account of its public buldings, the strengthof he garrifon, with a pretty minute account of its fortifications, particularly of the citadel, Which is deemed the frongeft in Europe, and the chef d'œuvre of the great Vauban, the greatest engineer of his time, though he lived when Europe was remarkable for the number of its engineers, the foremost of whom were Vauban and Cohorn, the great competitors for fame. SIR, Life, March 3, 1784. THERE is now in this town an engineer of the first rank, fent by the court to examine into the state of the fortifications: I faw him this morning going to the citadel, to view the works there: he was attended by a number of officers belonging to the corps of engineers, who treated him with as much refpect as if he was a demi-god; infuch high veneration do Frenchmen hold every man who is honoured with the confidential commands of their fovereign. The appearance of this engineer in Lifle, the great attention with which he views even the most infignificant parts of the outworks, the repairs that, it is faid, are to be made in confequence of his report to the minifter, and the preparations that are making in the Auftrian and Dutch Netherlands, make the people of Lifle look upon a war to be inevitably near at hand! An Irish officer of rank in the French fervice has promised to take me round the citadel, to fhew me the different works, and the ftores of arms and ammunition that are laid up there. As yet I have feen only one part of the citadel; but it has made an impreffion upon me that will not be easily effaced. To the left, on catering through the great gate next the town, are places which engineers call cafemates; they are galleries or places in which the troops can lie behind the ramparts, in perfect fecurity from the fire of a befieging army: thefe cafemates are vaulted, and fo firong, that they are completely bombproof. There being no great ufe for them, except in a fiege, they were kept empty until the reign of the prefent king, who provided inhabitants, though without wifhing it, for thefe gloomy places, fitter to ferve as caverns to wild beafts than as a refidence for men. Before the reign of Louis XVI. defertion from the military fervice was a capital offence; and it very rarely happened that royal mercy was extended to a defer ter, even for the first offence: confequently, in a country where fo numerous an army was kept up, great numbers were fhot to death every year, and many others hanged; for if a foldier, after having deserted, was taken on a road leading out of France, he was not honoured with a military death from the hands of his conrades; but was made to fuffer the death of a felon by the hands of the common hangman. The prefent king, willing to prevent, if poffible, the frequency of military executions, and at the fame time to check the spirit of defertion which appeared among his troops, repealed the edict, or law, by which defertion was to be punished with death, and enacted another, by which deferters are condemned to imprisonment in the cafemates of different. ftrong towns mentioned in the edict; of thefe Lifle is one; and in its citadel are shut up about three hundred deferters; the fight of thefe wretches was truly fhocking; in these dark fubterraneous prisons no light can enter but at the gate, which is made like a grating; through which is admitted just a fufficient quantity of air to keep the prifoners alive; but not to keep the place fweet. Here they are obliged to answer all the calls of nature; and, therefore, you may conceive what a horrid dwelling this must be: while I looked through the grat ing there came forth fuch a stench, that it had nearly made me faint; and when the gate was opened, and fome of the prifoners were let to walk out in the air, which they are permitted to do in fmall numbers every day for somewhat less than an hour, their looks were pale, and fhockingly squalid; they were covered with vermin; and, without exaggeration, their whole appearance was fuch, that a perfon who did not know what they were might easily take them for fpectres. Some of thefe wretches are condemned to perpe tual imprisonment; others to twenty, fome to fifteen, but few to any period under five years: the difference in the length of confinement depending on the number of times that the prifoner has deferted, For my part, I think that imprisonment in thefe cafemates for five years, or for life, is nearly fynonymous, as I believe that no conftitution could bear up, even for two years, against the damps, the filth, the ftench, and the want of air, in thefe dreadful places; not to mention the want of proper nourishment; for the food of these unhappy prifoners is pretty much the fame that is allowed by the King in the county jails of England: