NEGOTIATIONS. NAPOLEON DELUDED. 489

suspended, but the colloquy requested by Lauriston onlytook place between this French negociator and Kutasoff,and that after a delay which became fatal to the French .

King Joachim felt most keenly the difficulty of his posi-tion. In the daily combats of the last five months, he hadlost the half of his cavalry. The Russians were at home,supplied with everything necessary; their reinforcementswere constantly coming in; winter was approaching. Muraturged the Emperor to push the campaign to an issue whileyet the weather would permit. But Napoleon certainly wasdeceived by the Russians ; he tvaited seventeen days for peace—THEY WAITED FOR THE WINTER. A shot havingbeen fired at Murat by a Cossack at the advanced posts, hetook that opportunity of signifying to the Russians , that thearmistice would be at an end, if he chose to take it so, and in-formed the Emperor of the circumstance, and also of his (theEmperor ’s) dangerous position, beingexposed to an attackbothin flank and rear. In fact, on the 17th October, the Russians ,still falsely pretending to await the answer from the Em-peror Alexander , suddenly and treacherously rushed uponthe French vanguard. The first line (Murat’s) was over-thrown, so as to remain, for some time, in great confusion.He was on foot, but, speedily mounting his horse, herestored order and confidence, and put the assailants toflight, in which operation he received a painful wound.Another corps of Russians , favoured by a wood, turned hisleft, and cut off his retreat. Six guns and thirty waggonswere taken by the Russians ; but Murat’s ardour rose withthe danger of the case. Although badly wounded in thehead, he repeated his charges and attacks, retook the gunsand waggons, and obliged the Russians to take refuge intheir camp of Tarutino. But he was too much in advance,and in danger of being surrounded by the entire Russianarmy, so he returned to his former position of Woronowo,