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The Congreve Rocket.-The very flight of the
Congreve Rocket is startling; it springs from the
ground in volume of flame, and then rushes
along with continual roar, its large head blazing,
and striking point blank, and with tremendous
force, at the distance of mile or more. In a
siege it is already extremely formidable. 1t bursts
through roofs it fixes itself wherever it can bore
its way; and it infames every thing that is COM
bustible Stone walls only can repel it, and that
not always. This weapon may be regarded as
almost exclusively English in its use, as well as
it's origin. twill be like the English bow in the
18th century. In the next war what an extra
ordinary change will take place in all the estab-
lished instruments Of putting men out Of the
world We shall be attacked at once from above,
around, and below. We shall have the balloon
showe1ing fire upon us from miles above our
heads; the steam gun levelng us from walls and
ramparts, before we can come within distance to
dig trench; the Congreves setting our tents, am
unition wagons, and ourselves in blaze in our
first sleep; and the steamer running and doing.
mischief every where. But of all these mischief
makers | should give the palm to the rocket. No,
infantry on earth could stand for five minutes
within five hundred yards of well served rocket
battery. Half dozen volleys of half a dozen of
these fiery arrows, would break the strongest bat
talions into fragments, lay one half dead on the
ground, and send the other blazing and torn over
the field. The heaviest fire from guns is nothing


to their effect 1t wants the directness, the stead


mess. the flame, and resulting from all those, the
terror. If the British troops shall ever come inic
the field without an overwhelming force of rookie
teers, they will throw away the first chance of
victory that ever was lost by national negligence


Nothing can be more obvious than that this tre-


mendous weapon has not even yet arrived at it's


full capacity for war on a great scale.-Back-


sooods Magazine.