the conftant prayer of these wretches, whenever they fee an offcer, while they are out in the air, is not for pardon, but for death; and unqueftionably death, fo far from being a punishment to them, would be the best boon, fhort of pardon, that their fovereign could give them. A little while ago many of them, who were conftantly praying for death to relieve them from their mifery, found their prayers were heard when they leaft expec Y 2 ted. Grown desperate from their wretchedness, they refolved to rifque every thing to effect an escape: they agreed, therefore, that on the morrow (which was a Sunday) when they knew the regiment quartered in the citadel would be at church, they should force open the gate, and, overpowering the few fentinels that were on guard on the outfide, escape into the town, where they hoped the humanity of the inhabitants would fcreen them from justice, by concealing them from the governor. This was aftruly defperate attempt, for in front of the prifon-gate were placed two pieces of cannon, loaded with grape, fo pointed as that they might be fired point-blank into the cafemates; and fome foldiers were conftantly ftationed at the guns, with lighted matches, ready to fire in cafe of need. At the appointed time the prifoners forced the gate, and rushed out with fo much precipitation, that they fortunately got between the guns and the men who were ftationed at them; but who, expecting nothing less than fuch an event, were walking backwards and forwards on their poft, as fentinels ufually do. But here was the beginning and end of their good fortune; for at that moment a captain was marching by with a detachment of fixty men, to relieve a guard at one of the town-gates: feeing the mutineers making to the gate of the citadel he intercepted them, and defired they would return to their prifon without obliging him to ufe violence towards them; but they de air of which, difagreeable as it might be to others, who had not been confined in the cafemates, they found to the laft degreepure and refreshing; and they bleffed Goo that they had been wounded, as by that circumftance they enjoyed a refpite from the horrors of their prifon. In my next, I hope I fhall be able to give you a tolerable good account of the fortifications of the town and citadel, the latter of which is the admiration of the world, and which, though it was taken by Marlborough and Prince Eugene in the fucceffion war, has been fo ftrengthened by Vauban, that it is now thought by military men to be abfolutely impregnable, except by famine. Your good old father, who has fo often fignalized himself at fieges, will be glad to read it. Farewell till the next poft: you may go to Weltjie's, and pay fix fhillings for a bottle of claret; I am just going to take one with a friend, which will coft only one fhilling, and is really excellent. A fhilling a-bottle for claret on this fide the water is a great deal of money; but Flanders is not a wine country, and we are here a great way from Bourdeaux; this accounts for the dearness. A TRAVELLER. Extracts from the Authentic and Accurate clared with one voice that nothing but fu- A periour force fhould ever make them return to the bell, as they called it, from which they had juft broke out. While the captain was parlying with them, the lieutenant, feeing they were bent upon forcing their way through the gate of the citadel, very wifely made the detachment prime and load, withcut waiting for the captain's orders; and had it not been for this prudent ftep of the leutenant, the prifoners, aided by their defpair, and encouraged by their numbers, they being 300 oppofed to 60, might poffibly have fucceeded. The mutineers, inftead of doing what the captain wished for, began to advance towards him, as if determined to fall upon him; he again remonftrated with them, and warned them of their dan ger; but they, deaf to all he said, rushed upon the detachment: the captain inftantly gave his men orders to fire by platoons, which they did; upon which thirty-fix of the mutineers fell dead upon the fpot, and twice that number were wounded: many were wounded by the bayonets, to the very points of which they had refolutely marched up: at laft the remainder were overpower. ed, and carried back to their prifon. The wounded were conveyed to an hofpital, the (Continued from page 124.) October 1ft, 1779. 3d. DARK night: the Spaniards erected a break-work on the Ifthmus, between our Land-port Gardens and the Round Tower, above 60 feet long, 10 thick, and within 800 yards of our lines. They alfo demolished the wheels of the garden wells, fired the huts, came as far as Bayfide and Lower Forbes Guard Houfes, and hung bundles of combuftibles on the palifadoes, to burn them down, the flame of which alarmed our guards, who fired on them and made them retreat, leaving many of their bundles behind. No great damage done. Monf. d'Estaing came down to the lines. Enemies cruifers very alert. Fired at a fentry at the chandelier and breaft-work; he turned his backfide to us. 4th. The enemy took an English floop laft night in the bay, after a good deal of firing. 