feet above the tide, and perfectly
commands the town and adjacent harbor. There is said to be room enough
within its walls for all the inhabitants of the town, to which they could
retreat in case of a siege. From a personal inspection, however, I judge
they would have to pack them pretty closely. The works cover an area of
about six acres, there being a double line of forts, composed of massive
granite, and presenting every variety of angle. A ditch twenty-five feet
deep and sixty feet wide surrounds it on all sides, with a single entrance
or bridgeway, on the east aide, which could be removed in an hour. Two
ravelins, which have been lately completed within the walls, are elegant
specimens of masonry. The whole hill is being rounded off, and a line of
earth-works are to be constructed at its base at every salient angle. The
parapet is now covered at wide intervals, with 32-pounders, mounted upon
iron carriages. Extensive changes and improvements are being adopted, and
when the present plans are complete, this fort, it is said, will mount
over 400 guns. The cast-iron swivel carriages are condemned as being too
liable to injury from cannon-shots, and are all to be replaced by others
made of teak-wood.

"There exists, evidently, some reluctance among the officers in command to
a close inspection of these works by foreigners. An instance in point
occurred to-day. There were two young men, Americans, looking at the fort.
They had obtained permission, which is given in writing by the
Quartermaster-General, to inspect the Signal-Station, etc., but they were
observed with paper and pencil in hand, taking down particular memoranda
of the fortification, the size of guns, their number, the positions of the
ravelins and what not. As this was considered a palpable breach of
courtesy, a sergeant tapped them on the shoulder and led them out of the
gate, with a reprimand for what he called their want of good manners. It
is a long time since anything of the kind has occurred.

"This Citadel is the place from which all vessels are signalled to the
town. The signal stations are four in number; the first being at the
Citadel, the second at 'York Redcut,' five miles down the harbor, the
third, 'Camperdown,' some ten miles further, and the fourth, with which
this last signals, is the island of 'Sambro,' ten miles south of the
entrance to the harbor. The system is carried on by means of a series of
black balls, which are hoisted in differen