Letters and Papers (Volume 2) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: of defence clearer than I ever have done yet. They are?as I before told you, moored in a straight line along the beach above the Mole, and they have each, I speak of the three nearest ships?a hawser from their bow end and from their quarters to the shore, so that they can cant their broadside either way I take it. Chief of their guns from the inshore side are landed. The Admiral was landing guns very plain this morning, and was dragging them up the beach there and independent of the Mole- head, and what may be called the fort, which contains about thirty-six embrasures. Each ship has a battery upon the beach with embrasures, upon her bow and quarter, so that she might be flanked if ever so closely attacked, and if the main forts could not fire into one without firing into the other. I do not know whether you will exactly understand me; but in case you should not, I send you a little sketch of their appearance before they struck top-masts and hauled in quite so close, and a little plan just done this morning. I did not like to make any part of this note into the shape of an official letter to Sir James, but you can as well inform him if you think proper; and if he wishes it officially communicated, I can do it. Covering bombs is very stomacky work in a 74 close into a bight full of batteries. However, I am very willing to fag for your poor wounded lads. Ever sincerely, W. Lukin. To Captain Martin, Captain of the Fleet. CAPTAIN LUKIN TO B. MARTIN. Mars, Thursday morning, about September 1808. My dear Martin, ?We can discover no boom from our mastheads. Whenever the fire-vessels do goin it would be well, in my opinion, that they should keep the lighthouse side on b'd as much as the wind would allow, as the principal look-out is upon Rogo Point. I had hoped, however, by t...