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\
BORTIFICATIQNS.
.' , Slactsbm^^lld of j.t^, .l^-ji-
''•'" DjiAK Si!!., '¦
Y;?u request 'my ..opinion,:, o.a the various
propositions for the defence of the har-
. Uor of New-York. ¦ R-atly I have no pre-
teissioag to the character .of-an' enghiaar.
It is true that v. hen 1 expected to have made,
""twins a profession, fbesto'wcd SoM« atten-
tion oil ih.e art of fortification ; but it is
mote than 30 years ago' and the little 1 then
.:"o'Tu;.vd:-h':is been since d'uniliishsd by de-
vrti:i? iny life to other pursuits. I cannot,
, Law eve r," think it requires a great deal of
, science or skill to determine on the best
jiiorle and points of defence for the harbor,
¦winch, rot ..ithsjandihg the various epini-
; ons to the contrary, I believe not'only sus-.
-ceptible of defence, but of being as strong-
ly fortified as any ohlheglc 'e and reiu'.er-
«ed as'capable of bid,!ing"a Bold defiance to
"the navy of-even Groat-Britain, But it is
iv.t to be d"*^ by magic. Adequate and
substantial appropriations alone can t-lkct it.
¦'¦ I fully ccrinbids with the opinion that an
"attefnpt to protect the city by batteries on
the wharves, will beau useless expenditure
of 'public money; and I think it not d:ifi-
(Snk t.) prove, that with a parapet on every
wharf from the flag-staff to the sUte-piison,
a few line of battle ships, uitn'a bomb-
ketch, would be sufficient notwithstanding
to lay the city under contribution.
: It is well ascertained from experiment,
that a 1.3-inch shell may be thrown with
effect .from a sea mortar, with her greatest
•charge of powder, which is 30 pound*, 2
miles', and that a 24 pound shot will range
much further, when discharged with the
most efficient elevation and. velocity- Of
rfetfrse, ships may take positions where not
1 shotinathousand from yurbntteries would
probably affect them, and'frora whence every
shot of theirs would be as effective as if fired
from a distance of not more than 500 yards
from your shore. The object of their fire
would be a field more than a thousand acres
CBDipactly covered- with ships, which it
Would he almost impossible to miss : that
oiyouri, ('hi side of a ship about 14 feet
high'* and aSolShg, which a shot would
very rarely hit. But should she be disposed
to lie against a work' of the descriptor* of
those we ejected a ie* years since, she cer-
tainly .vpiild silence it. It lias long been a
Question" among Engineers whether any;
niarire Battery can be constructed of suffici-
ent strength to resi the lire of ships ap-
proached to with:-. 600 yards of them. All
•afpee u;a' none but tho e winch are t-.'uL.v-
Jy con-trucko1 of mason tvoik can do it long,
¦ anrfeveri tn-xaie he'd in cdntetnpt by na-
val ccrrnmander$. A mere irregular parapet
bfjyv-.t'J and'earth unconnected wnh aratn-
parl ...-
vity and elasticity of the atmosphere,-and a
variety of other inomr.lca.is causes. Nor will
(lie promised advantage of a. plunging shot
from'the licig'ut of land on the Statsn Island
side be realized. The height is 13S feet»
which as a taiigent to u radius of one thou*
sand yartls will sulotend an angle of but two"
degrees to.forty.five minutes.. A shot then'
passingfrom this height thro'a shipiSaiilrect
line, would pass out of her, admitting her
to be 45 feet beam, about 20 inches lower
ttiaii it entered her. I cannot vouch for_
the accuracy of this calculation, having no;
tables of Lograthims, though it certainly is,
not far from the truth.—The height of
land is no object, for at the dKtance'of one 1
thousand yards the most efficient shot -a-
gainst a ship, because the most certain is the .
ricochet, which is best thrown from a water
battery. We have had two instances with-
in our own waters of the facility with which
ships can pass batteries under a long shot
fire—One in'76 when the Phoenix, and Roe-
buck Biitish frigate;, (I think these were
their namjs) passed >nir city ; the other
when admiral Arbutluiol's fleet passed Fort
Sullivan.
