The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-03-24

~ i've oars on fdc They have firce badt much
larger fort called rraas Thcfe alto are Cat oston,-
ed draw three four feet water and are from four
to fix hundred tons turthen, and carry fevcral very
large esnnon, not lsi fuppoe, t,an As Founders at
.caR
The Erisic. Of war have made fev-ral attempts
againit the french gun boats at Bol.gre, but were
always defeated. The laR attempt was by FIRE ar
rows, which might be formidable aganii ips, becauie
ut their fails and rigging, but is rdeulous againa gun
boats.
great deal has been faia in Congreis and in the
New York newspapers, about terrifying New-York
Mr. N. Williams in fpeeth in Cnpgrefs, Ian. %,
ta'd, The gentleman on my right (meaning Mr..
Smile) meets the propoG,ion for terrifying New
York with moR formidable objection. Expend
fays he, what money yon will. i, is inpoflible to
erect Notifications that hall prove fufcene to de-
lsnd the harbor and city Of New-York. He (Mr
Sme calls upon Us for plan, and tell. us, that is
1t can be defended to produce our PLAN ] do not
Continues Mr.. Wlians) pretend to be very wife up
on this fuhjea myfef, but have been told that the
albeit engineers have exarined the potioH andhave
given 1t as their opinion tha, eeua mode of de-
fence is practicable. Bit If defence is impofible,
call uPon the gentleman (meaning Mr. SnIilie) to
Thew wherein the popularity of the fituation of
that place (New-York) eonGits, TO render it 70.
For furely the pretence Of imPoiibility would
not be made ufe of here, unlefs the city and
harbor of Ncw-York diferepe from all o.
ther places in the world tina. were ever defen-
ded.
Inow comc.to reply to the demand Mr.. Will
ans has made mall do this as confeifey a. the IL
NIT to which conhnc myfelf will admit, but what
lay will ierve to fow ed Of thought in the minds of
others upon this fubea, and May prevent millions OF
dollars being waited in vain
Fertilization is founded geome,rical principles,
and where the condition of place 10 fueh that thofe
principles cannot be applied that place eannet be for
titled to produce any eifea. place that eanno, be
eneoied in polygon, be fortified any prin
epies OF for,ication unefs there be part 70 frorg
by nature, as to be naceelIibe befieging army.
The fortified parts then feaions of a polysou.
New York cannot be enclofed in polygon and there
tore cannot be fortified; neither is any part of it
itrong by nature. Indispensable in every part by
land or water, and befdes this it can be bombarded
acrois the Eat River from Long liland.
It'll abioiu.ely necelIary in fortfyng town that
all parts of it be equally rong or an enemy will at
tack only the weakefi part. New York cannot be
made equally Rropg in all its parts and therefore j, is
money thrown away to attempt to fortify it.-Thofe
who with to know more on this fubjed may confult
any EneyeloPedla any dictionary of arts and cien-
| ees under the head of FoRrIrIcATIoN. They will
there ind plans of fortified places by Count Pagan
biondel, Vauban, Seheiter, sc. But the plans and
drawings are all on the fame principles They are
alt polygons.
Some of our New York papers have talked of for
/
There never ye, impregnable fertilization nor
ever can be. Every fortified place be taken
that can be approached. All that 4 fortified plac.
can be taken that be approached. All that for
can do is to delay the progrefs of an enemy
my till an arny can ARRIVE to rae the fege. Bona
parte takes every fortified place he goes again but
he fortites no places himfef He fruits to the open
field, for when you matter of the field land the
militia OF the Hates are numerous enough to be maj
ter OF the Held agant an enemy Notifications are Of
no uie. The population of the u. States when the
revolutionary war began was but two millions and
an half Its now nearly fix millions, and furey the
people are not grown towards whatever the fed and
tory tastion may be. IL was cowardice tina, made
them f'ries at firt. The Britih impoior and emit
fairy Cullen, Alia' Mac Cullen, AEas Cayteafe, fad
IN one of his papers that Jingle fgate could lay the
city oil New York under contribution. This Aewed
the extreme ignorance of the man. Two twelve
FOUNDERS or heavier metal ifit conveniently be
had taken to the water edge, would foon obge the
frgate to quit her flation. faw this done in the
revolutionary TO two frigates the Pearl fri
gate and another with her. 1t proved commodore
]ohnfon's opinion to be correct.
The lower gun is to the furface Of the water the
more certain the ot s-This one of the cafes that
gives gun-boat an advantage aganft fnips. IF a
ihot from ahip ffrikes another nip between wind
and water, it is always a chance occalioned
by the heeling Of the fhip that is ffruck But
But the direction Of hot from gun boat is 70 near
ly between wind and water that it generally Arikes
there or Whereabouts. AS land battere. that are
elevated they have but little chance of firikiug Ap
as their fire is always in oblique lopng diree-
ton; whereas from gun-boat it is horizontal line
Fort Warrington was built proven, Britiih fhips
going up the North River and it lruek enc of
them but it killed three men by chance medley
coming down the river in Gen. Wahington's barge
and this was the only veae il ever flruck.
When all the plans that can be deyifed for forty-
ing the narrows examined, for there i. no fortfy-
ing the city, it will be found tina, half dozen gun
boats carrying n Founders, will do it more eEraual
~ than can be done by any other method.
COMMON SENSE.
Point Waat myfet eot If $50 yards point Laat car
no" ft0f 0a'ie' according TO Bt fze Of I'd.