Page:Julian Niemcewicz - Notes of my Captivity in Russia.djvu/64

36 even colonels, were lolling in beautiful carriages, with their wives or mistresses, followed by chamber-maids, cooks, footmen, &c. General Fersen, an old man of more than sixty, thin, and broken down, travelled in a beautiful lilac and silver berlin, drawn by six dapple grey horses; at his side was sitting a charming girl of sixteen, beautiful as an angel, and mischievous and playful as a fairy. But when we advanced towards the centre of the army, we had quite a different sight: two thousand of our prisoners marched with sorrowful countenances; after them went twenty pieces of cannon, which had been taken from us, and a chariot, upon which they had put some colours, and richly embroidered standards of our national cavalry. At the sight of these trophies of our unfortunate defeat, we could not restrain our tears.

After having marched six miles, we arrived in the evening at Korytnica, where the army stopped during the whole of the following day. At ten o'clock, a servant of