works advanced works are such as are con- secretly in the night with a body of men, part structed beyond the covered-way and glacis, carrying entrenching tools, and the remainder but within the range of musketry of the main armed. The former dig a trench in the ground works, and detached works, those which are parallel to the fortifications to be attacked, and situate beyond the range of musketry, and are, with the earth that comes out of the trench consequently, left chiefly to their own resources. raise a bank on the side next the enemy, whilst A horn-work consists of two half bastions and a those with arms remain formed in a recumbent curtain. A crown-work is composed of a bas- posture, in readiness to protect those at work, tion and two half bastions, and presents two should the garrison sally out. During the fronts of fortification. Double crown works night, this trench and bank are made of sufficonsist of two bastions and two half bastions: cient depth and extent to cover from the miswhen these works are connected with the main siles of the place the number of men requisite works by their extreme fronts, the name couron- to cope with the garrison, and the besiegers nee is given to them. An advanced covered way remain in the trench throughout the following -that is, a covered way beyond the glacis-'s day, in despite of the fire or the sorties of the of use in many cases: a common application of besieged. This trench is afterwards progresit is in the case of a rivulet passing along the sively widened and deepened, and the bank of foot of the glacis, when, a covered-way being earth raised till it forms a covered road, called formed on the other side of the stream, favours a parallel, embracing all the fortifications to be the garrison in making sorties, and watching attacked; and along this road, guns, waggons, the enemy's movements. Lunettes are a species and men, securely and conveniently move, of ravelin or bastion, which are found attached equally sheltered from the view and the misto the faces of Ravelins, upon the salients of siles of the garrison. Batteries of guns and the covert-way, and in other like positions, mortars are then constructed on the side of the commanding and protecting the same. road next the garrison, to oppose the guns of Defensive Mines are an important contrivance the town, and in a short time, by superiority for counteracting the operations of the besiegers. of fire, principally arising from the situation, They are passages, called galleries, constructed silence all those which bear on the works of the under the wall of a rampart, or extended some-attack. After this ascendancy is attained, the times beyond the out-works, for the purpose same species of covered road is, by certain either of blowing up the works and ground rules of art, carried forward, till it circumvents above, or of listening to the operations of the or passes over all the exterior defences of the enemy, Should the enemy be employed in place, and touches the main rampart wall at a mining towards the fortress as a means of spot where it has been previously beaten down attack, the besieged, being already possessed by the fire of batteries erected expressly for of a good system of mines, have generally the that purpose in the more advanced parts of the advantage of him in this particular.

road.

Siege Operations.-The taking of a fortified The formation of the covered road is attended place may be attempted either-1st, by sur- with different degrees of difficulty in proportion prise, or coup-de-main; 2nd, by sudden assault; as it advances. At its commencement, being at 3rd, by blockade out of reach of gun-shot; or, the distance of 600 yards from the fortifications, 4th, by regular siege. We shall confine our and not straitened for space, the work can rearemarks to the last-named process, of which the dily be performed by the ordinary soldiers of following admirable general description is ex- the army. The second period is when the road tracted, in an abridged form, from the Preli- arrives within a fair range of musketry, or 300 minary Observations on the Attack of Fortresses yards from the place; then it requires particuin the first volume of Sir John Jones's "Journals of Sieges:"

lar precautions, which, however, are not so difficult but that the work may be executed by The first operation of a besieger is to esta- soldiers who have had a little previous training. blish a force equal to cope with the garrison of The third period is when it approaches close to the town about to be attacked, at the distance the place-when every bullet takes effectof six or seven hundred yards from its when to be seen is to be killed-when mine ramparts. after mine blows up the head of the road, and This is effected by approaching the place with it every man and officer on the spot

when the space becomes so restricted that little people who inhabit it, is greedily read. And or no front of defence can be obtained, and the among the great variety of volumes which has enemy's grenadiers sally forth every moment to teemed from the press, in relation to the war attack the workmen, and deal out destruction or the countries particularly interested therein, to all less courageous or weaker than themselves. the above may be considered as one of the most Then the work becomes truly hazardous, and entertaining. Transcaucasia abounds with can only be performed by selected brave men, anecdotes and legends, a few of which we have who have acquired a difficult and most dan- pleasure in transferring to our pages. The gerous art, called sapping, from which they author, in speaking of the town of Samlokhe, themselves are styled sappers. gives the following anecdote of

A GEORGIAN MERCHANT.

