The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-30 00:00:00

PLYMOUTH CITADEL.

Orders have been received for the immediate increase
of the armament of this fortress. 35 18-pounders, newly
cast at the Carron foundry, and weighing each on un
average 2 tom, 4 cwt., 841 b., and supplied with the mo-
dern sights, are to be added to the artillery; 13 of these
were, on the 23rd of March, sent from the gun•wharf
at Devonport, and the same day drawn from Fi?..her's
Nose, with the assistance of horses, by about t;-0 ar-
tillerymen, and mounted on the ramparts, under the in-
spection of Captain Graydon, 'Royal Artillery, 4.he resi-
dent officer, and Mr. Anderson the master gunner. 13
more were received on the 25th March, and the re-
mainder will shortly follow.
These pieces are intended chiefly for the land facing,
and the main entrance to the fortress—the sea facing
being already provided. Every embrasure throughout
the works is to have a gun. At the south-east acute
angle of the ramparts, over Fisher's nose, preparations
are making for the erection of a ;56-poun der on a tra-
versing platform, and a similar piece is Ito be mounted
on the west sallyport, hitherto used as the minister's
garden.
A sufficient quantity of balls enclosed in new coronets
will be placed near each gun, and 525 rounds of ammu-
nition, each cartridge containing 101 b. of powder, are
made up ready for the 32-pounders; 60 rounds of the
same weight for the 8 inch guns is also prepared. These
rounds are placed in barrels lying on their bilges in the
powder magazine. The barrels are fitted with bung.
heads, hung on hinges, and so contrived that the con•
tents can be easily taken out where the barrels lay
stowed in the magazine; thus obviating the necessity of
moving them from their places.
Two new powder magazines have been built near
Fisher's Nose, and one is now constructing between the
Lower and Upper Ligonier batteries in the lower fort.

The following will be the disposition of the artillery
at Plymouth Citadel when the present arrangements are
completed:—Commencing at the eastward point above
Fisher's Nose there will be a traversing 56-pounder
commanding an extensive range over the land and
sea; at Cumberland Battery, to the westward, five
32-pounders facing the breakwater and cover-
ing the Ligonier Batteries ; at the Old
Saluting Battery, eight 32-pounders facing the Sound,
with two on the north flank and two on the south flank;
at King Charles's Curtain, eleven 32 pounders facing
St. Michael's Island; at the south or sea-facing of King,
Charles's Bastion, four 32-pounders. and two 13 hada
mortars, capable of throwing balls of' 2801 b. weight into
the Sound; on the left flank, two IS pounders command-
ing the ditch to the eastward; on the land-facing of
King Charles's Bastion, five 18-pounders and one
9-pounder ; at the Western Curtain, four 18-
pounders, facing the lice ; at King Ge:e.rge's
Bastion, ten 18-pounders and two long 9-poFnders,.
facing landward or covering the west
.s',de of
the inner drawbridge; at the main curter a, four
18-pounders over each side, asid in a line with the main
entrance; at Prince Edward's Bastion, eight l& -pounders
and two two long 9-pounders, facing landward. or covr-
ing the eastern side of the drawbridge; on tl ie curtain,
between Prince Edward's Bastion and Prince Edward's
Battery, three 18-pounders facing Lambha.::-hill ; at
Prince Edward's Battery, four 18-pounders fe,cing Sut-
ton-pool ; one at the south flank, facing 11.3 tint Batten,
and three at the north flank, covering the 'ditch of the
fortification. This completes the circumference of the
ramparts, which are nearly a mile in e:reent. From
Prince Edward's Battery to the Old S.o4ng Bat-
tery the turf on the parapets has been removed, and
the whole rebuilt with asphalte brick, and covered with
asphalt composition; and the banquettes between the
ramparts and the parapets have been. raised to within 4
feet of the edge of the latter. These and other exten-
sive works have been performed rander the superintond-
ence of Colonel Oldfield, Engineers. On the
Queen's Saluting Battery, abe ut SO feet below and out-
side the main fortifications, there are 21 9-pounders
facing the Sound, and on thr, Lower Fort Royal Battery
13 32 pounders, nearly on a level with the sea. At
Wilkinson's, 2 32-pounders; at Frederick Battery, 4
32-pounders; Upper T.Aigonier, 5 32-pounders; and
Lower Ligonier, 6.8 inch guns. The last 17 guns protect
the rocks and beach under the citadel. The traversing 56-
pounder at the west sallyport commands the entire
sweep of the Sound. On the western ravelin, near King
Charles's Bastion, arc: to be 7 IS -pounders, covering the
glaels; on the ravel-in over the outer entrance 6 18-
p7unilers, protectinv the outer drawbridge ; and on
Piper's platform, at Fisher's Nose, 4 18-pounders facing
Sutton-pool and La mbhay-hill.
While it is hoped that the efficiency of these defences
may never be tested by any hostile movement, still the
due preparation for such a contingency reflects credit on
the Government, and gives great confidence to the in-
habitants of Plymouth; a town which, without such
protection, would, by its proximity to the shore, be in a
perfectly defenceless condition.

Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governors of the Maurititp, Gambia, and
'Sierra Leone.