THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
419 
quatre cent onze, si la verification n’avait ete faite sur un obus de sept 
pouces quatre lignes,” &c. f 
General Rey, the commandant, gives some excellent advice to Marshal 
Soult :—“ Saint Sebastien, le 7 Aout 1813, a quatre heures du soir.” 
After detailing the state of the garrison and defences, which have no 
immediate reference to this question, he says, “II serait bien a desirer. 
Monseigneur, que le gouvernement adoptat comme moyen de defense les 
boulets creux ; ce projectile que Fennemi a trouve le moyen de faire eclater 
a volonte, nous fait beaucoup de mal: n'en ayant pas, nous mettons dans 
nos obus une soixantaine de balles, ce qui nous reussit assez bien,” &c. 
Appearances are deceitful. The art of the artilleryman is not learnt in a 
day, and the Trench practice was not even, “ assez bien.” 
Sir Augustus Trazer, writes of this siege in one of his letters, as follows: 
“I have just had a hasty note from Sir Richard Tletcher, brought by a fine 
fellow who has swum over from the other side. The object is to direct 
seven guns with spherical case against a working party now toiling in the 
ruins of the right round tower, and not visible from hence. We are firing 
delicately, since we are directing our fire over points which our troops are 
now passing.” 
“ Tiring delicately.”—at a party “ not visible from hence.” This implies 
curved fire, and no little skill on the part of the gunners. Do we ever try 
this kind of thing ? 
“ Ah \ ces sacres boulets creux.” Let the following narrative by a 
captive be well digested. 
An English officer, the late General Sir Harry Jones, Royal Engineers, 
was wounded and taken prisoner whilst leading the assault, during the first 
attack of St Sebastian. An unwilling spectator of our artillery practice 
upon the castle, he says, “ During this period every one sought shelter where 
best he could among the rocks, still no nook or corner appeared to be a 
protection from the shrapnel shells. The shriek of the bullet from a 
shrapnel shell is very different from the whistle of a musket ball; and oft 
repeated were the exclamations. Ah! ces Sacres boulets creux” 
“ None but those who have been exposed to the effects of shrapnel shells 
can fully appreciate the advantages of possessing such a terrific and 
destructive missile. It appeared to be of little avail where a man placed 
himself for protection. No place was secure from them; and many a 
soldier was wounded without having been aware that any shell had exploded 
in his neighbourhood.” 
An extract or two from Belmas are added. 
“July 20, 21, At break of day the enemy recommenced his fire, which 
he suspended at eleven o'clock a.m. to summon the governor to surrender; 
but ten minutes after the return of the messenger, the fire recommenced and 
lasted all the day. A great number of our guns were dismounted, and 
many of our carriages broken. All the embrasures constructed in masonry 
were destroyed, and their splinters placed hors de combat a pretty good 
number of gunners. 
“July 21, 22, In fifteen hours and a half the breaching battery fired 
three thousand five hundred rounds from ten 24-prs., or at the rate of 
three hundred and fifty rounds per piece: few examples are to be found of 
so rapid a fire.” 