An indispensable auxiliary to the sapper is the miner; the exercise of whose art requires "In the town of Samlokhe was a merchant, even a greater degree of skill, courage, and who traded with the Turkish town of Shaki.— conduct than that of his principal. The duty It happened that he fell out with a merchant of of a miner at a siege is to accompany the sap- that place, who, with his people, waylaid him per to listen for and discover the enemy's miner on his return home, threw him down, and robat work under ground, and prevent his blowing bed him, in spite of the Christian threatening up the head of the road, either by sinking down him with the vengeance of his lord the Atabegh. and meeting him, when a subterranean conflict If your mighty lord is not a coward,' was the ensues, or by running a gallery close to that of his opponent, and forcing him to quit his work reply, let him come, and, if he can, nail me by the ear to a shop in the bazaar!' The by means of suffocating compositions, and a Georgian merchant laid his complaint before the thousand arts of chichanery, the knowledge of Atabegh, but the latter stroked his moustaches, which he has acquired from experience. Sappers suppressed for the moment his rising rage, would be unable of themselves, without the aid of skilful miners, to execute that part of the him. The same night, however, he mustered stopped the complainant short, and dismissed covered road forming the descent into the ditch; five hundred of his boldest horsemen, dashed and in various other portions of the road, the across the Koor at Gandja, and fell upon Shaki assistance of the miner is indispensable to the so suddenly as to render resistance impossible. sapper; indeed, without their joint labours and He injured no one, but merely ordered that steady co-operation, no besiegers' approaches merchant to be seized, and to be nailed by his ear to his own shop in the bazaar. He then his followers, 'Let not the people of Shaki ever departed peaceably, amidst the exclamations of forget the justice of the Atabegh Konarkuare!'"

ever reached the walls of a fortress.

A siege scientifically prosecuted, though it calls for the greatest personal bravery, the greatest exertion, and extraordinary labour in all employed, is beautifully certain in its progress and result. More or less skill or exertion in the contending parties will prolong or shorten in some degree its duration; but the sapper and

MARRYING IN ARMENIA.

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the Baron's travels consists is his visist to Armenia, where he attentively observed the manners of

the miner, skilfully directed and adequately the people. The following passage is interest

supported, will surely surmount every obstacle.

CAUCASIA.

ing: :

"The young unmarried people, of both sexes, ANECDOTES AND LEGENDS OF TRANS- enjoy perfect liberty, within the recognised limits of manners and propriety. Custom is here precisely the reverse of what prevails in A very interesting book has just been pub- the surrounding countrics: whilst in the latter lished under the title of "Transcaucasia," by the purchase of a wife is the only usual form Baron Von Hasthausen, and published by Chap- of contracting a marriage, until which time the man and Hall. The book gives an accouut of girl remains in perfect seclusion,-among the the people who inhabit the provinces possessed Armenians, on the contrary, the young people by Russia south of the Caucasus. This part of of both sexes enjoy free social intercourse. the world has recently excited considerable in- The girls go where they like, unveiled and terest on account of the war; and any informa- bareheaded; the young men carry on their tion which has reference to the country, or the love-suits freely and openly, and marriages of

PAUL PRY ON THE UPPER OTTAWA.

