SERVICE AFLOAT

on this quarter of the island flow numerous springs and streams of pure salubrious water, fertilizing the plains below and tempering the climate. The eastern division, or Grande Terre, has been much less favoured by Nature. Moderately high, and for the most part level, it is little capable of production, being rocky, sterile, and deficient in water. The Salt River, which separates the two portions, is a narrow arm of the sea, finely shaded with mangroves, and extending in a southeasterly and north-westerly direction, between six and seven miles in length, and from one hundred to two hundred feet in breadth, navigable for craft of forty or fifty tons burthen. It is one of those remarkable chasms or ravines peculiar to these islands, and abounding with traces of volcanic action, indicating that the whole has been reft asunder by some mighty convulsion of Nature. At the south-western embouchure of this strait, on the margin of the Cul de Sac, lies Point à Petre, the emporium of the island, a large, handsome, but unhealthy town. Gosier bay, or roads, where the squadron now anchored, is between three and four leagues to the eastward of this.

On reaching the anchorage an officer was dispatched with a flag of truce and a summons to the strong fort Fluer d'Epée, situated at a little more than gun-shot distance from the anchorage; but this summons was not complied with.

The weather being favourable, the landing of the troops was effected by the boats of the squadron during the night of the 27th, and by daylight the ensuing morning the whole of the first division and the reserve were disembarked, without the slightest accident or opposition, at the village of Marie Capes Terre, a few leagues south-west of Gosier.

While the reserve remained to cover the landing of stores and provisions, the first division pushed forward to the southward by the only road lying along the coast-one brigade to Capes Terre, another to Trois Riviere. On the 29th these took post at Bannannia river, the reserve the same day reaching Grande Rivière. On the 30th, at noon, the column advancing by the strong pass of Somme Chien, which was undefended, reached Trois Rivière, pushing forward some small detachments of light troops in the direction of the enemy's posts.

During these operations we were in continual communication with the troops, all the movements of which, from the nature of the ground and the line of march along the coast, we witnessed from the ship as we sailed along. The long red column filing along the base of the lofty range of mountains, their arms glittering in the tropic sun, formed an interesting spectacle. Hitherto we had seen but little of the enemy, for, having relinquished the less defensible points, they had concentrated their force, consisting of three thousand five hundred troops, in the neighbourhood of Basse Terre. The greater part of these were intrenched in a remarkably strong position, along a range of heights to the northward and eastward of that town, every accessible point being covered by abattis and stockaded redoubts. tended from the sea, which flanked its right or western extremity, to This line exthe strong post of Matabau, the outports of which-the heights D'Olat overlooking the sea to the eastward-flanked the left. This latter point the first division and the reserve had now reached; meanwhile the second division, which had arrived at the Saintes on the 27th, quitted that anchorage on the 29th, and steering for Trois Rivière,

menaced that quarter in order to divert the enemy's attention from the advance of the first division. Then bearing up after dark they proceeded to the northward, and disembarked the following morning about two leagues north of Basse Terre, near the river du Plessis, a little in the rear of the enemy's right, taking post on some hills on which a few field-pieces were thrown into battery, and opened a fire on the enemy. This movement induced the latter to abandon his defences at Palmiste and Morne Houel, and to extend his right. While matters were in this train to leeward, the first division continued to advance on the enemy's left. For a short time he showed a disposition to defend the heights D'Olat, and other posts, by opening a fire from some howitzers and field-pieces on our column; but these were abandoned with precipitation as our troops advanced. It being necessary to wait the landing of stores and provisions from the ships, no farther movement was made by this wing of the army until the 2nd of February, when it again marched forward in two columns by the mountains, the reserve to the right, and took possession of Palmiste. Here we lost sight of them, and our co-operation being no longer necessary in this quarter, we bore up the same day to join the left wing of the army above Basse Terre. On this side we found every thing in active progress; the troops having disembarked without loss or accident, had taken up a strong position on some heights flanking the enemy's right, which was posted on a high ridge crowned with a chain of strong redoubts, communicating with the head-quarters at Matabau. Α heavy and unremitted cannonade was kept up between one or two of these and two of our batteries opposed to them. These were principally thrown up and manned by a detachment of seamen from the squadron, consisting of the Alfred and Sceptre of the line, with some frigates and smaller vessels, to which was now added a strong reinforcement from our ship. I happened to be of this party, and had an opportunity of witnessing the skill and indefatigable exertions of British sailors when employed on this kind of service. This has frequently been the theme of panegyric, but to be properly appreciated it must be seen. Obstacles, apparently insurmountable, soon disappear before them; in a battery, or in getting up guns, they are unrivalled, and I am surprised they are not more frequently employed on this duty on shore. On the present occasion, although, as may be supposed, the service, being kept on the move night and day in such a climate, was no sinecure, yet nothing could exceed the alacrity and good-will evinced by all; indeed, it was treated as quite a holiday affair. A few hours after we had opened a fire from our first battery, manned by a detachment from the Sceptre, the lieutenant commanding the party, affecting to hold cheap the enemy's practice, took it into his head, in spite of every remonstrance from those around him, to mount the parapet, exposing himself a dead mark for their aim. This he had repeated several times, until at length he was struck by a large shot, which completely decapitated him.