11th. A fmall fettee from Minorca with fupplies; our boats brought a Danish dogger from Malaga to Copenhagen loaded with lemons, oranges, raifins, &c. very refrething, efpecially to the fick, the governor kept the cargo. Our boats alfo attempted a large Dutchman; but a Dutch frigate fired on them. 12th. One of the fifty-sixth deferted from Middle Hill Guard. The enemy's gun-boats prevent our fishing boats to going out. Each gun-boat has one 26 the pounder. 20th. A fmall veffel from Mirenorca, with a little of every thing. In the dark nights we fire light balls on the Ifthmus, which the enemy often extinguish with ith Land. 21ft. A town veffel with wine and other neceflary from Algiers. No parties now by land, only water. 26th. In the night the enemy extended their chandelier 50 or 60 feet to the eastward, notwithstanding our fire. 31ft. Two foldiers, of 56th and 62d at Upper Forbes's, got down by ropes and deferted. Nov. 1. A fnow from the weftward, taken coming in. Fired feveral well directed fhells into the enemy's chandeliers. 3d. Last night, two foldiers, let themselves down by a rope, at Zoca battery, they then, ftripped and fwam it. They will probably be drowned; this happened, the bodies were found the 8th. The enemy have extended their chandelier. A firing at night, at fea. A veffel feemed to blow up. 11th. Laft night, fired from all our batteries facing the Ifthmus. 12th. This morning a large polacre from the weft, flood in for the Bay, with little wind at north-weft; the gun-boats went out to meet her; the fired at them, and they at her, conftantly keeping within mufket fhot: they covered the veffel frequently with round and grape fhot. The vellel returned the fire faintly, but kept ftanding on, the enemy afraid to board her. Some xebecks ftretched down on her, and fired a broadfide or two. At laft she got under her guns, which played brifkly on the enemy, and obliged them to decamp. She proves to be the Young Sabine, Captain M'Clorg, from London, in eighteen days, with flour and other neceffaries-a noble supply!-fhe is two hundred tons burthen, eighteen men. She was almoft torn to pieces, not less than twenty-nine fhot ftruck her in the rigging, one man wounded. 12tb. This afternoon a Minorca bark got in, with fupplies from Mahon, amidft a number of Spanish cruifers, who took her for one of their own veffels. 14th. This morning a Tartan, a little to the eastward of the hill, made fignals for affiftance from hence, which our navy gentry did not feem to understand, as no boats went out; fhe got within long-gun-fhot of Europa, when he was boarded and carried off by a Spanish lugger's boat. The Tartan's crew made their escape here in their own boat.This veffel had supplies from Minorca. Prices of Provifions from England, brought by M'Clarg. Flour, per barrel Cork butter, per lb. Cheefe, ditte d. O £. s. 3 12 I. 9 I 15th. Laft night a firing in the Bay, a brig taken. 17th. An attack at night by the gun-boats, while the enemy frengthened their chandelier. In the morning a thoufand of fand bags piled on it. An excellent cover from our upper batteries. 19th. A gun burft on the King's battery, killed a bombardier, and wounded three others.Firing from the gun-boats, and working on the Ifthmus every night. In fearching for a ferjeant of the 73d miffing, found two skeletons of foldiers behind the rock. The enemy finishing a new 12 gun battery: they plunder the Landport-gardens, night and day, and in fpite of our fire, behave with aftonishing intrepidity. General Alvarez, who commands the enemy, vifits the lines once or twice a week, we know him by his uniform and suite, on these occafions, it is the etiquette never to fire into the lines. 30th. The enemy have got a number of firefhips. When our convoy arrives, we must keep a fharp look-out, otherwife the enemy will attempt to burn our fhips. I wish we had eighteen or twenty gun-boats, carrying a twenty-four pounder each, with thirty or for ty men: two of thefe are equal to a frigate in calm weather. If we had had a few of. thefe, under an enterprifing naval commander, we might have brought in abundance of supplies, by feizing neutral veffels, and faving many of our own that were taken. I am perfuaded too, that with fuch boats we might cannonade the enemy's camp, and ehfilade their lines and chandelier, in calm nights, without any risk, as they would he a fmall object for the enemy to fire at. Thofe that the Spaniards have, are about thirty or forty tons burthen, very low in the water, carrying one very large triangular fail, and rowing fourteen or fifteen oars on each fide: the gun peeps over the prow of the boat, and is always elevated; but, I am informed, they can fire nearly point-blank if they please, by lifting out a fliding-board in the prow, which forms a port:-they fail very faft, and keep well up to the wind.