ten　miles：　Zorndorf；　the　most　considerable　Village　in　this　tract；　lieslittle　dreaming　of　the　sad　glory　coming　to　itpretty　much　in　the　centre　between　big　Warta　and　smaller　Mutzel。　The　Country　is　by　nature　a　peat　wilderness；　far　and　wide；　but　it　has　been　tamed　extensively；　grows　crops；　green　pastures；　is　elsewhere　covered　with　wood　（Scotch　fir；　scraggy　in　size；　but　evidently　under　forest　management）；　perhaps　half　the　country　is　in　Fir　tracts；　what　they　call　HEIDEN　（Heaths）；　the　cultivated　spaces　lying　like　light…green　islands　with　black…green　channels　and　expanses　of　circumambient　Fir。　The　Drewitz　Heath；　the　Massin　or　Zither　Heath；　and　others　about　Zorndorf；　will　become　notable　to　us。　The　Country　is　now　much　drier　than　in　Friedrich's　time；　the　human　spade　doing　its　duty　everywhere：　so　that　much　of　the　Battle…ground　has　become　irrecognizable；　when　compared　with　the　old　marshy　descriptions　given　of　it。　Zorndorf；　a　rough　substantial　Hamlet；　has　nothing　of　boggy　now　visible　near　by；　lies　east　to　west；　a　firm　broad　highway　leading　through：　a　sea　of　forest　before　it；　to　south；　to　north；　good　dry　barley…grounds　or　rye…grounds；　sensibly　rising　for　half　a　mile；　then　waving　about　in　various　slow　slight　changes　of　level　towards　Quartschen；　Zicher；　&c。：　forming　an　irregular　cleared　'island；'　altogether　of　perhaps　four　miles　by　three；　with　unlimited　circumambiencies　of　wood。　It　was　here；　on　this　island　as　we　call　it；　that　the　Battle；　which　has　made　Zorndorf　famous；　was　fought。
  〃Zorndorf　（or　even　the　open　ground　half　a　mile　to　north　of　it；　which　will　be　more　important　to　us）　is　probably　not　50　feet　above　the　level　of　the　Mutzel；　nor　100　above　Warta　and　Oder；　six　miles　off；　but　it　is　the　crown　of　the　Country；the　ground　dropping　therefrom　every　way；　in　lazy　dull　waves　or　swells；　towards　Tamsel　and　Gross　Kamin　on　southeast；　towards　Birken…Busch；　Quartschen；　Darmutzel　＇DAR　of　the　Mutzel；　whatever　〃DAR〃　may　be。＇　on　northwest；　as　well　as　towards　Damm　and　its　Bridge　northeast；　where　Friedrich　will　soon　be；　and　towards　Custrin　southwest；　where　he　lately　was；　each　a　five　or　six　miles　from　Zorndorf。
  〃Such　is　the　poor　moorland　tract　of　Country；　Zorndorf　the　centre　of　it；where　the　battle　is　likely　to　be：Zorndorf　and　environs　a　bare　quasi…island　among　these　woods；　extensive　bald　crown　of　the　landscape；　girt　with　a　frizzle　of　firwoods　all　round。　Boggy　pools　there　are；　especially　on　the　western　side　（all　drained　in　our　time）。　Mutzel；　or　north　side；　is　of　course　the　lowest　in　level：　and　accordingly；〃　what　is　much　to　be　marked　by　readers　here；　〃from　the　south；　or　Zorndorf　side；　at　wide　intervals；　there　saunter　along；　in　a　slow　obscure　manner；　Three　miserable　continuous　Leakages；　or　oozy　Threads　of　Water；　all　making　for　Quartschen；　to　north　or　northwest；　there　to　disembogue　into　the　Mutzel。　Each　of　these　has　its　little　Hollow；　of　which　the　westernmost；　called　Zabern　Hollow　（ZABERNGRUND）；　is　the　most　considerable；　and　the　most　important　to　us　here：　GALGENGRUND　（Gallows…Hollow）　is　also　worth　naming　in　this　Battle；　the　third　Leakage；　though　without　importance；　invites　us　to　name　it；　HOSEBRUCH；　quasi　STOCKING…　quagmire；because　you　can　use　no　stockings　there；　except　with　manifest　disadvantage。〃Take　this　other　concluding　trait：