In the efficacy of booms and submarineex-
plosion as a principle defence I have no
confidence, from the feebleness ef the ttae,
and the difficulty of applying the ottier.—
As auxiliaries I have no objection to them.
I recollect to have seen a circulation of Ro-
bert Erskin's made in'76, at the request of
general Washing! m, of the force with
which a fir-t rate ship of the line, moving
with - the velocity of 14 knots the hour,
would strike an opposing obstacle ; and if
my memory serves ine it ,vas equal to a
pressure not far short of 40,000 tons weight.
No btfom certainly can resist such an imp-
inging force,
To supply the defect of want of strength,
a new project of an angular boom,
yielding mooring;, has been offered f° con-
sideration. This also is liable to objection.
The yielding of the anchor iiium depend
on the nature of the bottom. Should they
h--ld, their cablas must give way. To ob-
viate this ODJeciion. we are told the shin
must strike the boom obliquely' at or near
one of its salianc angles, a&d slide along it
'r.'.i her force is »pent. IW I can sec no
rrreater difficulty.' in her sti ikmg on a re-eu-
terjrlg, then ana swtant angle, in a per pen
didttiar, than in all obiiqlte direction. It is
roue we ai>- an inventive people, and liave
rnacle soma valuable disco«er:(.s, particularly
in mechanics,.'; but I sheoU be extremely.
irt... piice the Securil \ of so imporSaut a-
city as NeivYnk on rut oasn hypuihesis
of any ynojccji-. Snow me where a citj
has been saveel Us a laom, and 1 will res-
pect it .
To understand my plan of defence it will
bo Kci'ssary to lav "Bof.'ore you. the chart of
tlie harbor au'.i its a o:,u.:c'ii'S madebyChaun-
c y an--. Loss, in 17&8. I' W in possession of
the c ¦ poration. From this chart it appears
(iar. two extei s;o flats lie in the bay ; the
otte called Muc flat, extends along the
i,-jn;;-Island shore, from near Red Hook, to
a distance below Yellow Hook. The other,
called West I'iat, extends north and south
fioin Paiifus Hook to Uobii s' Reef, & uiunce
westerly to Constable Point, at the Mouth
of the Kills. I propose to narrow the chan-
nel to the widtu of 300 yards, by a fraise
work,.sunk with well charged cassons. tro a
a point on Mud Flov, opposite Robins' licet,
westerly to within 300 yards of West Flat,
then northerly, keeping the same distance
from the flat, to abreast of liedlow's Island.
From a point-of 480yards south of Eedlow's
Island, the channel to be obstructed by loose
Stone, thrown into it within four hundred
and fifty yards of Red Hook, having the
only passage into its harbor between Go-
vernor's and Long Island. From ltecllow's
f-land to Robin's Reef on Wwst Flat 150
yards retired from its margin, where the
average depth of Tvater is about 7 1-2 feet, a
foundation of loose stone is to be laid, 200
feet wide, for the execution of such works
as may be deemed necessary. Bedlow's Is-
land, Governor's Island, Red Hook and the
north end of Mud Flat to be strongly forti-
fied, as also at proper intervals, the line ex-
tending south from Tsedlow's Island to Ro-
bin's Reef, an extent of two and an half
miles. This line would be secure from any
attack on the land side, being from one to
three miles distant from the Jersey shore.
.Bedlow's Island and Cawan' Point would be
the proper deposit for military stores, bar-
racks, lie. The form of the works must
depend on the skill of the tnjjintrr. Thi>
extent on Ihe quantum of funds. Whatever
may he the form, the revatements, to at
least the height of four feet above the Cor-
don, should be of stone and rnaso:i '.vork
strongly buttressed, the merlons high and
the embrasures wide, siibtending an angle
of 25 degrees on each side of their capitals
or ares. Marine batteries en barbette,
where ships can approach within musket
Shot are exploded. And with reason. The
men serving the guns are exposed to the
fire of musquetry from the ship's tops, and
the guns being naked above the fore tran-
som of their carriages, are liable to be dis-
mounted by an enfilading fire. This incon-
venience was experienced from the Spani-
ards when Porto-Bello was attacked by ad-
miral Vernon in 39- The water Batteries
were en Barbette, and their defenders were
completely driven from quarters by trie five
of musketry frpm the tops; To render the
defence complete, and prevent an attack by
siiips cut down, floating batteries, launches*
&'c. on the rear of the line, extending from
Robin's Reef to Bedlow's Island, the passage
betwi-en the Reef and Constable Point, at
the month of the Kills point might be ob-
structed, and the obstructions covered by a
redoubt on the Point. My reason lorn tir-
ing the works to 150 yard's from the margin
of'the West Flat is to prevent a ship's ap.
