Paris, Jan. 6.
French heavy artillery' pounded German villages on a wide front yesterday,, according to M. Charles Morice, writing in "Lo Petit Parisien." The villages were the billeting quarters of large German units, from which patrols were despatched. They were ten to fourteen miles from the French front. M. Morice adds that French artillery came into action on the entire front to facilitate the work of French reconnaissance patrols. The latest French war communique says "there was the usual patrol and artillery activity."—Reuter, British Shipping Ministry dark, but there was no sign of it next morning. Early that day, Friday, they sighted a ship but failed to attract its attention, with flares, and when daylight came they were alone in a waste of heaving and breaking water, scantily clothed, drenched through and constantly having to bale to keep the boat afloat.
Under Morrison's directions, they hoisted their mast and set a single lug-sail sailing before the wind which blew from west-south-west with gale force. Morrison alone knew how to steer. When his fugers were numb round the tiller and he was shivering with cold, he lashed himself and took a spell at the oar to bring warmth back to his frozen body. Sometimes. he dozed while steering.
They sailed on, sighting a convoy on Saturday, but failing to attract its attention On Sunday, they sighted another vessel but were not seen. It was still stormy with fierce squalls and heavy showers. The men had no oilskins and were beginning to give up all hope. Water was very short, for one of the casks was found to be impregnated with salt, and the other was only half full; apart from this, they had but few tins of condensed milk and some corned beef and biscuits. Water had to be strictly rationed, Morrison ensuring this by keeping possession of the dipper. The men's throats were too parched and swollen to eat salt beef.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.