for the defense of Narraganset Bay, to which there are three entrances. The Eastern, or Sakonnet Passage, was already closed by the Stone Bridge, opposite Tiverton; the Western Passage was to be shoaled with a sunken dyke, below Dutch Island, in such manner as to allow coasters freely to pass over it, but to exclude all vessels of war; and the Middle, or Main Passage, was to be barred, effectually, by permanent fortifications on Brenton's Point, the Dumplings Rock, and Rose Island, while Forts Greene and Wolcott were to defend the inner waters about Newport.

From the report of this Board we learn the condition and value, in 1820, of the then existing fortifications, which had been built in 1795-1800, to be as follows:

FORT ADAMS (see Plate III.), which crosses its fire with Fort Wolcott, and defends on that point the entry to Newport harbor, gives also some fire on the Middle Passage into Narraganset Bay. The tracé of this fort is so irregular, and its angles are so multiplied for no purpose of defense or convenience, that it seems rather the result of chance and caprice than even of the engineering art. It consists of two parts, one appearing to have been added to the other at a later period. The southern part has a development of about seven hundred and fifty feet, measured on its interior crest, and a command of fifteen feet over the country, and forty-five over low water. Its parapet is from twelve to fifteen feet thick, its rampart from twenty-three to twenty-five wide, and its scarp wall less than ten feet high. This part contains a bomb-proof barrack. The northern part has a development, measured in the same way, of about four hundred feet, and has a command of forty-two feet over low water. Its parapet is from twelve to eighteen feet thick, the terre-plein of its rampart is on a level with the parade, on which is a wooden store house and a hot-shot furnace; has no masonry scarp, and is covered with an earthwork six feet high. From these two parts, constituting Fort Adams, about twenty guns could be directed upon the entrance of the bay and as many more upon Newport harbor. The Board of Engineers considered it useless, as it could neither resist four days against an attack by land, nor contain the formidable armament" demanded by the position.

DUMPLINGS TOWER (see Plate IV.), on Conanicut Island, is an elliptical stone structure, its transverse axis being one hundred and eight feet long, and its conjugate axis eighty one feet to the exterior of the scarpwall, which varies in height from twelve to twenty-six feet, owing to the inequalities of the site. Under the

"we

terre-plein of the front of the Tower are four casemates, fifteen to eighteen feet long, fifteen feet wide, and seven to eight feet high to the crown of the arch; and above were emplacement for four heavy barbette guns behind a stone parapet of five feet in thickness. Its command, when fineshed, would be fifty-four feet above low water. "When," says the Board of Engineers, " take into consideration that Dumplings Point is an essential position for defending the central pass into Narraganset Bay, and that the channel is one mile broad at this place, we must perceive that the effect of this Tower is almost null for that purpose, and that its co-operation with Fort Adams, to accomplish so important an object, has never been calculated and is totally inefficient."

FORT HAMILTON (See Plate V.). This unfinished work, on Rose Island, is of a rectangular form, six hundred by five hundred and twenty feet, with flanking towers, fifty feet in diameter, on the northwest and southwest angles, and regular bastions at the two other angles. The south front. which sees vessels coming up the channel after passing Brenton's Point and the Dumplings, the east front (except its curtain), and the northwest flanking tower are nearly finished; the remainder of the work being merely sketched. The scarp-walls are low, the parapets where finished about sixteen feet thick, and the rampart twenty-five feet wide. The command of the fort is but eight feet above the ground, and seventeen above low water. Its location, on the site of the old French battery of 1780, is good, as it crosses its fires with those of all the other works. "It is to be regretted,' says the Board

for the defense of Narraganset Bay, to which there are three entrances. The Eastern, or Sakonnet Passage, was already closed by the Stone Bridge, opposite Tiverton; the Western Passage was to be shoaled with a sunken dyke, below Dutch Island, in such manner as to allow coasters freely to pass over it, but to exclude all vessels of war; and the Middle, or Main Passage, was to be barred, effectually, by permanent fortifications on Brenton's Point, the Dumplings Rock, and Rose Island, while Forts Greene and Wolcott were to defend the inner waters about Newport.

From the report of this Board we learn the condition and value, in 1820, of the then existing fortifications, which had been built in 1795-1800, to be as follows:

FORT ADAMS (see Plate III.), which crosses its fire with Fort Wolcott, and defends on that point the entry to Newport harbor, gives also some fire on the Middle Passage into Narraganset Bay. The tracé of this fort is so irregular, and its angles are so multiplied for no purpose of defense or convenience, that it seems rather the result of chance and caprice than even of the engineering art. It consists of two parts, one appearing to have been added to the other at a later period. The southern part has a development of about seven hundred and fifty feet, measured on its interior crest, and a command of fifteen feet over the country, and forty-five over low water. Its parapet is from twelve to fifteen feet thick, its rampart from twenty-three to twenty-five wide, and its scarp wall less than ten feet high. This part contains a bomb-proof barrack. The northern part has a development, measured in the same way, of about four hundred feet, and has a command of forty-two feet over low water. Its parapet is from twelve to eighteen feet thick, the terre-plein of its rampart is on a level with the parade, on which is a wooden store house and a hot-shot furnace; has no masonry scarp, and is covered with an earthwork six feet high. From these two parts, constituting Fort Adams, about twenty guns could be directed upon the entrance of the bay and as many more upon Newport harbor. The Board of Engineers considered it useless, as it "could neither resist four days against an attack by land, nor contain the formidable armament” demanded by the position.

DUMPLINGS TOWER (see Plate IV.), on Conanicut Island, is an elliptical stone structure, its transverse axis being one hundred and eight feet long, and its conjugate axis eighty one feet to the exterior of the scarpwall, which varies in height from twelve to twenty-six feet, owing to the inequalities of the site. Under the

terre-plein of the front of the Tower are four casemates, fifteen to eighteen feet long, fifteen feet wide, and seven to eight feet high to the crown of the arch; and above were emplacement for four heavy barbette guns behind a stone parapet of five feet in thickness. Its command, when fineshed, would be fifty-four feet. above low water. "When," says the Board of Engineers, "we take into consideration that Dumplings Point is an essential position for defending the central pass into Narraganset Bay, and that the channel is one mile broad at this place, we must perceive that the effect of this Tower is almost null for that purpose, and that its co-operation with Fort Adams, to accomplish so important an object, has never been calculated and is totally inefficient."

FORT HAMILTON (See Plate V.). This unfinished work, on Rose Island, is of a rectangular form, six hundred by five hundred and twenty feet, with flanking towers, fifty feet in diameter, on the northwest and southwest angles, and regular bastions at the two other angles. The south front. which sees vessels coming up the channel after passing Brenton's Point and the Dumplings, the east front (except its curtain), and the northwest flanking tower are nearly finished; the remainder of the work being merely sketched. The scarp-walls are low, the parapets where finished about sixteen feet thick, and the rampart twenty-five feet wide. The command of the fort is but eight feet above the ground, and seventeen above low water. Its location, on the site of the old French battery of 1780, is good, as it crosses its fires with those of all the other works. It is to be regretted,' says the Board

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