Spiers: Memoranda of an autumn tour in 1836
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CONT AUG 14 SUN
– its variety & the deep shade of its tall stemmed trees, standing aloft in naked beauty, for of underwood there was not, gratified me much & made me forget my malady. About 9 miles I had to walk, and quickly I applied to a dentist who relieved of an old servant, whose decay rendered further service a pain. A warm bath, the grand mass at the cathedral which was well nigh crammed with devotees, streets filled with gay promenaders & the square of the hotel de Ville with flowers sustained me pleasantly till the Diligence took me to Waterloo. Its church contains many monuments to the memory of those who fell at the battle – but this village although giving its name to the memorable fight was not the scene of it – 2 miles farther on at Mont St Jean & thence extending on ridges right, left & en face being the place occupied by our army – which formed the inner segment of a circle (drawing) while the outer one was Napoleon's situation. It is not my intention however to give here a description of the battle I need only record our doings on the field. After dinner there we surveyed it from the summit of the artificial mound erected by the King of Holland as a monument & excellently well it serves as a platform whence the whole of the country may be viewed. A lion of colossal size on a stone pediment is placed on the summit. Hence we ran down its side & across the country to Le Chateau de Hougoumont, which was the key of our position & formed the principal point of attack by the French troops. It remains in its shattered state, with the loop holes made in the brick walls, thro' which our musketry might act, & the principal part of the chateau blown up by shells & balls. By a strange chance, the chapel escaped demolition. We brought away some relics and increased much the weight of our knapsacks before leaving the field. – La Belle Alliance also we visited.
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