Rhine; which stayed the French in these sacrilegious procedures.


PRINCE KARL GETS ACROSS THE RHINE (20 JUNE-2 JULY, 1744).

Prince Karl, some weeks ago, at Heilbronn, joined his Rhine Army,
which had gathered thither from the Austrian side, through Baiern,
and from the Hither-Austrian or Swabian Winter-quarters; with full
intent to be across the Rhine, and home upon Elsass and the
Compensation Countries, this Summer, under what difficulties
soever. Karl, or, as some whisper, old Marshal Traun, who is
nominally second in command, do make a glorious campaign of it,
this Year;--and lift the Cause of Liberty, at one time, to the
highest pitch it ever reached. Here, in brief terms, is Prince
Karl's Operation on the Rhine, much admired by military men:--

"STOCKSTADT, JUNE 20th, 1744. Some thirty and odd miles north of
Mannheim, the Rhine, before turning westward at Mainz, makes one
other of its many Islands (of which there are hundreds since the
leap at Schaffhausen): one other, and I think the biggest of them
all; perhaps two miles by five; which the Germans call KUHKOPF
(Cowhead), from the shape it has,--a narrow semi-ellipse;
River there splitting in two, one split (the western) going
straight, the other bending luxuriantly round: so that the HIND-
head or straight end of the Island lies towards France, and the
round end, or cow-LIPS (so to speak) towards native Teutschland,
and the woody Hills of the Berg-Strasse thereabouts. Stockstadt,
chief little Town looking over into this Cowhead Island, lies under
the CHIN: understand only farther that the German branch carries
more than two-thirds of the River; that on the Island itself there