218 Route 18. GENAPPE. From Ghent

left, Obourg, and Nimy. The Haine, a rivulet from which the province
derives its name (Hainault), is occasionally visible. Mons, see p. 213.

From Manace To Orrrentes, 221/2 M., railway in 1!/, hr. (fares 3 fr. AO,
2 fr. 30, 1 fr. 40 c.). The railway is the prolongation of the preceding
line to the N. — At (21/2 M.) Seneffe a battle was fought in 1674 between
Prince Condé and William III. of Orange; and the Austrians were defeated
here by the French under Marceau on 2nd July, 1794. — 5 M. Feluy-
Arquennes. — 81/2 M. Nivelles-Nord, to the N. of Nivelles (p. 157). Light
railways hence to Virginal (on the Lembecq-Ecaussines line, p. 212) and
to Braine-l’Alleud (p. 157). — 10M. Baulers, the junction of this line with
that from Brussels to Luttre and Charleroi (p. 157).

14 M. Genappe (360 ft.; H6t. du Duc de-Brabant, R. 41/2, déj. or D. 2 fr.),
a village with 1700 inhab., is often mentioned in connection with the
Battle of Waterloo (p. 149). About 21/2 M. to the S. lies Quatre Bras
(520 ft.), which derives its name from the ‘four arms’ of the roads diver-
ging for Charleroi, Nivelles, Brussels, and Namur. This point was of
great strategic importance, for its capture by the French would have
made it impossible for the army of the Allies and the Prussian army to
render each other effective support. Here on 16th June, 1815, a battle
was fought between Ney’s division and a part of the British army with
its German and Belgian contingents. The French numbered about 17,000
men, the Allies 18,000; of the latter 8000 were British and German and
410,000 were Netherlanders (Dutch and Belgians). After a series of inde-
Cisive preliminary operations Ney, at the head of 9000 men, attacked
the division of Netherlanders (Dutch, Belgians, and Nassovians) under
Perponcher, who with intelligent audacity had stationed himself here,
instead of falling back upon Nivelles as he had been ordered to do. The
Netherlanders, though largely outnumbered and suffering heavy losses,
gallantly defended the farm of Gemoincourt and the Bois de Bossu. Tem-
porary relief was afforded by the desperate charges of the Dutch light
cavalry under Van Merlen, but Perponcher’s division was on the point
of giving way when the British troops arrived from Brussels about 2.30 p.m.
The battle raged with the utmost fury till dusk. Prodigies of valour
were, as usual, performed by the 92nd Highlanders; and most of the
German troops (Hanoverians and Brunswickers) behaved with great bra-
very, although young and inexperienced. At one juncture the Duke of
Wellington himself became inyolved, and escaped only by putting his
horse to full gallop. About 4 o’clock the gallant Duke of Brunswick fell
while endeavouring to rally his troops; the spot, to the right of the road,
a few hundred paces from Quatre Bras, is marked by a copper lion on a
pedestal, 26 ft. in height. The house in which he died, in the village of
Quatre Bras, is marked by a tablet. Towards the close of the battle the
tide of success turned decidedly in favour of the Allies. Ney, to his great
indignation, now learned that Erlon’s corps, which had at first been
ordered to support him, and would doubtless have ensured the victory
to the French, had received fresh orders from Napoleon to move towards
St. Amand to oppose the Prussians there, The brave marshal’s discom-
fiture was complete, his troops were totally defeated, and under cover of
the increasing darkness they retreated to their original] position at Frasne.

The village of Frasne, the headquarters of Ney on 16th June, lies
2M. beyond Quatre Bras, in the direction of Charleroi. The spirited
pursuit of the French by the Prussians on the night after the Battle of
Waterloo extended thus far, more than 8 M. from the battlefield.

The ruined abbey of Villers (p. 244) lies 4l/e M. to the E. of Genappe.

12!/2M. Bousval; 18/2 M. Noirhat; 20/2 M. Court-Saint- Etienne (p. 244),
where the train reaches the Charleroi and Louvain line. — 221/2 M. Ottig-
nies (p. 233). Thence to Louvain, see pp. 244, 243; to Brussels, see R. 22.

Beyond Manage is a tunnel, followed by stations Godarville,
Gouy-les-Piéton, and Pont-u-Celles, At (571/) M.) Luttre (p. 158)
our line is joined by that from Brussels (R. 11). The train traverses
a more hilly district, crossing the Charleroi Canal several times.