress when preceded by the troops.
The frost was still most severe, the air glittering with frozen particles. Münster was reached at 2 P.M.
The Westphahians [remarks Mr. Reinagle] are very very ugly, and the clumsiest people we had seen in our wandering travels ”