-I fay, with a few of thefe boats we might set fire to the fire-fhips that are at Orange Grove, and destroy their zebecks. Dec. ft. This afternoon several signals were made at the towers, of an enemy be April, ing to the eastward; a large fhip appeared glorious fupply! From the several veffels Our pavement as far as Southport dug up, 60 Catholics, 30 Jews, and 20 British inhabitants, employed in it. 9th. A ten-inch thell from the Old Mole, penetrated the center of the chandelier, making experiments, when we begin in ear We are now only neft, it is expected we shall be able to fhake and fire this work. Three fettees from Minorca, and a brig from Leghorn, with wines and neceflaries, got in. The enemy's approaches come on a-pace. laying heavy cannon in the fand behind the 14th. We are Old Mole, to fend red hot shot into the enemy's artillery park. The enemy's approaches brought close to her chandelier. Begun a new work, an epaulment, from the caft angle of the chandelier, extending towards the center Stone Guard-house. 17th. Extended this work 30 yards. 19th. More extended; and an English floop taken. 21. This afternoon repeated fignals were made, of an enemy being in fight to the weftward; the gun-boats all got out, then two large xebecks attempted it, but were becalmed. Soon after a fmall xebeck, from towards Ceuta, ftretched across this way, having English colours hoifted, and fering guns as a fignal to the xebecks. At noon, a cutter appeared ftanding for Europa, from the Barbary fhore: fhe was fired on by the gun-boats, but happily got in fafe. She proves to be the Speedwell cutter, exprefs, with difpatches for our governor. She was boarded off Ceuta, by a fmall lugger, on which occafion, the captain (Mr. Gib fon) received a wound by small hot. The higger was very roughly treated, and many men killed. The corpfe of a man, of the fifty-fixth regiment, was yefterday found behind the rock, with both arms and one leg broke. 22d. A floop coming in taken. 23d. Arrived the Hannah privateer, Venture, from London and Lifbon, with butter, cheese, beef, pork, and other provifions.-An excelJent fupply, 24th. The Kitty and Polly, of Liverpool, got in during the night, laden with butter, cheese, potatoes, and 300 barrels of flour.-A noble supply! One or two more fuch cargoes would fill the place. 29th. Two veffels with Moorish colours, taken by the enemy. Our boats took a Spanish bark in the Bay. 31. The Patron, Capello, from Minorca, with brandy and provisions. A fels carried in by the Spaniards the 29th 1781. Jan. 11. The two Moorish vefult. brought over Conful Logie and all the British fubjects from Tangier and Tetuan, the Emperor of Morocco having ordered the Spaniards, whom he now calls his beft them away, as he had farmed his ports to friends. 16th. A brig from Madeira, with 70 pipes of wine. privateer cutter from England, in 14 days, 18th. The Tartar, a with provifions, and had a letter of marque them. against the Dutch; the governor also issued manding Bayfide guard, took an opportuni20th, Early to-day the ferjeant comty to get over the palifading, and deserted his own guard, and other parts, fired on to the enemy. He walked gently on, while him, apparently very indifferent whether he was fhot or not; after paufing fome time, as if undetermined what to do, he proceeded on, and got into the enemy's work.This unhappy man, it feems, has been a long time in the fifty-fixth regiment, bore an excellent character, was paymafter to the cers; but getting into debt, was drove to company, and lately kept a mess for offcommit that defperate act. He has left behind him a wife and two,children. Hannah, Venture, of 20 guns, and also the 23d. In the night failed for Minorca, the Sabine, Mac Lorg, of 10 guns. The enemy did not mifs them until between 8 and 9 in the morning; for owing to the heighth of the hill, which throws a fhade on the water under the walls, they cannot see our vessels from their. fide, until the fun is far above eastward; but they had twelve hours adthe horizon. A large xebeck stood to the vance of her. Browne, a large fhip from Leghorn, with 28th. The Tartar, Robert wine, brandy, oil and other neceffaries-an excellent fupply, 30th. Two fmall veffels from Minorca. 