114 



Account of the Operations 



[July 



profitable use to which the labour of the party can be applied, during 

 the time we are waiting for the supplies from Ceylon, and completing 

 our preparations. It is of little less importance than the great channel j 

 all the boats with the cargoes of the vessel pass through it, which they 

 can do in all weathers. 



11th. Men employed as yesterday ; fired 8 more blasts, a few with 

 increased charges, and the holes at greater intervals; the splinters 

 were thrown to a considerable distance. Large charges can only be 

 employed when the rock is entirely under water. This day some car- 

 penters and smiths offered, and were hired on trial ; they had come from 

 Eamisseram and the neighbouring villages. The whether is now vari- 

 able, with a southerly wind for a few hours in the day, which denotes 

 the calm season. Hastened the work as much as possible, and heard 

 from a vessel which left Colombo three days since, that the Ceylon 

 party were near. 



12th. Sunday. 



13th. The artificers employed on the rafts and boats. The sappers 

 and convicts in removing the rocks broken by the mines, and in deepen- 

 ing the channel. 



14th. Twenty-one sappers employed as yesterday in removing the 

 stones, and the convicts in deepening the channel. Artificers on the 

 boats. The new jail advances slowly, as we can only spare 10 men 

 to work on it. 



15th. Party generally employed as yesterday, a*nd 12 more holes 

 bored in the main dam of the small channel. Our success was not 

 equal to the former trials, the match for exploding under water being of 

 an inferior quality. This is the first we had tried of that manufactured 

 at Madras, in imitation of the English ; some part was made by the 

 Engineer sergeant-major, the rest at the depot St. Thomas's Mount : 

 eleven out of the twelve failed. The convicts, who had shewn signs of 

 insubordination for some days, positively refused to work in the water. 

 I was obliged to order 12 sappers under arms and secure 6 of the ring- 

 leaders, who were slightly punished by the Chouckdar, and the re- 

 mainder forced to work. The extent of punishment which can be 

 awarded appears to be little understood, and is the cause of the small 

 value of this labour under the Madras establishment. 



16th. This day 2 sergeants and 13 men sick, principally trifling 

 accidents and bowel complaints from constant work in the water. 

 The men as yesterday, and 4 trying to extract the charges which had 

 not exploded, but without success. The vessel expected arrived from 

 Ceylon bringing some stores, 8 seamen and a diving-bell. 



17th. The raft for working in the great channel was this day 

 finished and launched ; it rode well and promises fully to answer the 

 purpose. Eight more charges, fired with the English match, answered 

 perfectly ; the others as yesterday failed. % 