While the left were thus engaged, the right wing continuing to advance by D'Olet and the great road to Basse Terre: the reserve, after taking possession of Morne Houel, succeeded in turning and penetrating the enemy's left, and menaced his head-quarters at Matabau. On the morning of the 5th, that post displayed a flag of truce. The

same day a capitulation was agreed upon, which was ratified on the 6th. Thus was achieved, in the short interval of eight days, the conquest of this fine island, and with it fell the Islands of St. Martin's and St. Eustatius, which, as dependencies, were included in the capitulation. On the 7th, the French troops were marched down into the town of Basse Terre, where, in the Grande Place, and in the presence of a brigade of seamen drawn up to receive them, they grounded their arms, and were forthwith embarked on board transport-vessels, ready in the roads for their reception. After this we marched and took formal possession of the principal fort and sea-batteries of the town.

The small islands in the vicinity of and dependent on Guadaloupe, viz. Mariagalante, Deseada, Petite Terre, and the groups called the Saintes, had been taken possession of by our squadron a few months previous to the recent capture. The first-named of these islands was so designated from Columbus's ship, the Gallant Mary, in which he sailed, on his discovery of it during his second voyage. It is a beautiful little island, lying about twelve miles east of Cape Terre. Its low and level shores rise towards the centre to a level ridge of moderate elevation. The soil for the most part possesses great capabilities, producing excellent sugar, indigo, and tobacco, and the whole island is capable of great improvement.

Deseada is ten miles long and five broad, and lies about twelve miles east of the south-eastern extremity of Grande Terre. It is for the most part a sterile rock, with scarcely a trace of vegetation. Its only inhabitants are a few families settled on the south side, who subsist by fishing and the cultivation of a small quantity of cotton and tobacco. From the sea it has the appearance of an unbroken table-land, of some 5 or 600 feet elevation.

The Saintes are a group of small hilly islands, three leagues distant from the southern extremity of Guadaloupe. They form an anchorage, where any number of ships may remain at most seasons with safety. On the easternmost extremity there is a considerable village, and on the western, or Grande Sainte, an extensive pottery. The inhabitants consist of between 3 and 400 individuals of both sexes, who subsist by fishing and the cultivation of a small quantity of cotton and a little sugar. According to returns made to the House of Commons in 1812, the population of Guadaloupe consisted of 12,747 Whites, 94,328 Slaves, and 7764 Free Blacks.

While on the subject of these islands, I shall take the opportunity to relate a tragic incident which subsequently took place while at anchor off Point à Petre. One of the crew, an Irishman, belonging to the waist or afterguard, and a boy of sixteen or seventeen, a mizentop man, having been tried by court-martial for an unnatural crime, were found guilty, and sentenced to death. To the former there appeared little chance of mercy being eventually extended, and his case excited the less commiseration, as the penalty which awaited him would have been but a retribution for various crimes which, according to his own acknowledgment, though he continued steadfastly to deny the commission of that for which he was now doomed, he had formerly committed. This man had served the greater part of his life in the army, from which, it seems, he had several times deserted, and he had moreover, with more or less of impunity, committed various thefts, and more than one highway robbery. With the