preaching so near as to lie before a erlon
withinjthe *agle of the crossfire of th. em.
erasures, and to assure the efftot of her
musketry. A ship iho-n -.oinir.g iototbe
harbor wuuldiiavt' to pas's a lite tUheof
four miles in no one position at a •
distance than 495 yards from a battery, each
|?«!i of which- will discover a field of 400
yaras. To .explain : the tang-ent or line on
which 'the ship sails, of an nugSeof 23 de»
gfees1; formed 6y the axis .arid side cf the
em.brasurev to a radius of t.d.e a survey of
the GontefljeKng armies, before tin; com mi, X,
merit of the dreadful contest which has :
bably ere how dec 'led the fate of the conti-
nent of Europe. The following account
has been transmitted to us by a correspond
dent : . '
" The left wing of the French main arm,-
is stationed on the Nogat, and imposition
reaches over Eibingen, iBriiunsberg; along
the left shoie of'the Passarge, up to Gut
stadt. The centre is placed somewhat in the
rear, round Picussi"n Holland, Leibstadt, &
Mohrungen. FromGutstaoIt the army sleiches
itself cu lidence above A-lkiistein, and the
right wing maintains, above Oitelsburg, a
communication with the hit wing of the
army of marshal Massena, whose right is
on the Bug, and from'thence to the mouth
of the Narew. The left wing in trie French
hos, in its whole front along the Passtfrge, a
a number of intrenchmentsaed batteries, by-
way of covering. Before the centre and
the rightwing are vast forces and mo'rasjes,
so that an attack on this .bid'?' cannot be
made without great difficulties. To-pr-ovide
agiiiiist (accident;, UiOro 15 behind between
the Passarge and the- Weiseh:,el, an inter
mediates position on the 0- behind
which m'agaiifies have been,established.
" Of'the allied army, the right wing is
formed by the Prussian's ; this wiog is sta
tioned by'the Haff, and is stretched along
the tight shore of the 'Pnssar,;e to ^ »'o'
The advanced guaids are it this port sepa*
rated by notliiug but the river, w bitch,
at a small distance hem the mouth, is nar-
row, and in •fcanypmces so shallow as to
be waded ovtr by.deserters. The territory
occupied by the Prussians hgs hitherto been
rather spared. Ast
lent in this corps, w'.iich is composed of
troops who were not piei.ent at the engage-
ment in Saxony, and. of the relies of the
gicat army. It v. ill one cay Do known,
what this corps has effected ops. In Silesia, under prince Je-
rbme, are the Bavarians and Wurtembur-
gers. Here the fcrtrhsses of Neiss, Cosel,
Ghttz, and Silberberg, and still to be con-
quered. Betwixt the Elbe and the Eastern
Ocean, an army of observation is collecting
together, under marshal Brune; it is to
consist of Dutchmen, Spaniards, and French-
men. Another army of observation stands
on the boundaries of Italy and Germany,
and is connected with another corps in Dal-
matia."
