296 SERVICE OF ARTlLtfeR V

officer should be informed whether the artillery the enertiycan bring up be only adequate to a regular siege, or suffici--ently numerous to enable him in a few days to beat downail the defences on the front of the attack, and keep upsuch a continual fire as to prevent the garrison from repairingthe damages.

no. The present treatise supposes a fortress besieged inform ; whether from the position that the besieger is obligedto take up, or from the insufficiency of his artillery to takeadvantage of one more extended. Those violents attacks,where the defences are in a few days destroyed by thefirst batteries, and the garrison prevented from repairingthem, seldom occur but in small places : such examples areVery rare in places of strength and importance ; particularlywhen the enemy is obliged to bring his artillery by land,from the prodigious number of carriages and horses requiredfor the transport. But if from circumstances there be reasonto apprehend a siege of this nature, the state of the maga-zines and barracks should be examined, and any that areexposed to be cannonaded covered with substantial epaul-ments. When the profiles of the works are so advantageousthat the besieger must effect a lodgement on the glacis be-fore he can make a practicable breach ; the most effectualmode of retarding his progress is by countermining with theutmost diligence. But when the barracks and magazinesare secured ; a breach in the body of the place impracticablefrom its being cut out of a rock ; or, when made, is renderedinaccessible by some natural or factitious obstacle ; every at-tempt on the part of the enemy will be futile, provided thegarrison Conduct themselves properly in this cafe, whereperseverance and firmness, rather than courage and exertionare requisite.

in. The first step towards forming the estimate of storesfor sustaining a regular siege in a fortified town, is to con-sider what front is most attackable, and what are the bestmeasures to be adopted for its defence. But as the besieger' may through incapacity or ignorance commence his attackon the strongest side, the proportion of stores should be largeenough to take advantage of this error ; and to avoid ex-tremes (108), the defence of the two fronts should be car-ried to the same point, either by raising new works, counter-mining, or disposing to greater advantage and strengtheningthe old works. But if the shortness of time doth not admit

of