22 guns, from Minorca, homeward bound. Feb. 9th. Arrived the Salisbury cutter, days, with an excellent cargo of wine, bran 19th. A large polacre from Minorca, in five dy, fugar and other articles. 21ft. A brig from Minorca, with liquors, &c. in 6 days. 28th. A Genoefe brig with raifins, brought in by the crew. coming in. 5th. A fmall fettec arrived from March 4th. A fnow from Algiers, taken Minorca; enemy looking out fharply. A foldier of the 72d deferted from Landport. 8th. No baking this laft fortnight for want of flour. Damaged biscuit fells at two reals or 1os. the quintal, 112 lb. charcoal, 6s. 8d. (about 5 d.) a pound; firewood, 3 dollars, the arrove; onions, 1s. Icd. per lb. An old old ox at 38. 8d. per lb. Yet no diftrefs among the people, except the Jews, who abstain from pork and falt beef as unclean; they are dejected and meagre as cameleons. 17th. A polacre and tartan, from Minorca with fupplies. 28th. Tartar cutter, Gib fon, from Minorca with supplies; a Tuscan polacre from Leghorn for Liverpool; fhe failed again the 22d, but the wind failing, fhe was boarded by the Spaniards: fhe was laden with wine and raifins: the enemy will fee we are well stored with thefe articles. 24th. French flour from Minorca, fold at 31. 1os. per quintal. Coarfe ditto, half bran, 46s. 8. Coarfe biscuit, 41. Is. 8d. 26th. A Spanish prize brought in, 120 tons, with wine, brandy, nuts, &c. 28th. Two foldiers of the 56th executed for burglary and robbery. 29th. Enterprize and Fortune failed for Mahon. A brig from Lifbon with provisions taken. The crew did not manage properly. April 3d. A cutter from England with rum and a few coals. Expect our fleet, from the Spanish ships returning. 12th. Spanishi fide all in agitation; numbers of signals, The Kite cutter arrived from our fleet, which the left off Cadiz yesterday. Joyful news! 12th. Our fleet and convoy under Admiral Darby were feen early entering the Streights mouth. Many of them entered the bay. The enemy gun and mortar boats fired at them, but were obliged to retreat. The enemy now open their batteries on the land fide, firing fhot and fhells into the town: the inhabitants fly to the southward for fafety. Some of the enemy's fhells reach the New Mole, near two miles and a half; their fhot beyond Southport. Great conflagration and destruction in the town! 13th. The enemy continue to fire as brifk as poffible from the lines; feveral people killed and wounded: the gun and mortarboats attack the shipping. The town at this time is nothing but a fcene of riot, drunkennefs, deftruction and confufion! The foldi ers plundering without oppofition, and committing every kind of atrocity. The inhabitants have had a few tents given them, to protect them from the weather. Upwards of three thousand fhot and fhells were this day fired from the enemy. 14th. The enemy's fire.increases; ftores and provifions landing rapidly at New Mole, Rofia and Camp Bay. The enemy's gunboats harrass the shipping in the Bay exceedingly. 20th. To this day the enemy's fire has been exceffively hot; greateft part of the town deftroyed by fire, fhot and fhells, we reckon about four thousand to be fired by day and night. Our batteries do not fire on the enemy, except a fhot or fhell now and then. To-day the wind sprung up caft, our fleet fet fail with all the empty traní- Strength of the Garrifon at Admiral Darby's This was the fecond time the garrifon was relieved. Had the enemy made a bold push about this time, and stormed the place, what number of men had we to oppose them! 3 colonels, 8 lieutenant-colonels, 8 majors, 60 captains, 98 lieutenants, 34 enfigns, 344 ferjeants, 174 drummers, 4710 rank and file. Artillery, with officers included 566 124 The fupplies brought by Admiral Darby were great indeed; not lefs than two years provifions for the troops! But the inhabitants were ftill fufferers; feveral finall cargoes and private ventures came out with the feet, but could not be landed, as the firing began both by fea and land, which excluded every idea but that of immediate felf-prefervation: people were more anxious about a tent to cover them from the weather, than a ftore-houfe: and the landing the king's provifions prevented all private bufinefs from going on. The fleet was impatient to get away from the gun and mortar-boats' daily vifits; and the victuallers, &c. were as impatient to fail under protection, and therefore returned with their cargoes and ventures. H (To be continued.) Account of the propofed System of Trade "The opinions of those who object to the propofed fyftem are fo various, and appear to have fo little foundation, that it is not eafy to collect the fubftance of their apprehenfions; they muft, however, mean to contend, that it will have a dangerous operation on the navigation and the commerce of this country. It is, therefore, proper to 1 |