No. I.

affection are of common occurrence. But with marriage the scene changes: the word which the young woman pronounces at the altar, in accepting her husband, is the last that is for a long time heard from her lips. From that Pakenham is a village, having about four moment she never appears, even in her own hundred inhabitants, and is about 50 miles west house, unveiled. She is never seen abroad in of Bytown, Canada West. It is situated on the the public streets, except when she goes to clear little Mississippi of Canada-not the church, which is only twice in the year, and muddy, feverish "Father of Waters." The then closely veiled. If a stranger enters the Canada Mississippi is superior to the large one house or garden, she instantly conceals herself. in every thing except size. It flows through a With no person, not even her father or brother, free country. No slave, slave owner, or slave is she allowed to exchange a single word; and hunter, pollutes its limpid waters. The great she speaks to her husband only when they are one is monotonous. On the little one are many alone. With the rest of the household she can scenes, picturesque and varied, though wanting only communicate by gestures, and by talking in extent. It rises about fifty miles north-west on her fingers. This silent reserve, which cus- of Kingston, C. W., and after a serpentine tom imperatively prescribes, the young wife course of about one hundred and fifty miles, maintains, until she has borne her first child, falls into the Ottawa at Fitzroy harbour, where from which period she becomes gradually are those far-famed Cascades-the Chats. emancipated from her constraint: she speaks to her new-born infant; then her mother-in-law is the first person she may address; after a while she is allowed to converse with her own mother, then with her sisters-in-law, and afterwards her own sisters. Now she begins to talk with the young girls in the house, but always in a gentle whisper, that none of the male part of the family may hear what is said. The wife, however, is not fully emancipated, her education is not completed, until after the lapse of six years! and even then she can never speak with any strangers of the other sex, nor appear before them unveiled. If we examine closely into these social customs, in connection with the other phases of national life in Armenia, we cannot but recognize in them a great knowledge of human nature and of the heart."

THE SKY-LARK.

ETHEREAL minstrel! pilgrim of the sky!
Dost thou despise the earth, where cares
abound;

Or while thy wings aspire, are heart and eye
Both with thy nest, upon the dewy ground?
Thy nest which thou canst drop into at will,
Those quivering wings composed, and music still!

To the last point of vision, and beyond,

Mount, daring warbler! that love-prompted
strain

(Twixt thee and thine a never-failing bond)
Thrills not the less the bosom of the plain!
Yet might'st thou seem, proud privilege! to sing,
All independent of the leafy Spring.

Up to October, 1852, this village had been the terminus of Paul Pry's explorations in that direction. The proud waves of his ambition were here stayed by the wild aspect of things beyond: until that memorable period, frightful accounts of rocks, mud, and corduroy, had hitherto deterred him from penetrating beyond what he then considered as the ultima thule of civilization in that direction; a few weeks world. At length the enterprizing spirit of subsequently he considered it almost in the Paul Pry surmounted all difficulties, and with

a sort of non-descript vehicle called a sackboard, and a horse, destitute both of inclination

and ability to run away, he started, on the 22d day of October 1853, on his perilous expedition to unknown regions. For two or three miles on the road from Pakenham to Renfrew all was plain sailing: then came the tug of war; for about six miles the road was a constant scylla and charybdis of corduroy, ditches, bogs, stumps and rocks. On trying to avoid a ditch, the wheel would come against a stump; in avoiding which the other wheel would go over a rock, tilting the vehicle at an angle of forty-five degrees or more. It survived this, the road became passable, and the next day Paul Pry passed the Madawaska river—a large tributary of the Ottawa-at Burnstown, a place of about a dozen houses, where the river runs between very high steep hills, forming a romantic gorge: this place is about 18 miles from Pakenham a portion of the road is well settled.

