THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION-. 
193 
near to Metz; their escarps were complete on all but some of the 
more retired faces, some of their counter-scarps, and the bulk of the 
earthwork: on the approach of the enemy they were rapidly com¬ 
pleted by various field expedients, and armed with a profusion of 
guns, all rifled, and all of bronze, as usual in the French service : 
these were of all calibres and patterns, throwing shells of from 100 
down to 8 lbs. weight, and curiously intermingled in many instances 
where I could discern no purpose to be served by the mingling, unless 
to please some taste the reverse of ours. 
As these works must be considered the very latest examples of 
French permanent fortification, I may describe that the prevailing 
design encloses within an irregular bastioned fort of good relief, a 
raised earthwork of simple trace parallel to the principal fronts, and 
which, serving as cavalier, central traverse, or keep, is of such 
enormous proportions as to discourage any idea of levelling it by fire 
and at the same time to exercise very important command over any 
possible approaches: for example, I reckoned the interior work in 
Queuleu to have its terreplein 40 feet above the level of the country, 
with complete exterior and interior earthen slopes at 45°, and on the 
top a full parapet finished with many massive traverses, and here and 
there Haxo batteries. Within its earthen mass was built a bomb¬ 
proof stone barrack of 3 floors, fitted for some 500 men, which, 
fronting the gorge of the fort (where the cavalier was discontinued), 
commanded a charming view of the city and of the valley of the 
Moselle, and appeared more cheerful and salubrious than the case¬ 
mate of ordinary experience. The outer bastioned trace is so fitted 
to the ground as to present its greatest frontage to the enemy; it is 
of moderate depth, with no outworks but a small ravelin to cover the 
entrance on the side next the Place (where the revetments are coun- 
terarched with extensive casemate accommodation), and it has a 
demi-revetment all round with chemin-des-rondes and guerites. 
With such forts, become, as they had, keeps to the connecting 
lines of strong field fortifications erected between them by the French 
army, I could find but little fault, though the Germans condemned, as 
usual, the bastion trace : of the Fortress proper I may observe that 
the multiplicity of its works must be in some cases rather an incon¬ 
venience than a strength, and that a large portion of them, either 
interior or exterior, might be fairly razed with advantage to the 
communications, accommodation, and sanitation of the place. 
The French field-works were everywhere beautifully constructed, 
like models from plates on field fortification, of good profile, and 
very abundant. Passing from what had been their out- 
Son. UmValla " posts to the German works of circumvallation, I found the 
latter certainly less pretty, and not very formidable, taken 
individually, but possessing, when grouped together, from their 
disposition with regard to successive increments of strength and of 
mutual support, a kind of elasticity which would enable them, 
without rigidly resisting the first shock of attack, to receive it within 
their meshes, gradually to absorb it, and eventually with combined 
