g 
children, afleep at the bottom of the 
ocean ! 
It appears, then, that before the ene- 
my CAN LEAVE THEIR OWN COASTS, 
they have the following difficulties to over- 
come, each of them in all probability 
fatal to their defigns : 
»1. Inorder to afemble an armament of 
Sufficient magnitude, their veffels muft 
have the good fortune to elude the vigilance 
of our numerous cruizers. . 
2. In cafe of their fuccefs in affembling 
a fleet, or ficets, in any of their ports, an 
event which «would be inftantly known, 
they muft be fuppofed to be able to refit - 
the reiterated attacks of our bitkerto iz- 
wincible naval forces. 
3. Suppofing that allour attempts to de- 
Firoy their aryaments in port are fruf- 
trated, an iffue which cannot reafonably be 
anticipated, they muft then (if they dare) 
come out, and face our naval forces, which 
will be affembled and prepared to receive 
and deftroy them. - 
After taking this fair and’ natural view 
of the enemy’s project, and of its regular 
and neceflary confequences, I prelume 
that until my conclufions are proved to be 
unfairly drawn from the premiics, or my 
premifes themfelvyes proved to be un- 
founded, no reader will entertain the 
opinion, that an invafion of the Britifh 
Iflands at this time is either probable or 
peffible. 
Having thus demonfrrated that the ene- 
my’s army CaN NEVER LEAVE THEIR 
OWN SHORES, it would indeed be 
infulting common fenfe, to expatiate on 
the impoflibility of their making good a. 
Janding on ours, aflailed as they would be 
by our fhipping, and by our land-forces, 
which, apprized of their motions, would 
be fully prepared to receive them. 
Before I conclude this appeal to the 
good fenfe of my countrymen, let me 
call their attention to the prefent:. pre- 
eminence of our navy, and to the confe- 
quent fecurity which it confers upon this 
Empire. During former wars, the fleets ~ 
of the enemy have boldly left their ports ; 
and if they have met with the fleets of 
Britain, they -have not hefitated to en- 
counter them ; their fleets without inter- 
ruption have cruifed in our feas; and 
during the American war it will be recol- 
le&ted, that the combined fects chafedthe 
Britifa grand fleet into Plymouth, and 
dared for feveral days to lie off that 
port. 
But during thofe wars, notwithfand- 
Ing the gafconades, and the perfevering 
3 
Prefent Route to Hamburgh. 
[| Aug. 1, 
hoftility of the enemy, we were never in- 
Vaded ! - 
And at this time, we are undifputed 
mafters of the ocean, and THE ENEMY 
ARE UNABLE TO SEND A FLEET, OR 
EVEN A SINGLE SHIP, TO SEA!!! 
How Jong, then, fhall we endure, at 
fo proud a period, to have our common 
fenfe infulted, and our national and- per- 
fonal profperity interrupted, by the mis- 
CHIEVOUS ALARM OF INVASION? 
COMMON SENSE. 
London, Fuly 6, 1803. 
= Re 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
iD the prefent crifis, when the interrup- 
tion of the commerce with Hamburg _ 
has occafioned fuch anxiety in the com- 
mercial world, it may afford fatisfagtion 
to many of your readers to prefent them 
with a flight fketch of the courfe now to 
be purfued by travellers to Hamburgh, in- 
ftead of the direét one up the Elbe, or by 
lard on its fouth weft bank. 
Tonningen, to which the packets now 
fail once every week, is fituated in 54.20 
degrees north latitude, in the duchy of 
Slefwig, on the north fide of the Eyder, 
which divides that duchy from Holftein, 
and is rendered navigable as far as Renif- 
burg, whcre it joins the canal which 
forms the neareft communication between 
the North Sea and the Baltic, even for 
fhips of. confiderable burden. A {mall 
diftrit furrounds Tonningen, of which it 
is the capital; and it has a commodious 
road, the paflage to which from the feavis, 
like the mouth of the Elbe, furrounded by 
fands. The firft poft-ftation in Holftein 
is Lunden, atthe diftance of, three quar- 
ters of a German mile, (of which fifteen 
are equal to a degree). From Lunden to 
Meldorf is three miles and a half, through 
Heyde, which is alfo a poft-ftation. From 
Meldorf it is five miles to Itzehoe, a city of 
fome commercial importance, containing 
about five thoufand inhabitants, fituated 
on the north fide of the river Storr.~ This 
poft may be divided into two, there being . 
a poft-houfe and inn called Hohewhorn, 
about half way, where the bridge and 
road-money is taken on goods, carriages, 
and cattle, of which latter the great num- 
ber that annually pafs through, in their 
way to Holland, and for the fupply of 
Hamburg, fcrms the largeft part of the 
revenue which is here colleéted.. From 
I:zehoe to Elmfhorn, cn the river Kruckau, 
is three miles and a caarter. This place 
i 4g 
