The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-19 00:00:00

,i

EXPRESS FROM ANTWERP.

(From the Times.)

ANTWERP, DEC. 15— SATURDAY NIGHT.
The firing has grown light, which is a relief to the ears of
the inhabitants of this city. During the day it was constant ;
l, but since the evening, which has been very wet, it has slack-
r coed ; yet an occasional discharge Of some heavy guns proves
r, that there is no truce nor peace between Mental Gerard and
General Chasse. Neither is there professed war; for' allhoigh
thousands of shells are thrown, and artillery fired off against
each other by the French and Dutch, they are still allies, and,
diplomatically speaking, at peace. Hundreds are killed on the
i one side and the other, yet they are Merles. How long this
extraordinary itfiie of affairs will continue is an embarrassing
1 problem for the politicians. The King of Holland seems dis.
I Posed to get rid of the difficulties; for, according to letters from
the Hague arrived here, he is decided to attack the Belgians,
1 When the French-retire, and war must ensue.
The Belgian territory must be cleared of the Dutch before
, the French can withdraw; therefore, even after the citadel be
taken; the forts of Liefkenshock and Lilla, both Belgian, must
's° ceded. Those forts are gatiotred on the banks of the il
Scheldt, and are strengthened by the presence of several large
vessels of war and a number of gun.boats. The inundations
now prevent the French from approaching them without a
• - flotilla, which, if vessels drawing seven feet, can come
alone by the Canal from Ostend; If smaller, by the Scheldt
from France itself, since the Scheldt is declared closed by the
Dutch King. A strong frost would, therefore, at this moment,
be the best friend to peace, for with its aid the French could
Pass over the polders and effect their purpose. Yet there is no
appearance of it.
The Dutch ships, as it appears from the Dutch papers, ar-
rived here this evening, made an attack on the French battery
at St. Croit three days ago, and had several shells thrown into
1
the Comet and Eurydice, *hieli did some damage. The Ad.
mil, Leeuw Van Aduard, is said in those papers to have
Leen killed by a grenade, besides other persons on board. This
r.uka ominous for the naval attack. All is said to have been
Faliettil this evening on the river.
The number of the killed and wounded at the siege up to
Yes
terday morning, is stated to be, on the French side, 226
p%traded and 49 killed ; and in the citadel 170 in all, A per,
n Who bad an opportunity from one of the houses near the
tadel of observing today what took place therein, describes a
tai
sentinel as cut in two by a cannon ball, when his place
llli instantly taken by another. There are various rumours
4Pecting the state of the garrison, but those who give them
'.nrrency appear not to recollect that not more than one third
~ the men can be now employed in the defence, as only a third
' (fl the works is liable to be attacked.
At different parts of the ditch around the city, workmen
live been employed during the last three days in making cuts
Zallow the water to pass from the ditch into the polders
ar the road leading to Holland. The cause of this proce-
re t
eldt is, that when the sluices between the citadel and th
are opened at the rising tide, the ditch round the cite.e
bit and its continuation around the city are filled with water,
aich cannot escape with equal facility as one of the two
gates near the basin has been stopped by some fortifications
ieted there. To empty the ditch effectually, cuts have been
I,74ned, so as to allow the water to flow into the country. The
' irch round the citadel must, therefore, at certain periods of
p,e tide, become dry, and will then afford great facilities for
Le French Engineers to carry General Haxo's plans or mining,
'',lnto full effect. SUNDAY MORNING.
in
.4.he weather is now clear and frosty ; the firing of muskets,
moos
the throwing of grenades continues at intervals. The
i,,eeits and mortars are hetud but seldom, when compared
'`a the last three dap,
kt..A rumour was this morning circulated respecting the move-
! in advance of the Dutch army under the Prince of
Cle• Upon inquiry from persons usually well informed, I
thethat there had taken place a change in the position of some
*"
._ Dutch battalions towards Breda, which could not as yet
'`flarded as a movement of that nature.
11, HALF-PAST 11 O'CLOCK.
rue. civil and military authorities have gone to attend a
,i-lerins in the cathedral, sung in celebration of the birth-
klk of Xing Leopold. It was a remarkable sight, for inter-
ed -with the music could be heard the report of the
• 44 slelhanekelltFrench guns, in 'the struggle for the freedom. of
The
t.,_Scheldt this morning presents a placid appearance, and
7as I could learn, there has been no hostile movement on
LP to this hour. 1 O'CLOCK.
'be French during the night continued to prepare their
hint batteries, and to complete their lodgement in the
'te St Laurent, into which a very heavy fire has been
by the Dutch, which has quite destroyed the wall
Zs the gorge.
`ne French are keeping up a heavy fire of musketry from
' r Bali between the Caponniere and the head of the rig_
z
le , the salient place of arms of the bastion, in order to cover
!relation of their breaching battery, which will, as they
ruud, be completed by Tuesday next. They intend to take
I,2:a:elin at the point of the bayonet, as it has no revelement.
Qt. bastion Toledo seems designed as the principal point of
h_e_
IrrtimoUrs respecting the movement of the Dutch army
i:44lllre confirmation. Colonel Caradoc is gone, as I hear,
e direction of the frontiers, to k now the truth.
1 h HALF-PAST 1 O'CLOCK.
tile a.vejust learned from a good source, that there has been

