FOR ( 250 ) F O R

Counter-forts are, by some, railedbuttresses. They are solids of masonry,built behind walls, and joined to them at(8 feet distance from center to center,in order to strengthen them, especiallyv. hen they sustain a rampart or terrace.

Counterguard is a work placed beforethe bastions to cover the opposite flanksfrom being seen from the covert-way. Itis likewise made before the ravelins.

When connterguards are placed beforethe collateral bastions, they are esteemedof very great use, as the enemy cannotbatter them without having first securedthe possession of the counter-guards.They were first invented by Pasino, in1519, and greatly improved by Speckle,in 1589.

Counterscarp is properly the exteriortalus of the ditch, or that slope whichterminates its breadth, and is the fur-ther side from the body of the place. Itis so called from being opposite to theescarp.

Crown-work is a work not unlike acrown; it has 2 fronts and 2 branches.The fronts are composed of 2 half bas-tions, and 1 whole one : they are madebefore the curtain or the bastion, andgenerally serve to inclose some buildingswhich cannot be brought within thebody of the place, or to cover the town-gates, or else to occupy a spot ofground which might he advantageous toan enemy. They are so expensive, thatthey are rarely adopted. The best usethis work can possibly be put to, is tocover 2 joining curtains, when the sidesof it will he parallel to the sides of theplace, and it should be fortified withthe same strength and in the samemanner.

The authors who have written on thesubject, have never thought, of this use-ful part; and we often see 2 horn-worksput in practice to cover 2 curtains, whereone crown-work would do it much cheaper,and much better. The crown-work isadopted for the same purposes as thehorn-work.

Crowned hom-zcork is a horn-workwith a crown-work before it.

Curtain is that part of the body ofthe place, which joins the flank ofone bastion to that of another. Thestraight curtains have always been pre-ferred to the different designs whichhave been proposed, of which somehave diminished the expense, and, atthe same time, the strength of the

place; others have somewhat augmentedthe strength, but greatly diminished itsarea.

Cuvette, ? is a small ditch from 15

Cunette, S to 20 feet broad, (more orless,) made in the middle of a large dryditch, serving as a retrenchment to de-fend the same, or otherwise to let waterinto it, when it can be had during asiege.

When there is a cunette, there shouldbe a caponnifere to flank it.

Defilement is the art of disposing allthe works of a fortress in such a manner,that they may be commanded by thebody of the place. It also includes therelative disposition of the works, andthe ground within cannon shot, so thatthe one may be discovered, and theother not observed.

Dcmi-gorge is the rectilinear distanceon the curtain, produced from the angleof the tlank to the angle of the gorge,or the center of the bastion.

Demi-lune. See Ravelin.

Descents, in fortification,are the holes,vaults, and hollow places made by under-mining the ground.

Descents into the ditch, or foss, areboyaux or trenches effected by the meansof saps in the ground of the counterscarp,under the covert-way. They are coveredwith madriet'S, or hurdles, well loadedwith earth, to secure them against fire.In ditches that are full of water, thedescent is made even with the surfaceof the water; and then the ditch isfilled with fagots, fast bound, and coveredwith earth. In dry ditches the descentis carried down to the bottom; .afterwhich, traverses are made either as lodg-ments for the troops, or to cover theminer. When the ditch is full of water,the descent must be made over its sur-face; which is done by securing it withblinds or chandeliers, from being en-filaded, or by directing the course of thedescent from the point of enfilade, in thebest way you can.

Detached bastion. See Bastion ,

Detached redoubt . See Redoubt.

Ditch is a large deep trench maderound each work, generally from 12 to22 fathom broad, and from 15 to 16 feetdeep. The earth dug out of it serves toraise the rampart and parapet. Almostevery engineer has a particular depthand breadth for ditches; some are fornarrow ones and deep, others for broadones and shallow; and it is most certain