THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

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THE CITADEL OF ANTWERP.

(_From personal inspection, by a Contributor to the United Service
Journal._)


This spot, on which the eye of all Europe is at present concentrated,
lies at the southern extremity of Antwerp, and forms one continued
line with its defences along the banks of the Scheldt. It is a regular
pentagon in shape, protected by bastions ranging at progressive
elevations, and connecting themselves with curtains of proportionate
height. In advance of these defences are a further series of spacious
bastions, immediately connected with the preceding, but of later
construction. The one were erected by Paciotti and Cerbolini, two
Italian engineers, by order of the tyrant Alba, 1568, and the others
according to Vauban's principles in 1701. Every side of this citadel is
equally formidable for its strength; that towards the town is furnished
with a raveline; and this is also the case with the front which faces
the river, and opens upon a paved line of road, from which all
communication with Antwerp itself has latterly been cut off. Two of
the sides of this fastness front towards the adjacent country, and are
likewise supplied with ravelines; the centre bastion in this direction
bears Paciotto's name, which has been denaturalized in that of Paniotto
in the French elevations. The defences of the town terminate in the
centre of the fifth side, which circumstance has left it unprovided with