Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1846-11-10

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tho castle Of San Jam al Lo2 Ii Is a :rcren.t-
Ions place, If n All woil manneJ. VI wonder il
held ont SO long Had i, no: been for the -jn.
II tho Tc!is" f*rcr w!t1ta its walls AMI the War,
Of provisions. the Ncx5cans would never have
ttkon i without 4 naval force worry Superior =
the one they then possessed, though they haze
never saco In! force conp1r95.e - / hat ono:
The ortcr walls Of the fortress nre of i'm
mcnsc thickness upwards Of twelve feet; ani IN
the positions posed the wall are seventeen
eighteen feet in tlrph Of Sold white atonc. Il
Is very porous anj rather soft stouo 50 That ball
10 split crack 1T so mach rs they q.Iietv
embed themselves. These outer walls have bit
;erlcs all round, tho guns well planted, with
hero and there neat corner for mortar. The
Ilncr walls - constructed. tha, If the outer
walls roiuol. il wouIi still b ut Il Slaughter
Gus expense to the bosicgnrS, If tac garrison
At al confotont - await .Ae n5eves Of their posi-
ton.
AVE entered tho fortress from beiow at tho
primo lp;l gate. " Iich IF great strength, aud
s.1i.iay coatrivcI: an then wen along
Stone passage. whoa had several ga:ewavs. an!
'cunnInIEv DEVISED narrow p1sses with high
stone walls cac'l sad. T4:s terminated
w canal. mooi. with draw brJgo over It.
We next arrived Al J'sts Of stars and pas sing
mp several yaal.-.ike ascrnts, q ained the top
Of the grand batteries. Inc general character
l5:ic .s TIA, Of great strc-,Ith. ~ p,onty o.
% wor& in. Taov mounted I'D long 2l-paaal-
crs, All Of brass. lscy were, f.. the mos. part,
II excellent con lt:ioa. TAo m2rtars Of
large celtbro, t..-Igh not IN such god order
tho guns. The powder n2sal.aes wero o1ca
literally dry SO 6 vol. plugged II the top WITH
blankets, and having a round metal I'D over the
noui thal opened upon tho batteries.
''No next LascenloI 10 the inner works, anl
gained the secondary walls by crcnitous route.
Besides Tho necessity to thu besic5ars Of having
guides WHO well kao" every .nra Of thu works,
the cNcitenant ami smoke are almost certain TO
prolgco confusion, il which. tho voice o. pre-
sonce Of the guides wouId b lost, ~ II, party
.ashing onward IN g.lt oaly arrive At a dead wall.
u gap looking ont upon tla son. or tho m nth Of
4 t"enty-foar polIa!er. The cirea.togs rcate Of
descent from tic uppo: the lower rang Of
walls was entirely exposed p their batteries, tho
guns grin3Ing 1t All tho way, like many
black tqsk5 as ~ traversel stone caasaway vs. and
narrow pazscs. Whole regiments might here be
rakel down. after con Iiorlns The oltor walls.
But the chances Of war are numerous; and one
mPcrfcc.ion IN the greatest power IF otherwise
porfect( may render ]! inaPpica5lo, aud perhaps
r. licuoIs. On arriving n their laner batteries,
We .olnt tn gas IL 4 wrctcAcj coaittion- IheE
wore no bauer than 4 Chinese eff, 'ceicaia.ei'
10 strike terror into tAe mtnl. 3 i oae may
inn L5no hos very angry ,,:a sa6to architect q
this f,rmIt5,c castle would have been, could no
have seen his cNccIlon arrang sm INT for tho safe
and nearly car:ain destruction of the ASSISTANTS
Ihus rendered aboftiVc.
"Wo nov descended Il very w;io flight Of
stone stairs which lei down into the grand castle
square. or litto town. ~ ght anos; ca il. I
NO entered at lha bottom through stone gate
ways. tho architect had never missed an oppor- I
tuntv for giving the b"sIagoi protection III re-
treating, and limo 10 rally and then found orr
selves III large open square, enclosed Oh all sides
by very lofty walls. TIL bower p1rt Of which DIS
played doors AMI entrances into barracks, gla ri
aud If
snch articles as a garrison woaid need. The |
Governors house IS It the farther end. 1t was q
genuine so'@lers oI gncnt, AMI very bare OF a
ornament. except those Of var, for il rdIlei
al over with the marks Of sho. and shell. lis |
strong covered balcony, intended to serve as q |
protection both from tho bron- SIN anl from |
tho fall Of missiles, in many place torn in |
long -apS.-Ail the towers and buildings of any
elevation had also been knocked about and defacod
by the sho, and shells from Vera Cruz. previous
TO the surrender Of the castle. Bat the mutiIa- |
tons AMI destruction did not materially affect |
the strength of tho poeo. Very few Of tho guns |
had been dlsloIgad; cyon ii, oater batteries were
not injured render them ineffective with
tho exception OF gap Of ruins in two
places. There i about miles breadth Of SEE
running between San Juan at .,oa and tho town
of Vera Cruz.
How strongly anu ski,ially tins fortress IS pro-
tactcd By art Inc reader has now somo idea: but
San Juan dJ !loa Is equally protected by nature;
for. while tho lctanccs of art which nave briefly
described arc chiefly devoted 10 tae sdo and
angie facing the town. those angles which f7ce
tho ma in ocean tho opposite side or back Of
the castle. arc protected BY long sacccssions Of
rocky reefs. utterly defying the approach Of any
vessels Of war. Many black and ro.ting wrecks. |
visible even at high water, atcstcd some of the |
natural terrors of the place Bu. in these days
II Is generally understood by all military men
that 10 place IS impregnabe. and that thorough
soldiers Well osiicored and led can, ani will, md
d. take any place AZ VIVA. cost. IS not the
question. Tho thing be done.
PAINTING THREE MILES LoSG.-The monster
painting Of the Mississippi BY Barnard, is now
on exhibition 1t Louisville. It embraces the