In the year 1760, Breslau, the fortiflca-
tions of which the French ;ue now demo-
lishing, was besieged by 50,000 Austrian?,
under the command of the celebrated Lau-
dohn. The garrison consisted of no more
than 3000 men, and there were QOpo pri-
soners in the town : but, notwithstanding
these advantages, ge.xveraj Tanentzien, father
of the present Prussian general of that name,
successfully defended the pl:>ee. I.audebn,
impatient at his obstinacy, declared, that if
the Prussian genera! compelled him to storm
the town, " he would not sfare, the (ufliit.
in the womb." . To thisbaibartussumniono
Tauentzien replied, "T am not with child
neither ac any of my soldieis r"'F'su^l^cid
cut as long as .Icin.'"' At the c..n
of the peace Tauenhjien Was appointed go-
-.eVnorof Breslau, where-I'.e died at 'a very
advanced age,. A monument wi'.s-ereeted to
his memory, which the French have ookr-
cd to be respected.- The glacis on which
it stands has been levelled, and the. spot is
to be called Tanentzien's place. It is near
ch eidnilz gouo
^The following Irish candidates, said to be
in opposition to the present ministers, are
already returned, as secure of their scats :
General Meade, F. Savage. H. Grattan,
G.' Wipole, M. Fitzgerald,"H. A. Herbert,
Robt. La Touche, F. Ponsonby, H. Mar-
tin, ¦ Wyn. Qi.iin, Lord Forbes, Tho. Bligh
W. Lamb, H. Patnell, M. Matfiew, R.
Power, W. H. Hume, W"i. Tigbe, T.
Kn x. Ford Barnard, James StewRrt, C.
O'Hara, J. 1^ Touche, R. Dawson, W.
Bigenal, C. Butler, f, Butler, Lord H.
Fitzgerald. D. Li Touche, Sir E. O'Brien,
G. Ponsonby. C. Hutchinson* Jas. Fitzge-
rald, D. B. Daly, R. Martin,.Sir M- So-
meri'ille.
BT. TIIIS" D \Y's^MAILS.
• BOSTON, -nigust 3.
Arrived (via quarantine) Swedish ship-
Magdalena) Go days from St Baits ; schr.
Agnes, nthony, Mart.inica, 25 days.
. Betsy, "thrown, HorcU-au:c, Si days,
via Marblehead. ' Nothing new.
Schr. Col'iug'.vood, Henry, Windsor, \i :
. Minerva, Aniiro. ditto.
Snip William Tell, captain.Collier, from
Boviavista, 27-doy.s.... L;>fv, July 4, ship §e 1.
Hamilton, Williams, of Portland, ioardj.g ;
Mep-une, Pinkham, for Nantucket,
,.y'; schr. Union, lilackiher, for the
Isle of May and St. Jago ; brig Fair M ui-
batten, Wolfisndale. for the W,jt Indies;
Bcbr. Three Sisters, Rich, for Baltimore.'
Via <,':oi~intine, brig Albion, DevehSjjMar-
tiiiico, 25 days ; also, sloop Penelope, Giddins,
Turks-Island, 25. days ; md uHg bight Sis-
ters, captain Gilmore, Uovahno, 83 days.
Schooner Sally, Crowelh Windsor, 8 days.
QMarantin'e Visb
July 30lh, arrived, hi ig S'Oiipson, Strptit,
of Kennebunk, Guadaloupe, '6 days,
Ship Superb, Lombard, from River Plate,
61 days.
Aug. 1, brig Henry^'Ltlhu), Guadaloupe,
via Portland.
Arrived, Gotham Loveli.Lcwis, B/diimore;
Nancy, l*icb. ditto.
Geared, Harmony,' lier.ry, Alexandria ;
Mary, Hall, do. ^Ftnartefer, Cnw'tif. Balti-
more ; Lark, Snow, Richmond ¦; R
Curtis, Norfolk ; brig Rzraand 'L>aijiel, Haft,
Leghorn ; Satniuel, Adams, Giiad.Lh
Fleetwood, Folansbee, St. Thr.ma.s ; schr.
Three Partners, Webber, /in.qjolis ; Hesolu-
tion, Atkins, Cadiz; Piiebe, Anioid, Gua
daloupe.
, ^ PROVIDENCE, August 1'.
Entered, schr. Naacy, Gla.lding, New-
L indou ; .-.loops Friendship, Jeans, Wash- ¦
1 ; Prudence, Tpbt, Baltimore; Mary-
Ann, Chace, New-York.
( i v.rcd. In i >; Traveller. Merry, Barbados ;
sloop Juno, L'oiiVStoek, New-York'.