Yellow plums grow wild in the vicinity, and are much esteemed for preserves; no fruit is cultivated: apples do not thrive, and are seldom seen Bush fruit might, perhaps, do

Eight miles farther he came to the lively permanence to the movement. A Temperance village of Renfrew, near the falls of the Bonne- house is also started, and likely to receive a chere; a magnificent scene, worth a long liberal support. There are several settled in travel to sec. It would probably be soon shorn the vicinity and village, that would do credit as of its grandeur, but that the absentee company respects both natural intellect and culture. owning the land and water power, would not Paul Pry says, Rev. Mr. Frazer, Free Chruch sell at the prices offered in small quantities: minister, preaches sermons as practical, solid, this much retarded the advancement of the and instructive as any yet heard by him. This village nevertheless, it increases fast. Seven gentleman is also an active promoter of practiyears ago it had no existence: now, it probably cal reform in various ways. A few such as him has a population of four or five hundred. in every village would soon remove all the Places in this region with that population do grosser forms of vice, and change the spirit of at least as much business as most places farther society from almost universal selfishness and west, and in older localities, with at least three suspicion, to one of universal love and confior four times the population: the business, how-dence; his character and talents fit him for a ever, is mainly done in the winter. The banks much wider sphere of action. of the Bonnechere higher up-also some other parts, where the land is not surveyed, are said to be extensively settle by squatters, who live, by raising produce for the lumberers at good, sometimes at exorbitant prices. Many well, but nobody seems to have tried it. of their farms are inaccessible to wheel carHaving sojourned over Sunday in Renfrew, riages. Many of these men are said to be ex-invigorated both in body and in spirit, Paul traordinary characters, ingenious, energetic, Pry left Renfrew at 5 P.M., on October 25, active and enterprising; nothing comes amiss bound for O'Neill's hotel, near Bonnechere to them, whether in the way of mending, tooth Point, Ottawa river; distance, 8 miles: the last drawing, marrying, horse-shoeing, surgery, or three miles similar to that already described physic. Their amusements, however, are said between Pakenham and Burnstown. In this to mainly sensual; drunkenness common. In one settlement, called the Garden of Eden, they answer the demands made upon it by repeated part of it, the vehicle broke down, unable to are said to be always at log-gerheads, which, hard knocks. The unfortunate Paul Pry having in a wooden country, is not surprising; they first taken the precaution to wet his feet don't raise much fruit in this Garden of Eden, thoroughly, mounted his quadruped, having unless, perhaps, in a figurative sense, forbid- left the vehicle in the road, and made tracks den fruit. The people there are said to be for O'Neill's. most of the time over head and ears in law was in no pleasant trim on arrival, being about The night being quite frosty, he suits. The people of the Lake Doree settle-half frozen, and half drowned with mud and ment, surveyed in summer of 1852, are mostly water. Having taken a night's rest upon the Protestant Irish; those of the Donegal settle- strength of it, the next consideration was to ment adjoining, Catholic Irish: the degree of get the vehicle repaired. This was easier said cordiality subsisting between their respective than done, as waggon makers in that section inhabitants can be better imagined than don't grow quite as plenty as blackberries; described. Meanwhile, in both a liberal and but this deficiency was partly compensated by figurative sense, the axe is being laid to the the universal genius for common arts, which root of the tree; the leaven is at work. Ren-characterize the lumberman and the pioneer of frew was formerly a drunken place, the neigh- the wilderness. In about a day and a half the bourhood would appear to be so still. It was vehicle was taken to pieces, brought to Mr. said that a School meeting in the fall had to be O'Neill's, and repaired by that gentleman so as broken up on account of the "crathur." About to last to the next village. the fall of 1851, a division of the "Sons" was After being landed from the steamer at organised there; when Paul Pry visited it, it Bonnechere Point, all merchandize for Renfrew numbered 104 staunch members, and was still village, (and that is no trifle) has to be hauled increasing. A Mechanics' Institute and Library through this wretched ditch. Some for the are connected with it; the right way to give upper part of the Bonnechere river also passes

