The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-08 00:00:00

11 O'CLOCK.
The fire which broke out in the citadel is nearly extinct.
HALF-PAST 11.
It has again broken out, and is now burning briskly.
3 O'CLOCK, P.M.
A piece on the right of the Toledo bastion has dis-
mounted two pieces of the bst tery No. 3.
THURSDAY, 5 O'CLOCK, P.M.
Accounts have reached here that the fire had recom-
menced on both sides this morning, as our ears here could
well testify. Reports of every kind are in circulation,
and amongst others, that Chasse has sent to say, that if hr
fired upon again from Fort Montebello, he will turn hie
guns and mortars upon the city. This, however, I can
not trace to any authentic source. Ido not believe he has
many guns to spare, but certainly he appears to make a
very lenient use of those he does fire. Hitherto their el-
fict has been very slight indeed. Only twenty French
were killed yesterday, and about as many wounded. The
fire of the batteries was continued during the night, but
was very alow!y answered by the citadel.
It is confidently stated that Chasse has sent to the
Marshal to say that he will fire on the city if the firing
does not cease from Montebello. The remark of Gerard
on reading it, it is added, was, "So much the better." I
give this without being able to vouch for its truth.
The King left this to-day, at noon, with a large suite
fur Antwerp.

HALF-PAST 6.
No courier yet from Antwerp. I must send this off, or
be too late.

(From the Morning Herald.)
BRUSSELS—WEDNESDAY EVENING, DEC. 5.
General Goblet is appointed Commander-in-Chief o'
the Belgian Engineers. The emigration from Antwerp
has completely ceased, and the town is quite tranquil.
This comforting piece of information is blazoned forth by
;ill the Ministerial hirelings. They are perfectly right;
bat it ought to lee added that the emigration has ceased'
because every body has already left the town; and it is
quite tranquil, because there is nobody in it.
BERCHEM, Head-quarters of Marshal Gerard, ,

DECEMBER 6, 1 O'CLOCK.
There was a pretty smart firing kept up nearly thy•
whole of last night ; at eight o'clock this morning it en
tirely ceased on hoth sides. About one o'clock, however,
the firing again commenced, and at the present mo-
ment I am writing amidst the thundering roar of cannon,
the shouting of the milit iry, and the rattling of ammuni-
tion-waggons over the ill paved streets of the village of
Berchem. Although little mischief has been done by
either side, still there was a necessity for some slight
reparation ; and, as if by mutual consent, both parties
ceased firing about the same time. I think you may
with safety rely that the only injuries sustained by the
Dutch up to the present hour are the dismounting of some
pieces on the Lunette St. Laurent, and the destruction of
part of its embrasures. In the citadel the barracks
erected near the city have been partially burnt ; and one
or two small houses have been struck by bombs. The
French have had three guns dismounted at battery No. 3,
and part of their works thrown down. The killed and
wounded are inconsiderable.

The French bombs are now brought into play, and it
is expected they will do much execution; hitherto the
gieater pat of them have passed over the citadel, and
fallen into the Scheldt. This circumstance having been
noticed by General Desprer, he communicated it to the
nirshal, and fresh instructions have been sent to the

••••/ \•• -
lerymen. The Dutch bombs are well directed, and do
mischief to the trenches, by throwing up the earth ; but
they do not burst in time to hurt the men ; this must
either he from want of skill, or the short distance they are
thrown. One of these bombs yesterday fell near the
Duke de Nemours, and completely covered him with mud.
Marshal Gerard has also had a taste of their plastering
propensities. I saw him this morning come out of the
trenches literally one mass of mud. The soldiers ap-
peared to enjoy the grotesque appearance of their Com-
mander.

Chasse continues acting on the defensive : and the cool-
ness with which be receives the fire of his enemy is cer-
tainly surprising. He has an immense artillery at his
disposition ; and might, I should think, do prodigious
execution, if be only began i❑ earnest. It is generally
believed that he is reserving himself for to-morrow, the
7th ; there will, on that dry, be a spring title, and it is
possible, and very probable, that the greater part of the
French works may be inundated—it is then that he will
show his strength.
The French were at work on the third parallel the
whole of last night, and did not attack the Lunette St.
Laurent, as was expected.
The city of Antwerp continues to escape the bombs of
Chasse ; and it is almost c:rtain that its neutrality will be
respected. It was thought that the firing from Fort Mon-
tebello would have irritated a IESe to fire on the town ;

but the courageous veteran is too much of a brave and

honourable soldier to do wilful damage. Alontebelio has
certainly annoyed him more than all the batteries newly
erected by the French ; but it is not this fort alone that
can silence the citadel; and if its reduction depends on
the works now erected, it is certain that Chasse may bid
them defiance for some time yet. The principal
points for Chasse are the free navigation of the
Scheldt, and the neutrality of the Tete de Flan-
dres. The Scheldt is free. I s.nv this morning
the steam-boat the Surinamleave the citadel, and sail
towards Lino. The Tete de Flandres is in the same po-
sition as it was a month since, and not a French soldier is
to be seen near it. There is, therefore, every prospect
that Antwerp will be preserved.
The Fort St. Marie, which was taken a few days since
by General Set) astiani, is but badly armed. I am told
there are not more than four pieces of 24 in the fort.
Yesterday afternoon the Dutch frigates the Comet, 24
guns, and the Eurydice, 44 guns, attacked the fort, and
it is most likely that by this time they have possession of
it. I know that it is the opinion of the French officers
of the Staff that it is impossible to keep possession of it.
I have not heard that Gerard has again changed his
plan of attack, but should he decide on taking the citadel
by assault, it would require 25,000 bundles of faggots,
and 40,000 sacks of earth, to fill up the fosse, before the
French can commence scaling the walls.
A French officer has just reached the head-quarters,
with despatches from the frontiers of Holland. He says
it is not true that the Dutch have 45,000 men concen-
trated on the frontiers ; all that he could learn was, that
the division of General Van Geen, and the brigade of Ge-
neral Post, composed of eight squadrons of cuirassiers and
five squadrons of lancers, were on the qui vice, on the
road from Breda to Bergen-or-Zoom.
Four carts, laden with the wounded, have just left Ber-
chess for Malines. Major Morlet received a severe wound
in the thigh this morning on the trenches, and it is
expected that amputation of the injured limb must be
resorted to.

The greater part of the division of General Schramm
(alias corps de reserve) marched into Alalines this morn-
ing; they avoided Brussels altogether, and came by the
way of Grammont. The General reached Malines yes.
terday.

The following' is the second bulletin of the Belgian
Army of Observation:—
" HEAD-QUARTERS, ANTWERP,
" DEC. 5, TWELVE O'CLOCK.
" SIEGE OF THE CITADEL.

" The works of the siege advance with rapidity ; they
have been pushed to the covered way of the Lunette St.
Laurent, and the erection of fresh batteries has com-
menced. The greatest difficulties have been conquered.
The artillery have exhibited the greatest vigour and a
rare intelligence in being able to mount all the batteries
of the left.

" The four batteries of mortars are completely armed
and equipped.
" The cita lel has ceased firing since five o'clock yester•
day evening. Only bombs have been thrown into the
citadel during the night; but this morning the batteries
of cannon have recommenced firing, and belabour, in every
sense of the word the works of the citadel.
" It is only now and then that the citadel fires a shot,
or throws a bomb (which nearly always bursts in the air),
and does no mi-chief.

" The French troops continue their works with the
greatest activity.

" Fire has become visible in several puts of the citadel.
" signed, &c."
The citadel and city of Antwerp have sustained mole
sieges than any other fortress in Eurnoe. Since the
?Pin,