history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第16部分

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o　be　erratic；　and　destructive　on　the　eastern　low　grounds；had　not　the　Frankfurters　built　an　'Oder…Dam'　on　that　side；　a　broad　strong　Earth…mound；　running　for　many　miles；　and　confining　its　floods。　Beyond　the　Dam　there　are　traces　of　an　'Old　Oder　（ALTE　ODER）；'　and；　in　fact；　Oder；　in　primeval　and　in　recent　time；　has　gone　along；　many…streamed；　indenting；　quarrying；　leaving　lakelets；　quagmires；　miscellaneous　sandy　tumult；　at　a　great　rate；　on　that　eastern　shore。　Making　of　it　one　of　the　unloveliest　scenes　of　chaotic　desolation　anywhere　to　be　met　with；fallen　unlovelier　than　ever　in　our　own　more　recent　times。

〃What　we　call　the　Heights　of　Kunersdorf　is　a　broad　Chain　of　Knolls；　coming　out；　at　right…angles；　or　as　a　kind　of　spur；　from　the　eastern　high　grounds；　direct　towards　Oder　and　Frankfurt。　Mill…Hill　（MUHLBERG）　is　the　root　or　easternmost　part　of　this　spur。　From　the　Muhlberg；　over　Kunersdorf；　to　Oder…Dam；　which　is　the　whole　length　of　the　spur；　or　Chain　of　Knolls；　will　be　little　short　of　four　miles；　the　breadth　of　the　Chain　is　nowhere　one　mile；which　is　its　grand　defect　as　a　Camp：　'too　narrow　for　manoeuvring　in。'　Here；　atop　and　on　the　three　sides　of　this　Block　of　Knolls；　was　fought　the　furious　Battle　of　Kunersdorf　＇to　be　fought　to…morrow＇；　one　of　the　most　furious　ever　known。　A　Block　of　Knolls　memorable　ever　since。

〃To　all　appearance：　it　was　once　some　big　Island　or　chain　of　Islands　in　the　Oder　deluges：　it　is　still　cut　with　sudden　hollows；KUHGRUND　（Cow…Hollow）；　TIEFE　WEG　（Deep　Way）；　and　westernmost　of　all；　and　most　important　for　us　here；　HOHLE　GRUND　（Big　Hollow；　let　us　call　it；　'LOUDON'S　Hollow'　people　subsequently　called　it）；and　is　everywhere　strangely　tumbled　up　into　knolls　blunt　or　sharp；　the　work　of　primeval　Oder　in　his　rages。　In　its　highest　knolls；of　which　let　readers　note　specially　the　Spitzberg；　the　Muhlberg；　the　Judenberg；it　rises　nowhere　to　150　feet；　perhaps　the　general　height　of　it　may　be　about　100。　On　each　side　of　it；　especially　on　the　north；　the　Country　is　of　most　intricate　character：　bushy；　scraggy；　with　brooklets　or　muddy　oozings　wandering　about；　especially　with　a　thing　called　the　HUNERFLIESS　（Hen…Floss）；　which　springs　in　the　eastern　woods；　and　has　inconceivable　difficulty　to　get　into　Oder；if　it　get　at　all！　This　was　a　sore　Floss　to　Friedrich　to…morrow。　Hen…Floss　struggles；　painfully　meandering　and　oozing；　along　the　northern　side　（sometimes　close；　sometimes　not）　of　our　Chain　of　Knolls：　along　the　south　side　of　it　（in　our　time；　through　the　middle　of　it）　goes　the　Highway　to　Reppen　＇〃From　that　Highway　will　his　attack　come！〃　thought　the　Russians；　always　till　to…day＇：　on　the　north；　to　Leissow；　to　Trettin；〃　where　Friedrich　is　now　on　survey；　〃go　various　wheel…tracks；　but　no　firm　road。　A　most　intricate　unlovely　Country。　Withered　bent…grasses；　heath；　perhaps　gorse；　and　on　both　sides　a　great　deal　of　straggling　Forest…wood；　reaching　eastward；　and　especially　southward；　for　many　miles。