this way, but on account of the badness of the three miles per hour with a fair wind, but it road, and the expense of freight on the Ottawa didn't go at such a rapid rate, when I was so river, above Bytown, an establishment in unfortunate as to be a passenger. An accident Bromley, 20 miles from Bonnechere Point, having happened to the lower boat, I was defind it cheaper to team their goods 70 miles by tained one day. The village of Cobden has in land, from a place near the Rideau canal, than it two hotels, a store, workshops, and about to bring it by the Ottawa river, over a short half a dozen dwellings; but, more business is distance, on such miserable roads. An old done in such places here than in some dull vilresident informs me that he saw a freight bill lages above, with ten times the population. In of goods from Glasgow to Bonnechere Point, small matters there is little or no credit; and and that the charge from Bytown to the Point no barter or higgling. One of the hotels was was as much as from Glasgow to Bytown. kept by a Nova Scotia man, from whom I deSeven miles of canaling would open a direct rived some information respecting that Pronavigation without transhipment from Montreal vince.

to Portage du Fort, a distance of about 190 Oct. 29, 1852.-Started at 6 o'clock. In the miles, that now requires breaking bulk four boat was sufficient room for half-a-dozen pastimes. Some say that the reason this road is sengers, and bad acoommodation at that; no not made better, is because those who make a berths or anything conducive to comfort; it was business of teaming on it, want to keep it all to pouring with rain, and it was almost impossible themselves. Such policy is questionable; ex- to stand out of it (sitting being out of the quescessive selfishness usually defeats its own object: tion), without being smothered in tobaccobe that as it may, the road is (or was) a dis-smoke emitted copiously by the French raftsgrace to the country. men, of whom thirty-four, with other passenClarendon-a township in Canada East, op-gers, were doomed to pass a rainy night in posite Bonnechere point-is mostly settled by this wretched tub. We intended to reach PemIrish Protestants.

broke next morning, but alas, for the vanity of The following is from Paul Pry's diary:human expectations! In five hours after start"October 27, started for Portage du Fort, dis- ing we made fully eight miles, and upon the tant seven miles, with a light load; arrived in strength of such rapid motion, stopped one hour four hours, having carried the load up one hill, and a half to take in wood and steam up again; and made part of the road in another place, I then went about three miles further, when the have however, the somewhat equivocal satis- jump valve broke; the skilful manager had not faction of knowing, that the road will be better a single tool on board; so it was necessary to next season; when I hope to be a thousand send back to Cobden to repair it. They managed miles away. On this road are some beautiful to put the boat back a mile or two to a landing glimpses of Ottawa scenery. A road that is place; with two more men I obtained a canoe excellent for this region-middling for any part and paddled to the Pembroke landing, nine of Canada-leads from the ferry to the village miles, in a heavy rain; arrived at the landing, of Cobden, on Musk-rat lake, fourteen miles and thence to Pembroke, about 3 P.M., the day distant. This road was made by Mr. Gould, an after starting. Though clad in a gutta percha enterprising merchant and forwarder, to start coat, I was thoroughly drenched with rain, and a line of communication farther up the Ottawa. used up with exposure and fatigue, having been Portage du Fort is a busy village, containing seventeen consecutive hours in a constant about 400 inhabitants, situated on the side of shower, travelling 20 miles, and getting neither the Ottawa, one mile above the ferry. Here rest nor sleep. the navigation of the river is again obstructed On the first of November, two days afterby rapids. There are several beautiful snatches wards, the before-mentioned steamer made its of river scenery in this vicinity. Stage wag. appearance in port. Paul Pry was afterwards gons leave the ferry on Gould's road for Cobden, informed by an influential citizen of Pembroke whence a steamboat leaves for a landing place that on one occasion, a hole having been discotwo miles from Pembroke. I had previously vered in the boiler, it was stopped by a Frenchheard of the astonishing performances of this man's moccasin and some putty. Paul Pry, craft, but was scarcely prepared for the reality. however, does not vouch for the truth of the A Montreal gentleman informed me that it went above story. In this respect he has formed the VOL. V.-R.