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MINUTES OP PROCEEDINGS OF 
bring a more effectual strain on the nerves of the inhabitants than 
the full roar of destruction from 80 or 100 guns in full play, as the 
dropping of water sometimes effects more than a stream; or whether, 
as was no doubt the case to some extent, it was humanely desired to 
let the garrison see well how many, what, and where, were the batteries 
environing them, and recognise their own powerlessness to resist, 
the rule was steadily adhered to; nor only that, but even from 12 
o’clock till 1 each day the firing ceased, and the men got their 
dinners s partly, perhaps, to give the governor of the place time to 
reflect, but certainly allowing him unusual opportunity to repair 
damages. 
I am aware that the Luxemburg people, listening to the reports, 
recorded the rate of firing at eighteen discharges a minute; they 
must have added in the discharges from the fortress, as well as the 
actual explosions of the shells, thereby doubling the number of 
rounds. The only projectiles fired which did not explode were the 
shells from the two French mortars in Prussian use; it is worthy of 
notice that the time-fuzes of these shells could not be got to act 
properly by their new masters; the shells would either fall blind or 
else burst at the muzzle, so that the Prussians quickly gave up using 
them altogether. 
The fire was principally directed on barracks, arsenals, and other 
military buildings in the town, their position being well ascertained 
from the maps in possession of the Prussians; only when some 
particular work of the fortress forced itself into notice by continued 
efforts to disturb the besiegers, would several batteries attend to it 
conjointly and soon quiet it; but always with the same deliberation, 
and at the prescribed rate of fire. The gunners were of the Landwehr, 
formed men, mostly fathers of families I was told, broad, stout, and 
lasting-looking; rain fell more or less continuously, and many of the 
batteries became literally ankle-deep in mud, but the methodical 
manner of the men took no count of external circumstances. They 
were divided into two reliefs, of twelve hours each; but many of their 
officers chose to remain at the batteries the whole time; for which 
choice I failed to find satisfactory reason. 
The little fire that came from the French was wild, and their fuzes 
were very irregular; but every shell from the Prussian batteries 
declared itself home in its appointed spot by its jet of smoke and 
dust; and as the afternoon wore on, the dark cloud which had been 
forming above the town began to show the red light of flames, 
though as yet no incendiary shells had been used; but as evening 
came down, and as yet no message had arrived from the place, the 
order was given to use incendiary shells (explosive, but containing 
also incendiary composition) exclusively, so that the town at night 
began to light up the neighbourhood; and all the next morning the 
same relentless pounding was continued. It had been intended 
to get some of the new mortars into position during the night, 
at a sort of advanced work or parallel which the Prussians had 
constructed about 1,000 yards from the place; and formal siege 