  。。。　〃Inexpressible　fringe　of　marsh；　two　or　three　miles　broad；　mostly　bottomless；　woven　with　sluggish　creeks　and　stagnant　pools；　borders　the　Warta　for　many　miles　towards　Landsberg；　Custrin…Landsberg　Causeway　the　alone　sure　footing　in　it；　after　which；　the　country　rises　insensibly；　but　most　beneficially；　and　is　mainly　drier　till　you　get　to　the　Mutzel　again；　and　find　the　same　fringe　of　mud　lace…work　again；　Zorndorf　we　called　the　crown　of　it。　Tamsel；　Wilkersdorf；　Klein　Kamin；　Gross　Kamin；　and　other　places　known　to　us；　lie　on　the　dry　turf…fuel　country；　but　looking　over　close　upon　the　hem　of　that　marsh…fringe；　and　no　doubt　getting　peats；　wild　ducks；　pike…fishes；　eels；　and　snatches　of　summer　pasture　and　cow…hay　out　of　it。〃
  Thursday；　August　24th；　Friedrich　is　again　speeding　on；　occupying　Darmutzel　and　other　crossing…places　of　the　Mutzel；　＇Mitchell　to　Holderness；　〃DErmItzel；　24th　August；　1758〃　（MEMOIRS　AND　PAPERS；　i。　425；　Ib。　ii。　40…47；　Mitchell's　Private　Journal）。＇　by　no　means　himself　crossing　there；　on　the　contrary；　carefully　breaking　all　the　Bridges　before　he　go　（〃No　retreat　for　those　Russian　vagabonds；　only　death　or　surrender　for　them！〃）himself　not　intending　to　cross　till　he　be　up　at　Damm；　Neu　Damm；　well　eastward　of　his　Russians；　and　have　got　them　all　pinfolded　between　Mutzel　and　Oder　in　that　way。　In　the　evening；　he　reaches　Damm　and　the　Mill　of　Damm；　some　three　or　four　miles　higher　up　the　Mutzel；and　there　pushes　partly　across　at　once。　That　is　to　say；　his　vanguard　at　once；　and　takes　a　defensive　position；　his　Artillery　and　other　Divisions　by　degrees；　in　the　silent　night　hours；　and；　before　daybreak　to…morrow；　every　soul　will　be　across；　and　the　Bridge　broken　again；　and　Fermor　had　better　have　his　accounts　settled。
  Fermor's　roving　Cossack　clouds　seldom　bring　him　in　intelligence；　but　only　return　stained　with　charcoal　grime　and　red　murder：　up　to　late　last　night；　he　had　not　known　where　Friedrich　was　at　all；　had　idly　thought　him　busy　with　the　Schaumburg　Redoubt；　on　the　other　side　of　Oder；　fencing　and　precautioning：　but　now　（night　of　the　23d）；　these　Cossacks　do　come　in　with　news；　〃Indisputable　to　our　poor　minds；　the　Prussians　are　at　Klossow　yonder；captured　a　dozen　green　vagabonds　of　us；　and　have　sent　us　galloping！〃which　news；　with　the　night　closing　in　on　him；　was　astonishing；　thrice　and　four　times　important　to　Fermor。
  Instantly　he　raises　the　siege　of　Custrin；　any　siege　there　was；　gets　his　immense　baggage…train　shoved　off　that　night　to　Klein　Kamin；　Landsberg　way；　summons　the　force　from　Landsberg　to　join　him　without　loss　of　a　moment；and　in　the　meanwhile　pitches　himself　in　long　bivouac　in　the　Drewitz　Wood　or　Fir…Heath；　with　the　quaggy　Zaberngrund　in　front。　Quaggy　Zaberngrund；do　readers　remember　it；　one　of　those　〃Three　continuous　Leakages；〃　very　important；　to　Fermor　and　us　at　present？　This　is　the　safest　place　Fermor　can　find　for　himself；　scraggy　firs　around；　good　quagmires　and　Zabern　Hollow　in　front；　looking　to　the　east；　waiting　what　a　new　day　will　bring。　That　was　Fermor's　posture；　while　Friedrich　quitted　Klossow　in　the　dawn　of　the　24th。　Be　busy；　ye　Cossack　doggeries；　return　with　news；　not　with　mere　grime　and　marks　of　blood　on　your　mouths！
