me upon some
old ruin, one of which, called Kreifenstein Castle, and the property of
Graff Schaff-Koatch, presents a peculiarly striking appearance, the eye
finds its powers of vision bounded at last by the Riesengebirgen, which
have as yet lost no portion of the sublimity of character that belongs
to them, though they are now removed to a distance, as the crow flies,
of at least twenty miles. We took what we suspected would prove to be
our last distinct view of the magnificent range, not without
experiencing a portion of that melancholy which never fails to arise
out of a lasting separation even from inanimate objects, which may have
gratified our tastes, or interested our imaginations.

We had met on the road as we trudged along, several small parties of
soldiers; twos and threes, belonging to the landwehr, or militia of the
country, of which the season for training was arrived. This was not,
however, the commencement of our acquaintance with that remarkably
fine-looking body of men. While we lingered in Hirschberg, doubtful
what course to pursue, there marched past the window of the hotel about
two hundred as superb infantry as I should desire to see; stout,
well-made, soldier-like fellows, in the full vigour of manhood, well
bearded and moustached, and altogether presenting the appearance of men
who had served at least half-a-dozen campaigns, and were ready to serve
half-a-dozen more. Their uniform resembled that of the Prussian
infantry in general; that is to say, they wore blue, well-made coats,
white trousers, chacos with small round white tufts, and hairy
knapsacks on their backs. Their muskets were longer, and smaller in the
bore than ours, and the barrels were fastened to the stocks by brass
rings that encircled them. Nothing could exceed the order or regularity
of their movements: their step, it struck me, was shorter than ours,
but then it fell more rapidly; their equipments were decidedly neater;
and above all, the load which each man carried was much less
considerable. In one respect, however, and only in one, we have an
advantage over them. They still adhere to the practice of carrying a
large camp-kettle for each mess, whereas our tins suffice both for
cooking and containing the meat when cooked, and with one of these each
man is supplied.

I have elsewhere explained the process by which every male inhabitant
of Prussia becomes in some shape or another, available for the military
defence of the country