118 



Account of the Operations 



[Jul* 



from the violent motion of the rafts; the party returned and were sent 

 to the small channel. The weighing boat took up about six tons of 

 stone, but was also obliged to return about noon and joined the party 

 in the small channel. The second raft was launched this morning. 



4th. The boats were at their stations in the main channel by 7 a. m. 

 and at 11 a. m. eight holes had been made in the rock, some of which 

 were charged with 8-lbs. of powder. The stock of the English hose 

 being expended, tried that made at Madras, which entirely failed, and 

 we were obliged to have recourse to the tin tubes and portfires. The 

 attempt to fire all at the same moment failed, and only one charge took 

 effect, the tubes of the others being damaged by the concussion ; the at- 

 tempt was therefore given over, and the party returned at 1 p. m. a num- 

 ber of holes being ready in the small channel, directed them to be fired 

 with the match newly received from Madras. It all failed, in a strong 

 current; reprimed with portfires, and exploded the charges in succes- 

 sion. One piece of portfire exploded on being fired and overturned 

 the boat containing six men ; fortunately was a small charge, had it 

 happened with a large one, the whole must have been destroyed. A 

 number of large stones removed out of the small channel, which is 

 now used by all light vessels, affording them the means of being drag- 

 ged against the current. 



6th. Loaded twelve holes this day, and again tried the fuse made at 

 Trichinopoly, which failed as before, with one exception, which ex- 

 ploded after 22 minutes ; as it Was considered to have been extinguish- 

 ed, a diver was sent to recover the case, who returned saying it was 

 still burning. The boat had nearly reached the shore when the ex- 

 plosion took place; no accident occurred. A third raft nearly finished. 



7th. Recovered the cases which had been lodged in the mines the 

 day before ; powder generally dry. Re-charged 7 others ; two of these 

 failed; a small quantity of powder, above what the box could contain, 

 having been allowed to remain in the tubes, they burst before inflam- 

 ing the charge, and water got in. This is a singular fact which ex- 

 perience could only prove. The effect was good and we may now be 

 considered as fairly at work. 



8th. Having received samples of the powder hose from several quar- 

 ters, made a number of experiments both in and out of water, but found 

 no reliance could be placed on it in either case. With the English, 

 made by Mr. Bickford, in sixty-five trials, not one failure took place that 

 could be fairly attributed to the hose. 



dth. Four new holes were ready by 11 a. m., but the current did not 

 allow their being fired till half past twelve, when nine were charged 

 and seven succeeded perfectly, detaching a great quantity of stone. Or- 

 dered in future the tin tubes to be dammered, as there were some small 

 defects in the solder which admitted water. To this date the work per- 

 formed by the convicts was below what ought to fiave been done. 