  Evening　of　the　24th；　Cossacks　report　that　Friedrich　has　got　to　Damm　Mill；　has　hold　of　the　Bridge　there；　and　may　be　looked　for；　sure　as　the　daylight；　to…morrow。　Fermor　is　50；000　odd；　his　Landsberg　forces　all　coming　in；　one　Detachment　out　Stettin　way；　which　cannot　come　in；　Fermor　finds　that　his　baggage…train　is　fairly　on　the　road　to　Klein　Kamin；and　that　he　will　have　to　quit　this　bosky　bivouac；　and　fight　for　himself　in　the　open　ground；　or　do　worse。
  THESEUS　AND　THE　MINOTAUR　OVER　AGAIN；THAT　IS　TO　SAY；　FRIEDRICH　AT　HAND…GRIPS　WITH　FERMOR　AND　HIS　RUSSIANS　（25TH　AUGUST；　1758）。
  Artless　Fermor　draws　out　to　the　open　ground；　north　of　Zorndorf；　south　of　Quartschen；　arranges　himself　in　huge　quadrilateral　mass；　with　his　〃staff…baggage〃　（lighter　baggage）　in　the　centre；　and　his　front；　so　to　speak；　everywhere。　＇Excellent　Plan　of　him；　or　rather　Plans；　in　his　successive　shapes；　in　Tielcke；　ii。　（PLATES　4；　5；　6；　7；　8）。＇　Mass；　say　two　miles　long　by　one　mile　broad；　but　it　is　by　no　means　regular；　and　has　many　zigzags　according　to　the　ground；　and　narrows　and　droops　southward　on　the　eastern　end：　one　of　the　most　artless　arrangements；　but　known　to　Fermor；　and　the　readiest　on　this　pinch　of　time。　Munnich　devised　this　quadrilateral　mode；　and　found　it　good　against　the　Turks；　and　their　deluges　of　raging　horse　and　foot：　Fermor　could　perhaps　do　better；　but　there　is　such　a　press　of　hurry。　Fermor's　western　flank；　or　biggest　breadth　of　quadrilateral；　leans　on　that　Zabern　Hollow；　with　its　fine　quagmires；　his　eastern；　narrowest　part；　droops　down　on　certain　mud…pools　and　conveniences　towards　Zicher。　Gallows　Hollow；　a　slighter　than　the　Zabern；　runs　through　the　centre　of　him；　and　with　his　best　people　he　fronts　towards　the　Mutzel　Bridges；　especially　towards　Damm…Mill　Bridge　whence　Friedrich　will　emerge；　sure　as　the　sunrise；　one　knows　not　with　what　issue。　Artless　Fermor　is　nothing　daunted；　nor　are　his　people；　but　stand　patiently　under　arms；　regardless　of　future　and　present；　to　a　degree　not　common　in　soldiering。
  Friday；　August　25th；　by　half…past　three　in　the　morning；　Friedrich　is　across　the　Mutzel；　self　and　Infantry　by　Damm…Mutzel　Bridge；　cavalry　by　another　Bridge　（KERSTEN…BRUGGE；　means　〃Christian　Bridge；〃　in　the　dialect　of　Charlemagne's　time；　a　very　old　arrangement　of　Successive　Logs　up　there！）　some　furlongs　higher　up。　The　Bridge　at　Damm　is　perhaps　some　three　miles　from　the　nearest　Russians　about　Zicher；　but　Friedrich　has　no　thought　of　attacking　Fermor　there；　he　has　a　quite　other　program　laid；　and　will　attack　Fermor　precisely　on　the　side　opposite　to　there。　Friedrich's　intention　is　to　sweep　quite　round　this　monstrous　Russian　quadrilateral；　to　break　in　upon　it　on　the　western　flank；　and　hurl　it　back　upon　Mutzel　and　its　quagmires。　He　has　broken　his　two　bridges　after　passing；　all　bridges　are　gone　there；　and　the　country　is　bottomless：　surrender　at　discretion