fortress are encumbered with traverses, which become necessary to cover the guns, and to protect the cannoneers. M. Carnot, under the orders of Napoleon Buonaparte, wrote his system, but it contained nothing of any importance, and very little of novelty, except his vertical fire, and the whole has been animadverted on and demolished by Sir Howard Douglas. It is easy, however, to find fault with the systems of engineers, but not quite so convenient to produce one free from objection.

Now, will his brother soldiers permit a plain man, who has seen some service, and read of more, to inquire why the principle suggested by Sir R. Seppings, in forming the stern of our ships-of-war, might not be introduced with the greatest propriety and advantage in the construction of the defences of fortified places? Would not a bastion, composed of the segments of circles, admit of a greater number of cannon, than a bastion formed of salient and re-entering angles? and would not such a bastion, with a martella tower in its gorge, be much stronger, and present not only a complete direct defence, but have its flanks better guarded, and disperse its fire more advantageously upon an enemy's approaches? In like manner, the curtains of the ramparts might also be curved, so as to render them much stronger than the right line; and were a martella tower placed in the centre of the projecting and receding bend, the defence of the works so constructed would be greatly increased, and little or no effect be experienced from enfilade or recochet batteries.

To British engineers, and, indeed, to all the officers of the British army, this is a subject of deep interest and importance. We are all brave and steady under fire, and why should we not endeavour to acquire the highest knowledge of military science: these hints are submitted to their serious consideration, and it is hoped and expected that some competent engineer, or scientific soldier, will meet these suggestions with a liberal spirit of inquiry, and show that the old system is perfect, and that any departure from it would be unwise and unnecessary, or candidly admit the propriety of the principle suggested.

In Colonel Jones's History of the Sieges in the Peninsula during the late war, he has stated, that at the siege of Badajoz, when the first parallel was nearly completed, the besieged sent some cannon to the right side of the Guadiana, and enfiladed the line of approach; and that a strong corps was obliged to be sent to that side of the river for the security of the British works and batteries.

Now, I ask, was this ignorance or negligence in the general commanding the siege, or in the engineers who traced and superintended the construction of the parallel? Again, at the attack of the castle of Burgos, was it the general-in-chief, or the directing engineer, who undertook that siege with such an inadequate portion of artillery?

I must say as an old officer, anxious for the reputation of the service, that these questions are of importance, because they involve great loss of blood to the British army, and the military skill and capacity of generals and engineers entrusted with the direction of the public force on these two occasions. In subsequent communications, I shall frankly discuss several interesting questions relating to our military system and operations.

July 15th, 1831.

ALFRED.

THE SPY.

'Twas in the middle of the year 1810, when the British army, after various struggles and hard-fought actions, succeeded in occupying the very heart of Spain, that the enemy, greatly reinforced, and far exceeding our forces in numbers, had taken up a very strong position in our front: their outposts were so much advanced, that the greatest vigilance was necessary to prevent a surprise, but our's were on the alert, and ready to check the slightest movement ;-rare, indeed, is it to find a British soldier slumbering at the post of honour. The night, for the time of year in a southern country, was dark and lowering; all was hushed in silence, save the gentle sounds which broke upon the ear, of the sentinels' footsteps, as they paced to and fro on the short space of ground allotted as their post; or the visiting officer on duty, cautiously passing from one spot to another, to see that all were attentive and steady. A gentle rivulet ran by the right of the British outposts. Ever and anon a distant murmur of a movement in the French lines struck through the still air; then would the officer place his ear to the earth, by which, from frequent habit, he could almost ascertain the numbers in motion; at all events, he could determine the direction they were moving in. Two or three deserters this night crossed a ford higher up than the army, and presenting themselves to the pickets, were conducted in the usual form to the head-quarters. Whatever information they gave, whether it was considered true or false, or what might or might not have been the cause, so it was, that an attack which had been meditated at daybreak was countermanded, and the army remained quietly looking at their opponents, making the neces sary dispositions to secure, if possible, a victory, it being decided, for no doubt good reasons, to avoid, at least for the moment, a general action, and simply to hold the enemy in check. On the first of these nights it was, that I found an amiable young friend and brother officer gazing on his Eliza's miniature, and employing his fancy in the pleasing retrospection of the happy hours he had passed with those he loved, when my sudden appearance startling him for an instant, broke the delightful charm-destroying all his airy, blissful visions, and bringing him back to the full feeling of his real situation, with its various sensations. A warm and friendly squeeze of the hand assured me, that he forgave my interruption, which was in no small degree increased on my introducing a person who greatly excited his curiosity. Figure to yourself a man dressed in a sort of French-Italian costume,a face stained with a yellowish hue,-a box, suspended from his shoulders by a leather-strap, containing snuffs, tobacco, perfumes, trinkets, and a variety of articles likely to be purchased by officers and soldiers: these he showed and expatiated on with all the volubility and gasconade of a French pedlar following an army.