〃For　the　rest；〃　to　our　ill…luck　in　this　place；　〃the　Battlefield　of　Kunersdorf　has　had　a　peculiar　fate　in　the　world；　that　of　being　blown　away　by　the　winds！　The　then　scene　of　things　exists　no　longer；　the　descriptions　in　the　Old　Books　are　gone　hopelessly　irrecognizable。　In　our　time；　there　is　not　anywhere　a　tract　more　purely　of　tumbled　sand；　than　all　this　between　Kunersdorf　and　Dam　Vorstadt；　and　you　judge；　without　aid　of　record　or　tradition；　that　it　is　greatly　altered　for　the　worse　since　Friedrich's　time；some　rabbit…colony；　or　other　the　like　insignificancy；　eating　out　the　roots；　till　all　vegetation　died；　and　the　wind　got　hold　and　set　it　dancing；and　that；　in　1759；　when　Russian　human　beings　took　it　for　a　Camp；　it　must　have　been　at　least　coherent；　more　or　less；　covered；　held　together　by　some　film　of　scrubby　vegetation；　not　blowing　about　in　every　wind　as　now！　Kunersdorf　stands　with　its　northern　end　pushed　into　that　KUHGRUND　（Cow…Hollow）；　which　must　then　have　been　a　grassy　place。　Eastward　of　Kunersdorf　the　ground　has　still　some　skin　of　peat；　and　sticks　together：　but　westward；　all　that　three　miles；　it　is　a　mere　tumult　of　sand…hills；　tumbled　about　in　every　direction　（so　diligent　have　the　conies　been；　and　then　the　winds）；　no　gullet；　or　definite　cut　or　hollow；　now　traceable　anywhere；　but　only　an　endless　imbroglio　of　twisted　sand…heaps　and　sand…hollows；　which　continually　alter　in　the　wind…storms。　Sand　wholly；　andexcept　the　strong　paved　Highway　that　now　runs　through　it　（to　Reppen；　Meseritz　and　the　Polish　Frontier；　and　is　strongly　paved　till　it　get　through　Kunersdorf）chaotic　wholly；　a　scene　of　heaped　barrenness　and　horror；　not　to　be　matched　but　in　Sahara；　the　features　of　the　Battle　quite　blown　away；　and　indecipherable　in　our　time。

〃A　hundred　years　ago；　it　would　have　some　tattered　skin；of　peat；　of　heather　and　dwarf　whins；　with　the　sand　cropping　out　only　here　and　there。　So　one　has　to　figure　it　in　Soltikof's　day；before　the　conies　ruined　it。　Which　was　not　till　within　the　last　sixty　years；　as　appears。　Kriele's　Book　（in　1801）　still　gives　no　hint　of　change：　the　KUHGRUND；　which　now　has　nothing　but　dry　sand　for　the　most　industrious　ruminant；　is　still　a　place　of　succulence　and　herbage　in　Kriele's　time；　'Deep　Way；'　where　'at　one　point　two　carts　could　not　pass；'　was　not　yet　blown　out　of　existence；　but　has　still　'a　Well　in　it'　for　Kriele；　HOHLE　GRUND　（since　called　Loudon's　Hollow）；　with　the　Jew　Hill　and　Jew　Churchyard　beyond；　seem　tolerable　enough　places　to　Kriele。　Probably　not　unlike　what　the　surrounding　Country　still　is。　A　Country　of　poor　villages；　and　of　wild　ground；　flat　generally；　and　but　tolerably　green；　with　lakelets；　bushes；　scrubs；　and　intricate　meandering　little　runlets　and　oozelets；　and　in　general　with　more　of　Forest　so　called　than　now　is：this　is　Kunersdorf　Chain　of　Knolls；　Soltikof's　Intrenched　Camp　at　present；　destined　to　become　very　famous　in　the　world；　after　lying　so　long　obscure　under　Oder　and　its　rages。〃　＇TOURIST'S　NOTE　（Autumnn；　1852）。＇

From　the　Knolls　of　Trettin；　that　Saturday　afternoon；　Friedrich　takes　view　of　the　Russian　Camp。　All　lying　bright　enough　there；　from　Muhlberg　to　Judenberg；　convenient　to　our　glass；　between　us　and　the　evening　Sun。　Batteries　most　abundant；　difficulties　great：　Soltikof　just　ahead　here；　72；000：　Loudon　at　the　Red　Grange　yonder；　on　their　extreme　left；　with　18；000　more。　An　uncommonly　strong　position　for　90；000　against　50；000。　One　thing　strikes　Friedrich：　On　front　in　this　northern　side；　close　by　the　base　of　the　Russian　Camp；　runsfor　the　present　away　FROM　Oder；　but　intending　to　join　it　elsewhere　a　paltry　little　Brook；　〃Hen…Floss〃　so　called；　with　at　least　two　successive　Mills　on　it　（KLEINE　MUHLE；　GROSSE　MUHLE）；　and　on　the　northern　shore　of　it；　spilling　itself　out　into　a　wet　waste　called　ELSBRUCH　（Alder　Waste）；　which　is　especially　notable　to　Friedrich。　ALDER　Waste？　Watery；　scrubby；　no　passage　there；　thinks　Friedrich；　which　his　Peasant　with　the　water…jug　confirms。　〃Tell　me；　however；〃　inquires　Friedrich；　with　strictness；　〃From　the　Red　Grange　yonder；　where　General　Loudon　is；　if　you　wished　to　get　over　to　the　HOHLE　GRUND；　or　to　the　Judenberg；　would　you　cross　that　Hen…Floss？〃　〃It　is　not　crossable；　your　Majesty；　one　has　to　go　round　quite　westward　by　the　Dam。〃　〃　What；　from　Rothe　Vorwerk　to　Big　Hollow；　no　passage；　say　you；　no　crossing？〃　〃None；　your　Majesty；〃　insists　the　Peasant；who　is　not　aware　that　the　Russians　have　made　one　of　firm　trestles　and　logs；　and　use　it　daily　for　highway　there；　an　error　of　some　interest　to　Friedrich　within　the　next　twenty…four　hours！

