300 SILISTRIA AND 



teresting, and at night, when it became too dark 

 to proceed, we anchored. 



The next day we reached Sihstria, and re- 

 mained there about two hours to take in coals, 

 which time I occupied in looking round the town 

 and w^orks. 



The fortifications towards the river are four 

 fronts parallel to the course of the Danube. The 

 other fronts, amounting, I should say, to six or 

 seven, surround the town, which is large and po- 

 pulous. The ground on which it stands is per- 

 fectly flat, and the works appear very regular, 

 but, in their present state, desperately weak. 

 The bastions are small, mounting only one gun 

 (about an eighteen-pounder) in each flank, and 

 three in each face ; the carriages are almost un- 

 serviceable. The bastions, the faces of which are 

 very short, are at least four hundred yards from 

 salient to salient ; the ditch of the body of the 

 place is about fifty feet wide, and the escarps and 

 counterscarps, with half- revetments, about twelve 

 feet high. There is no covered way. Very strong 

 palisading extends all along the interior slope of 

 the parapet, and there are occasional traverses 

 faced with fascines. The cheeks of embrasures 