younger prisoner it was far otherwise; among all on board his case excited the deepest interest, and it was hoped and confidently anticipated that a reprieve, if for no other reason than his extreme youth, would finally be granted to him. The communication of this, it was supposed, in order to produce a salutary impression, would be reserved, as usual, until a late moment, probably until the morning of execution, or the moment of ascending the scaffold. When, however, the fatal period arrived, ushered in with the usual solemn and impressive parade of the marines drawn up on the gangways, the crew and officers on the front of the quarter-deck, the boats of the squadron manned and armed lying on their oars alongside, and the crews of the vessels distributed in the rigging of the various vessels of the squadron, and when, after the two unfortunate culprits were brought forth on the platform on the starboard side of the forecastle, the articles of war being read, the master-at-arms, and his assistants the ship's corporals, proceeded with the usual preliminary arrangements of confining their arms, adjusting the rope, and drawing on the fatal cap, the yardropes stretched along and manned, only waiting the signal, and all portended that the law was about to take its course on both alike, great was the disappointment of all. Scarcely evincing any signs of animation, or of apparent consciousness of what was going on around him, the unfortunate lad, supported by one of the ship's corporals, seemed lost to this world, and remained passive while these awful preparations were in progress. Not so his companion; all of a sudden, when it comes to his turn to be secured, and just as they are about to fix the noose, a horrid scene ensues; a death-like struggle takes place between him and those near him; with a convulsive effort disengaging his arms, he draws forth an instrument with which he inflicts a severe wound in the throat, a moment after he is secured, the gun flashes, and in this state he is run up to the yard-arm. It would appear that this guilty man (so fondly does hope cling to some bosoms to the last) had deluded himself with the prospect of a pardon, but with a premeditated determination, if disappointed, to anticipate his executioners by self-destruction; with this view he had secreted about his person a razor-blade, with which he made the above endeavour to effect his purpose. The junior delinquent remained on the platform. His life was spared; but fate, if the influence of imagination goes for aught, had already done its worst. The previous awful process and the thundering of the gun seems to have produced all the mental effects of a real execution. The little remaining consciousness previously apparent appeared to have fled, and as he was probably dead to physical suffering, it might have been deemed much more merciful to have rid him at once of existence and spared him much future misery. I know not with whom the arrangements rested that matters were carried to this injudicious extremity: the motive was probably to produce an effect, and a profound impression on the prisoner: the latter object was fully attained; the unfortunate victim of a tardy and mistaken mercy was taken down to the sick-room in a state of stupor; I do not know what was his ultimate fate, as I quitted the ship a few days after, but it was understood that, though he had par tially recovered the shock, it had paralysed his intellect.

(To be continued.)

POPULAR VIEW OF FORTIFICATION AND GUNNERY.

NO. X.

:

"To ensure the reduction of a fortress, a fully equipped siege army is absolutely necessary and any deficiency, especially in the engineer or artillery departments, must assuredly involve an unnecessary loss of life: to save men, science and materials must be brought into play. Vauban's invaluable maxim should ever be kept in' view- Never attempt any thing at a siege by open force, which may be gained by art and labour.'"-Jones's Sieges in Spain.

ON THE ATTACK.

In our foregoing Numbers we have shown the manner in which the defensive masses and ditches have been usually arranged around a place in order to defend it in the best possible manner; but before we can know the value of these arrangements, as well as their acknowledged defects, it becomes necessary to develope the mode and power of the attack, which we now proceed to do.

In describing the attack of a regular bastioned front, we do not intend to consider the effect of a subterranean war, as we have already endeavoured to point out, (especially in the Sixth Number of these articles published in our Journal for Dec. 1830,) that with energy, talent, and sufficient means on both sides, countermines do not prolong the defence; besides which, we have detailed the mode of proceeding usually followed in destroying the countermines of a place. Nor can we take into consideration the moral causes that may retard or advance the march of a regular attack, or any extraordinary sacrifices that circumstances may induce an enterprising garrison to make, &c. We suppose a garrison of steady courage and conduct restrained from any great offensive measures by an assailant of equal conduct and courage, and having at his command numbers, means and time to enable him to compass the enterprise.

The works of the attack chiefly consist of a trench, the earth excavated from which forms a bank or parapet on the side next the enemy; this trench is first made nearly parallel to the general outline of the place; that is, it forms the portion of a great circle embracing the fronts to be attacked, at a distance of about 600 yards from the most advanced works. This embracing trench is called a parallel, and here batteries are erected to concentrate their fire upon the works to be attacked. The trench is afterwards pushed on in a zig-zag course till it arrives within the range of the musketry fire of the place, where it is again made to extend itself, so as to embrace the fronts of attack, and is called the second parallel. From hence it is pushed more slowly forward by zig-zags till it reaches the foot of the glacis where a third parallel is formed; it is then worked up the glacis, by a still slower operation, and when arrived at its crest, batteries are established to beat down the defences, to open the revêtements, and to allow of the trench being carried on across the ditch even into the works of the place.

Colonel Jones, in his admirable preliminary observations to his sieges in Spain, says,

"It will readily be conceived, that the most important object at a siege, is to carry forward the covered road (or trench) to the walls of the place,