5 NOVEMBER 1870, Page 1

The only important sortie of the garrison of Paris during

last week took place, as we anticipated, again on a Friday (yesterday week), and was directed to the heights on the north-east, to the occupation of Bourget, from which the Germans (who, according to their own accounts, were not in force) were driven out. On the Sunday, when the French had already 'entrenched themselves, and had, according to the German account, occupied the place in force, the Prussian Guards (headed by Queen Augusta's Regiment) were ment in which the King of Prussia admits that the fighting was very hot and that their losses were heavy. According to the German account (the only one we have), 1,200 French prisoners and 30 officers were captured, while 34 officers and 449 men are admitted to have been lost on the German side. A telegram, apparently from Versailles, says that according to a French military report (we suppose in a Paris paper), the position was abandoned by the French "because it was of no strategical im- portance, and not worth a pitched battle." But if it was worth taking, and worth retaking by the Germans, this is hardly the true plea. General Trochu's report has not yet reached England, but it looks very like bad generalship to occupy Bourget in force, and then not support that force when attacked.