The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-11-12 00:00:00

WAR IN GREECE.

Farther extracts from the Pamphlet tinder the
Awe title, lately published by Mr. Ridgway.
[Concluded from our Paper of Saturday last.l
if the Greek. like to try the experiment, there
iv one to whom they might offer their crown with
advantage: great would be the opposition to him,
but urrat also would be his support. Austria's
whole ►trength, the Greeks to a man; Louis
XVIII. to get rid of a rival ; thousands of veterans
from France stud Italy; the prayers of those two
nation., who cherish a fond remembrance of their
Emperor and King; thus seconded, who would be
able to o►ertltrow the Young Napoleon° but as this
would kindle a war with other Powers, he whose fears
made him twice abandon his daughter, will hardly
act with boldness in the cause of her son.

As the Isthmus of Corinth is a place of so much
importance to the Greeks at all times, and parti-
cularly at this moment, it may be well to give an
opinion on its means of defence, though without
entering into an engineer's detail of lines and an-
gles, which cannot he done without a good plan,
and on the spot. IVitlt this memorial I have given
■ sketch of the Isthmus, •hewing its shape, and the
great command which the Acrocorinthus, ■nd the
ridge of heights running front that citadel to
Keekri,inxiiitain over the ground forming the lath-
mus. Mount Geranion also is very high. The
Isthmus is three and a half English miles in
breadth, the surface is partly high and rocky, and
partly low and slimly, but the hiaileest part has not
hero calculated at more titan sixty yards 'above the
level of the sea. and this is only in the middle of
the Isthmus, which sinks gradually on each side ;
mach of the ground is very little above the level of
the sea; the whole of the Isthmus is covered with
ruins, among which are found vast quantities of
squared stones, cut from quarries nearer Corinth :
from this circumstance all masonry would be easily
executed, and the Greeks may, without difficulty,
throw up a bastioned line with demi-lunes from sea
to sen, the scarpe and counter-scarpe of which
would be rivetted with huge 'square stones, so that
by deviating from the principles of fortification, in
consequence of the ignorance of the Turks as
eaglets era and artillerists, the Greeks might give
lees thickness to their ramparts and parapets, and
greater height, trusting to the massive stones of the
revetment for resisting the weight of the earth, and
the guns of the enemy ; •n escalade from a Turkish
arusy is inure to be feared than a breach.
By those mean•, a fortification of such strength
might be constructed in less than a week, as would
defy the whole Turkish Empire. The Sovereign,
whose arms were baffled by the tereglioofJosnnina,
would not attempt the attack of a front like this,
the lines of which would be perfectly scientific ;
whereas the seraglio of Joatmina is a mere high wall
and ditch, and not constructed in the principles
of modern fortification. Having once secured
them+elves by suds a work, the Greeks might, as
they would have plenty of hands, set to work, and
cut the I.thacits, an operation of no great labour
compared to its magnitude and iml ortance. for
the lock appeats in null 'duces composed of
decayed stasis, and in every part of a scaly
nature, and easily removed; added to this, • vast
cut has been already attempted, and although not
down to the level of the sea, it would prove of
greet advantage, being so much of the work
done. When the Greeks have run a strong line
of bastions across the Isthmus, and before they
attempt to cut the meal, it would be advisable to
throw up field works in the defiles of Mount
Ger:lotion, which are tremendous, and would form
the first Ilse of defence; it would be short, and of
great ►trength; the second use would be the wall
of the Isthmus ; the third would be drawn from
the cistern extremity of the ridge above Kenkri,
to the Acrueortuthus (which last should be corn-
"sloe!! fortified as a place of the first order) ; and
again, from that to the ancient harbour, which, if
Amin' worthrof being restored, might be covered
by a lin-tress that would limn an outwork to the
Acrocorissilitue Tbe'rear of this line on the ridge,
and in the plain between the Acrocritiothnistid the
sea, might 'be secured by geld works at a future
period; the point im'wesli•tely in question is to
secure the Isthmus from being- forced from the
eastern aide. The extent of this line, from Kenkri
to the harbour of Corinth. isabout eight miles, but
this rocky ridge may he rendered impassable
nearly its whole length by scarping, and ■ para-
pet might run the whole way, with a pod road
hrhiud it, to conceal and aid the rapid march
of columns from one part to the other. The
Acrocorinthus is itself a lock which has such
precipitous sides, that being said to contain good
water, I .should think it might be rendered im-
pregnable. The deep ravine between the Amoco-