Movements in the Dutch army ; - the number of the
~,f's moved is variously stated—from two to five battalions
'Lti direction of Bergen-op-Zoom-
,Were are, it is reported, 35,000 men at Berg-op-Zoom.
'lke French talk of assaulting on the 21st instant.
ANTWERP, SUNDAY NIGHT.
he Policy of Holland, which, in order to succeed in its
th • Purpose of closing the Scheldt against the commerce
ii.n world, requires the aid and support of the Cabinet of
, is likely to fail, as the King of Prussia has, as the best
th affirm, declared his intention not to countenance
n slightest manner the pretensions of the Dutch King.
„Y intreaties, the influence of warlike recollections, have
14° power over Frederick William. He sees the interests
kingdom at stake, for it is evident to all unprejudiced
en, that the decision of the Sovereigns of the Rhenane
-lea to. abet the policy of the merchants of Rotterdam
rosterdam, by establishing a monopoly in those mar-
dni. the supply to Germany, would be to light the fire.
of discontent, which other matters have prepared in
districts. The old provinces of the revolution would
fly pronounce for their re.union with France. Letters
' beriirt are stated to have arrived at the two head.
ohere, to announce the unalterable determination of
art monarch not to interfere in favour of the Dutch
11:°l i but, on the contrary, to endeavour to bring the
ht. haerehants into fair and just terms for the advantage
Rhenish subjects.
Is
, a remarkable fact, that the Dutch adherents, notwith.
„ '8 their continued appeal to the " valour of their ances.
!sera not to confide in their own strength. They have circu-
'titinually the assurances of the protection of Prussia ;
tV,Pear to feel that the Dutch " valour is oozing out of their
%ends," while they admit that it wants the help of the
til -8' They now feel something like disappointment,
7 therefore endeavour by every means to prove that the
t'„
„the Citadel will be a longer business than the French
4."' In order to excite the old jealousy between Great
geland France, they now pretend that to attempt can be
three months to come to remove the French from
614 e soil, and at that period Prussia and Austria, and the
recinfecleration, will be ready to make a formidable de-
, inn aainst France.
rePorts circulated respecting the movement of the Dutch
1a„..4e now described by well-informed persons as merely
,7enient of :ome battalions, which were here magnified
tt:demonstrations and concentrations." The Belgian
4143esrs not to apprehend an invasion from the Dutch at
d e, yet I confess, that it will not surprise me, if in
h,,,esPeration they should now attempt something. It is
' ne signal deed of an " active" kind, for the defence
• ,itadel is merely " passive," that they can hope to re-
" their character, and to force, as it were, the absolute
t° aid them with arms. Yet there is something extra_
. in their present state, and that they contemplate
1:011F Would appear from their journals. The Handles-
trich arrived here to-day by an extraordinary channel,
,_al columns out out of two paper. The most ultra-
'gsnt falsehood are circulated in those papers relative to
p,y
nf the French army—" 7,000" for " 200," and the
illpitai:ks " for time to inter his dead, which Chasse an-
i.i4sth„ another round of terror-striking artillery," &c.
of the rernarkable fact in those papers, is the mainte-
PitlSts,7 price of the funds at Amsterdam, and their daily
, " English account." It will afford amusement
tis,_' if. at the termination of this campaign, some Bri.
ivtvatives shall have " burnt their fingers" by :those
n iititch stock.
MONDAY MortNING.
\Nitril'ern the Dutch frontiers, near Bois-le-Due, state
,A Ns bad been given on the 13th inst. to the various
mle,,.°rth Brabant and South Holland, to prepare for a
and a movement towards Breda and Berg.op-
,l.Lirle movements in the position of those troops has
fi; . Yet no invasion seems apprehended.
"rtik, 'lig during the night was occasionally very heavy,
tk the _. .
tae
" lo_ aetonations being unusually good, it is thought
gest guns are now in use.

11 O'CLOCK.
fa )75ther has been very wet during the night, and the
ll s •
i In torrents. The French proceed slowly, but
c" their arrangements for attacking the citadel. It
trthat the bad weather will prevent the breaching
Ie °labeing ready until late to-morrow evening, it
ity.,_ch do not appear to be as well pleased with their
iil7oo,Nvith their engineer corps. A superior officer has
l'ity or Paris, in order to examine into the causes of the
be, ,The former, to its ardent reputation. There is,
114 I :yital°llsYed between these two corps, which requires
estigait

°Wstated 12 O'CLOCK.
,11.. e that the great Liege mortar is to be tried to.
epo,.,gian Generals are to attend the essay, and to
Seraldai' thereon this night. The Belgian Minister of
.E.‘'ain, is now expected at Berchem.
Il4t
tailor describes his delight in haring wit..
it, night the firing of the French cohorn mortars, in
perpendicular practice—that is, at an angle of
itilfCrees to a great elevation, which makes the projee.
'4ediatelY within the ramparts among the Dutch

I o'cLoca.
tlew on the Scheldt. The French officers have lost