. NE^YORlv, August 5.' -
Arrived, the ship ijLufttti -Arnold, 9 days
from Savannah. Tiie ship Louisiana,' Prior,
was to sail.ne:,t day for New-York. On
Monday" spoke the thip ¦ Honestus, from
New-Bedford for Norfolk. . Passengers
captain Hand aiict eight others.
The ship Louisiana, Pelor, 8 days from
Savannah.
On Wedne-day, off cape Hatter'as, spoke
schr.-Rachel, Prior,' 2 days from Haltimcrt,
for St. .Jago. Passengers, Messrs, Cdit,
Lord, and eigln o cis. Left no N. York
vessels. The sloop ——, f-fale,'itad just ar-
rived-from Philadelpioi.™Lost overboard
on Monday evening, a young man named
David, Field, of New-Jersey.
The schr. Huldah atjd, Anna, Fitzhue,
44 hours from Norfolk.
Below, last night, one brig. • '
Cleared, brig Resort, Stry, Canton ; Izet-
te, Barns. Portsmouth, N. il.; schr. Matt-
chesfer,Cropsy, Barbadccs, sloop Aurora,Ca-
hoone, New -Port ;, Aurora, Atkins, Ja-
maica.
E-xtruct of a letter from a gentleman near
Norfolk, Virginia, to his friend in ttis
city.
" Should war take place with Rriiain,
our commerce will be absolutely at their
mercy • and calamitous as ill be the con-
seqncuccs.to us, and strange as it may seem,
it is an event, which I have good reason
for believing, was not only anticipated, but
even wished prior to the late unparalleld and
horrid outrage committed against us. With-
in a few days previous to that outrage, two
gentlemen of great respectability and of un-
questionable veracity waited on the presi-
dent to pay their respects to him—-Bis con-
versation astonished theui both. He express-
ed his persuasion that the people of the U-
nited States were zealous for a war with
Britain. When enquiry was made concern-
ing the means of waging hostilities with a-
ny prospect of successs, the answer was,
'* France has ships and we have seamen"
With the knowledge of a disposition in our
rulers, such as is indicated by the above
sentiments, who can doubt the continuance
of those attachments and antipathies, which
heretofore so justly al;,rmed the mind, andex-
cited the admonitions of the provident
Washington ? Who can be at a loss to con-
ceive'the precipitate, *if not indecorous, re-
turn of the treaty lately negocia'ed i Yet
probably the appearance of a commendable
deference for public opiniorrJ*ahd of aland-
able zeal for the'public good, will be put
on, whilst e.v'ei'y uieans to influence the pub-
lic mind and to induce a blindness to" the
public good, will be covertly and artfully
essayed ; an.d with the aid to be derived
frsm the Lite.monstrous outrage, who can
doubt of success ? War then with Britain
is to he our fate, until we Shall mu'rially a-
wake by tit« ar>pre»ch of cr,£ mutual ruin ;'
i and then, perhaps, the public in
may be at last pointed, on. each'.-kv a-
.gainst those who'by wicked arts ami *
shall have promoted the unfortunate wfitisi-
on, and the obstinate, envenomed sin^
bloody contests which are probably to at-
tend it. The prospect before us is too dis-
tressing to be dwelt upon.
Jlbany, Thursday*. July 30.
Mr. Li;wis,
I have noticed the observations of Candor
in the Citizen of the 27th. I acknowledge
myself a pupil of the' old school, and that I
am tremblingly alive that while he is soli-
citous to throw those principles in. the back
ground, oiir country will be exposed to very
severe lashes, from an attempt to introduce
the theory of the new. I flatter myself,
ho-ever, that the wisdom of oar citizcas
will shelter themselves horn the ferule and
t strap of our secretary of war 4 and, upon
patriotic principles, protest against the huit-
less expenditure of public money. The re-
mark of the Citizen,- with respect to .thjt
range of an eighteen'pounder, Confining its
ability to four hnnd.ed and fifty yard's is
certainly too ridiculeus- to be ansi efti.
This, however, may be toe extent of the
abil iy qf eighteen pouudt.rs of the new
school ; the eighteen pounders of the old
school had decidedly superior ability.
