ph ee eee 
. FORTIFICATION. 
Carnot’s dered unfit for daty.. In. the course of the ten days 
of then, between the opening of the third parallel and 
effecting:a breach in the: rampart, the besi will 
Effect inten Sustain a less of 20,000 men. But if the garrison con- 
days. sist only of 4000, the whole of the besieging 
ii 
Advan 
tthe sje. fortified place, whatever be- its size, if defended in this 
tem in way, can be taken by any method of attack presently 
point of in use. Nor is the certain destruction of the besieging 
economy force the only advantage of this new method. Econo- 
my, both in men and money, is another and a powerful 
recommendation in favour of the system. The garri- 
son is neither exposed to danger, nor harassed by a la- 
‘borious defence. A few companies of are 
alone requisite, who can carry on their operations with- 
out any d from the enemy’s fire, and without any 
interruption from dismounted guns, or broken carri 
se bulk of the garrison have nothing to do but 
pay SSS = moment for making a sortie; 
y thus obliging the besiegers to keep strong guards 
gy render the vertical. fire more effec- 
f 
ii 
a 
the total effect would be the 
the 
some of Ang of his system, 
shew, that it is only by adopting it 
the the modern systems 
defence can be turned in favour of the latter. The 
Ey ctl 
if 
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40 
on 
six or seyen weeks, and, in most cases, does. not ex- 
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5 
= 
521 
limited period-of defence i8 to be ascribed, he thinks, Carnot’s - 
partly to the impossibility, in the present system of oo ot 
defence, of mounting artillery, so as not to be very soon USSU: 
silenced, and partly to’ the want of such a method of 
firing as can reach the besiegers behind their intrench+ 
ments. Both of these desiderata are supplied by his 
method, which-he then proceeds to vindicate from some 
objections that have been started against it." These ob- 
jections areas follow : 
1st, That the balls recommended are not large enough Objections. 
to produce the desired effect. 
2d, That the besiegers would avoid the fall of the 
shot, by keeping out of their reach ; and, 
3d, That the method recommended would consume 
a great deal of iron. i 
answer to the first objection, he observes, that Replies. 
there is nothing unreasonable in supposing that a square 
piece of iron, of the size of a pigeon’s egg, should, in 
descending through 120 feet, acquire velocity sufficient © 
to killa man. But should this be questioned, he ap- 
peals to the example of the ancients, who with their 
slings, which carried toa much less distance than mo- 
dern swivels, and with balls much lighter, easily killed 
or maimed their enemies. 
To the second objection he replies, that it can only 
be worthy of refutation, when it has been shewn that a 
ety: army may take a place without approaching 
it. 
On the third, he remarks, that for the very same rea- 
son a garrison should not use artillery of the common 
kind, use it will consume a great quantity of lead. 
But the force of the objection is still more completely 
removed, when it is remembered that stones may be 
substituted in the place of metal balls. 
. The ingenious author is not satisfied with replying 
to objections that have actually been made against his 
system ;—he also anticipates others that might be ad 
vanced, oa bere ier in particular, oe it would be 
i ible for i to approach the place un-~ 
rearey rotection of Siinisave hocense it anld be 
impossible for them to find either time or materials for 
the construction of such works; and even if they could, 
the slightest sortie from the garrison would throw them 
into confusion, and destroy in a moment the fruits of 
their long labour. 4 
But it is not only before a breach has been made that Advantage - 
this new system of defence can be employed. It is of the sys- 
equally effectual in resisting an assault, provided there %™ ) ' 
be an interior intrenchment between the rampart and Ss cuh 
the place, when a few mortars have been mounted, and 
reserved for the moment of the attack. At this mo- 
ment, the garrison is to retire from the breach, and the 
mortars of the retrenchment are to open at once with a 
discharge of balls or stones. The consequence of this 
must be total destruction, or at least immense loss, to 
the breaching party. Should any of them in the mean 
time gain a footing on the jt aly they must be in 
great confusion, and may therefore be easily dislodged 
with the bayonet, the garrison taking care to attack 
them the moment the fire ceases. , 
Such is a bork outline of me apt ane . pro- pry mesg 
posed by one who appears to haye devoted the efforts of of Carnot’s 
a anal mind, and the labours ofa long life, to the ame - 
improvement of a science. interesting above all others to 
his country, but which military men, in general, have ‘ 
been too ready to regard as incapable of farther im-~ 
provement. In comparing this system with what is 
still commonly Teestteres Fe is impossible to avoid being 
u 
