This drawing will explain one very important difference in construction between the Bastion du Mat and the Redan or Malakoff. The height of the last rendered it comparatively safe from anything in its rear. The Redan, as its name implies, was quite open behind; but the Bastion du Mat, on the contrary, was a succession of batteries quite close to the rear of each other, thus producing an almost invulnerable power of support. In case of an assault it will at once be seen, that should one battery be taken the assailants would then find themselves at the muzzles of the guns of the next battery, which with their iron blasts would soon make a defeat of the victory.
The long crenelated wall to the sea-face of the town commenced on the proper right of the Bastion Centrals, and is represented in the Drawing of Sebastopol from the site of the ancient Kherson. These two drawings Represent the defences of the place against which the left attack of the French was directed.
Printed by Day and Son, liithographors to the Quocn, Gate St., Lincoln 's-Iiin-Fields.
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]