Friedrich　himself　does　not　know　this　bit　of　ground：　but　there　is　with　him；　besides　the　Peasant；　a　Major　Linden；　whose　Regiment　used　to　lie　in　Frankfurt；　of　whom　Friedrich　makes　minute　questioning。　Linden　answers　confidently；　has　been　over　all　this　tract　a　hundred　times；　〃but　knows　it　only　as　a　hunter；〃　says　Tempelhof；　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　186。＇　〃not　as　a　soldier；〃　which　he　ought　to　have　done。　His　answers　are　supposed　to　have　misled　Friedrich　on　various　points；　and　done　him　essential　damage。　Friedrich's　view　of　the　case；　that　evening；　is　by　no　means　so　despondent　as　might　be　imagined：　he　regards　the　thing　as　difficult；　not　as　impossible；　and　one　of　his　anxieties　is；　that　he　be　not　balked　of　trying　it　straightway。　Retiring　to　his　hut　in　Bischofsee；　he　makes　two　Dispositions；　of　admirable　clearness；　brevity；　and　calculated　for　two　contingencies：　＇Given　in　Tempelhof；　iii。　182；　183。＇　That　of　the　enemy　retaining　his　now　posture；　and　That　of　the　enemy　making　off　for　Reppen；which　latter　does　not　at　all　concern　us；　as　matters　turned！　Of　the　former　the　course　will　unfold　itself　to　us；　in　practice；　shortly。　At　2　A。M。　Friedrich　will　be　on　foot　again；　at　3　on　march　again。The　last　phenomenon；　at　Bischofsee　this　night；　is　some　sudden　glare　of　disastrous　light　rising　over　the　woods：　〃Russians　burning　Kunersdorf！〃　as　neighbors　are　sorry　to　hear。　That　is　the　finale　of　much　Russian　rearranging　and　tumbling；　this　day；　that　barbarous　burning　of　Kunersdorf；　before　going　to　bed。　To…morrow　various　other　poor　Villages　got　burnt　by　them；　which　they　had　better　have　left　standing。

The　Russians；　on　hearing　that　Friedrich　was　across　at　Goritz；　and　coming　on　them　from　the　north　side；　not　from　Frankfurt　by　the　Reppen　Highway；　were　in　great　agitation。　Not　thrown　into　terror；　but　into　manifold　haste；　knowing　what　hasty　adversary　there　was。　Endless　readjustments　they　have　to　make；　a　day　of　tumultuous　business　with　the　Russians；　this　Saturday；　llth；　when　the　news　reached　them。　〃They　inverted　their　front　＇say　all　the　Books　but　Friedrich's　own＇：　Not　coming　by　the　Reppen　Highway；　then！〃　think　they。　And　thereupon　changed　rear　to　front；　as　at　Zorndorf；　but　more　elaborately；which　I　should　not　mention；　were　it　not　that　hereby　their　late　〃right　wing　on　the　Muhlberg〃　has；　in　strict　speech；　become　their　〃left；〃　and　there　is　ambiguity　and　discrepancy　in　some　of　the　Books；　should　any　poor　reader　take　to　studying　them　on　this　matter。　Changed　their　front；　which　involves　much　interior　changing；　readjusting　of　batteries　and　the　like。　That　of　burning　Kunersdorf　was　the　barbaric　winding　up　of　all　this：　barbaric；　and；　in　the　military　sense；　absurd；　poor　Kunersdorf　could　have　been　burnt　at　any　moment；　if　needful；　and　to　the　Russians　the　keeping　of　it　standing　was　the　profitable　thing；　as　an　impediment　to　Friedrich　in　his　advance　there。　They　have　laid　it　flat　an