With respect io the T"iJ>< does, and'Mr.
Fulton's plan of deience supported by ths
profess-.1',- f the Pew school I must Jay,
Timeo Danans et dona fevent,s. As to him,
should an invading squacion appear oil ihs
Hook, and signals given' that hey were
approachinp—to gu:,i J the entrance of'the
Narrows, he will n0 d >ubt sink his torpe-
does at it:, 15 and -f.o feet below the s'ur-i
face of the Water, and 1 . •. retire \vith'hi»
boats,^tanci..oii the.bluff 1 f Stat.-n Island,,
and'wait theii ai p'roach ; hut they bait, ,;ait
for the tide ol ebb, ai.'l i.-p-s lo'thcllook.
Can Mr. Fult n raise tkese t< rnedoes again,
when the enemy have reiuo'd? if he can-
not, our harbor is shut up, for these devil?
will equally blo-v up a friend or a toe.
Perhaps, however, he will say, he will
have buoys to them, and can raise the4.1 at
pleasure. Very well, Mr. Fulton, yvur tor-
pedoes have buoys to them—of cflui'-e, as'
visible to your enemy as to yourself. Ships
of the line v. ill then approach within fifty
yards of your buoys, and under protect ion
of their fiie, their boats vtill then advance",
pull up your buoys, and down g6e$;iw|pe,.
do—and .voe he to the shark, the porpoise,
or the whale, that tt upfctS t'lem ; for no
douht -iii) the exception of a sinaii
part, of the cargo, detained, for adjudication,
at Tortoki ; the ship was to procetd.to La*
guira v/itli the r< sidue. t
The ship 'Belle-Sa-.age, from Nbw Y.o-k,
arrived at Amsterr'.an. on tbi 33d May : and •
the Powhatan, from LuUimcrc, on the °.£s h„
The Amsterdam Packet, lor jptxiladelphia»
was sent back by a iiritish ciuizev, v ho
stopped het on her passage to Bordeaux, ih
ballast.
w lazaretto,'August '.5S
"Last night arrived, schr. Charli
Stillvvell, 15 days from Porto Rico. Lef>:
schr. Little Will, to sail in 4 days ; Olive-
branch, 1st August ; schr. Fortitude, of N„ .
York, just arrived-; brig Altmee, of ditto j
schr. Brothers, of'¦ Baltimore, and another schr.
name not rec liected, of do. The schoo
Iris, of Norfolk, from Toner,Pi, for N. Or-.
leans, being short of water' sec' her boa! .
on shore at St. John's; Porto Ri«o, for >,
supply ; the pilot on board ran her on shohi
on a reef, where she bilged ; the crew atVdT
part of the cargo saved. One <>f the pas-
sengers who came heme in the Charlotte in-
forms, that the pilot was .pnt ia prison.
'Passenger, Mr. James Gallagher. Mr. West,.
the pilot, on the 27th July. 12 or 14 leagues'
from the Cape, bearing N.. W. spoke ship
Henry, from Havana for N. York, apparent-
ly in a leakv condition ; asked if she wanted
anyassistance—was ali«verr-dno-a beat being .
then aiongoide, with some cloafhing, and
provisions, a mast, sail, and 8 or 9 men j
we then left her, and in a short tinje afier
saw the boat leaving her also.
. " This morning arrived, bri? St. Crois,
Packet, Mayae,. 15 days from St. CrOix^—
The schr, ilnterprh'.e sailed inco. Passen-
gers, capt. L)e Costa and lady. ¦
" Also, schr. Erect, Lake, 17 days frors
Curracoa. Left, schr. Nelson, bound to
Laguira ; was taken by a Spanish priva'rvi,
and afterwards retaken bv a British brig, ''
and expected to be senl to Jamaica.
11 Also, sloop Malinda, from N. York.'
NORFOLK, August -,.
On Saturday last, niaj 1 Ta'/e-icll, aid of
Gea. Mathews, went down with the 2 ofii-.
cers and 3 seapien; belonging to 'die Tit-
^n-.pii, taken 6v»!, tia . •!.% C''^;fif,
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