Our youth's curiosity was so greatly excited, that all his thoughts of home and love were for the moment obliterated. The questions of "Where the man came from?" "How he came ?" " Why he came?" and many others, were put in rapid succession. I bade him look on the man, and tell me if he had ever before seen him. He gazed intently on his face and figure, and assured me he had not. Thus did the disguise appear perfect, though our young friend added mournfully, "his

U. S. JOURN. No. 34. SEPT. 1831.

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features at first reminded me somewhat of my dear friend N―; but that is not possible, for in a skirmish with the pickets two nights ago, I was told he had been severely wounded and taken prisoner whilst driving them from an ambuscade." The scene now became of intense interest: friendship-sincere and disinterested friendship was put to the test and proved. " Poor Frank!" cried he; "Heaven knows if ever I may see him again. I loved him as a brother from early youth his heart was the seat of goodness; his soul of honour; and yet he had his full share of life's misfortunes."

N— stood with his eyes fixed on his youthful friend's changing countenance, and the various feelings depicted on his expressive features, then suddenly raising his cap of disguise, casting on him a look full of pleasure, and beaming with friendship most ardent, calling on his name, he rushed to embrace him. Inquiries of how he escaped? what were his wounds? and why he was habited in his present costume? were the immediate consequence of recognition. For the first, it appeared, that being closely engaged at the edge of the rivulet, as before described, dusk coming on, when the pickets were all pell-mell together, N― fell by the blow from a musket, which for a time completely stunned him, and on recovering, all was still; no being with life remained near him. Not exactly recollecting the spot on which he was, and it being dark, he cautiously forded the stream at a little distance, believing he was joining his troops, it having already been passed more than once; at break of day, however, he found out his mistake, when, to prevent being taken by the enemy, he was forced to make a circuitous route of some miles, ere he could venture again to attempt passing over to regain his own lines; this, however, he at last did in safety, and no sooner arrived, than he was told an intelligent officer was wanted to volunteer for a particular service. Ever on the qui vive to show the greatest zeal in his profession, he instantly waited on the General of the division, became acquainted with the hazardous and arduous nature of the undertaking, when he not only offered himself for it, but begged the General's particular interest in his behalf. This he most cordially promised him, not only from his knowledge of his abilities as an officer, but in all other respects, especially his perfect acquaintance with several languages, the French particularly, which for pureness, elegance of pronunciation, and fluency, could scarcely be surpassed by even a Parisian. The General's report to the Commander-in-Chief proved sufficient, and our gallant friend was appointed to a post, at once of the highest consequence to the army and of peril to himself; yet was his brave heart undaunted. He received his instructions, arranged his disguise, and was now devoting this last hour to the delights of sincere and real friendship. It was, indeed, an hour awakening sensations amongst the three friends easily to be imagined by minds capable of sentiments calculated to make life an enjoyment to describe their feelings would be difficult; suffice it to say, that when the moment of parting arrived, it was one of melancholy in the truest sense of the word. It was midnight. N was conducted by his two friends to the extreme verge of the advanced sentinels, where a fervent and rapid adieu was exchanged, when N rushed forward to prevent those strong emotions of friendship overcoming the feelings, which, with such a triumvirate, would otherwise cer

