The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-03 00:00:00

COMMENCEMENT OF THE NATIONAL

DEFENCES.

Just now, when it is doubtful whether the de-
fences of London or our chief naval arsenals are
commanding most attention, it is interesting to
know what is actually doing at Portsmouth in the
way of fortifications. It will be in the recollection
of many of our readers that while describing in a
former number of this journal the works at Hilsea,
on the northern portion of the Isle of Portsea, we
strongly advocated the necessity of taking advan-
tage of Portsdown-hill, and throwing up a chain of
forts to command the extensive line of bastions be-
low that eminence, and also to protect the ships in
the harbour, the dockyard, and at the same time to
prevent this elevated plateau falling into the hands
of an active enemy. Within the last few days the.
tents of the engineers have been pitched on Ports-
down, and men are engaged stumping out the areas
for the proposed redoubts. From what we can
gather from a rapid scramble over the scene of ope:
rations it is intended to construct five forts upon the
ridge of the hill, which is from five to six miles
long, and overlooks the northern defences of the Isle
of Portsea, and commands Portsmouth harbour and
its dockyard. The areas stumped out indicate that
a fort will be constructed in the locality of " The
Fir Clump,". another at Nelson's monument, one
at the " Mill," one at or near Wallington, and
one at Belmont. The forts will be near enough to
support each other, and will, when armed, render
Portsdown-hill a strong position, The five redoubts
above-mentioned are, however, only a portion of the
defensive scheme intended for the defence of Ports-
mouth. To the westward, on the Gosport side, the
most western fort on the hill will be near enough
to cross the fire of a similar one at Blockhouse,
which will be in connexion with one at or near
Roorne, and this last with one at Lee Farm, and so
bring the chain of forts down to the neighbourhood
of the new defences in the locality of Stoke, and
thus entirely surround the harbour and dockyard
on; the northern and western faces. This rapid
sketch of the proposed works in the neighbourhood
of Portsmouth would be very incomplete without
noticing the sea defences on the southern extremity
of the Island of Porasea. But before doing so it
should be mentioned that the littoral boundary in
this locality has for many years been comparatively
neglected, to the great loss of the land proprietors
as well as the destruction of two cld forts, one at
Lumps and the other at Eastneya It is now in-
tended to raise two new batteries at these places ;
indeed, the former is nearly finished, and the latter
will be commenced in a few weeks. The new fort
at Lumps will mount 17 heavy guns, having 14
embrasures for 68-poinders and three heavy circular
bastions rising over all, upon which it is proposed
to mount 10-inch or Armstrong guns, as the case may
be. The circular bastions have a very extensive
range. From the eastern one the line of beach up
to Cumberland Fort will be within its fire, while the
one in the centre of the fort, as well as that at the
western end, commands the beach as far as Southsea
Castle. The three guns in the circular bastions
will have a sweep of 320 degrees, and will not only
defend the entrance of the fair way into Spithead,
but can be turned about to b:;,,ar almost upon fox
land side of the fort. Thereis accommodation lor
40 men and officers, and the fort is surrounded
by a deep and wide h
moat, in will be
at low water spring tides seven feet.
there
t. At Lumps the
sea-front does not form the sea boundary
.without a
ditch intervening;
and it has been surmised, not-
withstanding the sea-wall raised for its Protection,