CHAPTER VIII.
_October 19th._ A despatch is published this morning from M.Gambetta, giving a very hopeful account of things in the provinces.

As, however, this gentleman on his arrival at Tours issued a proclamation in which he announced that there were one-third more guns in Paris than it is even pretended by the Government that there are, I look with great suspicion upon his utterances.

The latest declaration of the Government differs essentially from that which was made at the commencement of the siege.

A friend of mine pointed out to one of its members this discrepancy, when he replied that the Government had purposely understated their resources at first.
This may be all very fair in war, but it prevents a reasonable person placing the slightest confidence in anything official.

Dr.Johnson did not believe in the earthquake at Lisbon for one year after the news reached London, and I shall not believe in the resources of the provinces until they prove their existence by raising the siege.