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tainly have been the case, and have sent poor Npressed and sorrowful. Our two young officers retraced their steps in silence to their separate quarters, and retired to rest, offering up a prayer for the safety of their early friend. Behold now our Spy, tracking his solitary road to a small village, about two leagues' distance, in order to avoid as much as possible the chance of falling in with the enemy's videttes, until he had attained a point beyond the reach of suspicion. At day-break, he arrived at the village of Calvero del Monté, and entering a Venta, demanded of the old Alberguero, in good Spanish, some breakfast. A few French riflemen were in the room smoking, together with half-a-dozen Spanish muleteers, who immediately on the entrance of our pedlar Spy, approached inquisitively to ascertain the contents of his packages; he showed them several things, quite like a regular trader, and conversed with them in perfect good-humour; but his great object was to engage the attention and cultivate the acquaintance of the soldiers; for that purpose, accosting them in pure French, he requested their observance and opinion of some peculiarly fine tobacco, which he had to sell cheap; then giving them a little to make trial of, and speaking their own language with great fluency, an instant friendship was brought about. N- told them a fictitious story of his birth-place being Baigneres, a small town celebrated for its baths, just on the other side of the Pyrenées,—a place with which he was well acquainted, having resided there for a long time when a boy, with an uncle who went there for the recovery of his health. Then, like a true Frenchman, assuming a liveliness of disposition, singing, laughing, chatting, and recounting anecdotes about dear France, N-- became so great a favourite, that at the hour of relieving the pickets, they begged him to accompany them; the request was of course complied with, and he thus soon passed through pickets, advanced guard's, &c. to the main body of the army, minutely noticing the various dispositions made and making, the numbers, and all that could be of service. Being fearful of committing any thing to paper, as the most trifling circumstance, or observation, might cause a discovery, with the instant forfeiture of his life, and as it would have been next to an impossibility for him to carry a recollection of every thing in his mind, he resorted to a curious method of keeping his memory alive. His box contained three separate compartments, each of which had three divisions, filled with trinkets of various kinds, tobacco, small packets of snuff, scents, soaps, &c. One part was considered the main body, and head-quarters; the other parts were designed to represent other divisions, advances, &c.-in fact, all that was necessary, and when separately taken to pieces, and regularly laid out, they could represent the object intended, as accurately as could be desired. Thus did N—, with his box strapped before him, pass through the whole French army, mingling with the soldiers and officers, selling some few of his articles, and minutely taking his observations of all that was going forward. On one occasion he was placed in some jeopardy being seated on the ground in the evening, laying out his plans, an officer passing observed him attentively, and, before he was aware of it, touched N on the shoulder, asking him,

whether he was trying his skill at copying the movements of an army, or whether he intended entering the service, and becoming a great general, by study and practice. N was at first much alarmed, but finding the officer was not particularly scrutinizing in his manner, he quickly recovered himself, and without the least hesitation or apparent embarrassment, he replied in so artless and clear a way, as to throw off all suspicion, and gave the officer an idea, that his intellects were rather ill-calculated for a general or any other post in the army. N soon repacked his box, saluted the officer, and joined the host of followers, of which there is never any lack in such situations.

Having soon gained all the information he wanted, he quitted the French position by a different route to that he had entered, stating his intention of proceeding on his journey to Madrid; and making a circuit of three or four leagues, regained in safety the advanced posts of his own troops early in the morning, and was immediately conducted by a corporal and file of men to the officer who commanded the guard, to whom he was entirely unknown; and had it been otherwise, he could not have discovered himself. He named the general of his division, and requested to be carried before him: the general welcomed his safe return, and after some few inquiries accompanied him himself to the commander-in-chief, to whom N-— so fully and ably explained every particular of the enemy's army, and evinced so much precision and clearness, that all was completely understood. N- was immediately recommended for the rank of captain; indeed, it was but the just reward of merit, in risking so dangerous a service to accomplish an object so invaluable to the commander of an army, and which he had done with such skill. Nnow repaired to his quarters, where he was received by his brother officers with every mark of sincere friendship. The day was occupied in making the necessary preparations for an attack at daybreak. Orders arrived at the different posts in quick succession; all was on the qui vive, and at the close of the evening, with the utmost caution and silence, the troops commenced moving to take up positions so as to meet more advantageously those of the enemy, according to the report brought by N This at once proved the value

of our friend's information: the night was thus passed, all anxiously anticipating the result of the morrow, both as a body and to themselves individually. Alas! many who were then so reflecting on that morrow, ceased for ever to think on sublunary things. At the first dawn of day, a rocket from the right of the advance was the signal of attack, and quickly afterwards an incessant roar of cannon and musketry reverberated through the air, and shook the earth. Now did the vivid flashes send their death mandates to many a brave and gallant soldier. The husband, father, son, and lover, the courageous and the coward, all alike fell without distinction; foes and friends lay heaped together in one short minute in close embrace, at rest and peace with each other for ever. The battle raged with the utmost fury the whole day; positions were taken and retaken; men fought hand to hand till towards sunset; then it was that the French, after struggling to the last, began a rapid retreat, leaving several hun