308 
EUSSIAN FIELD ABTILLEBY. 
already, once or twice, gone over a long distance, with guns loaded with 
shrapnel, and I am convinced, that in case of need, one might travel the 
gun loaded with this projectile securely, without any danger, for 
long distances. 
The projectile being securely placed, it would need a very heavy blow, 
such as, for example, tumbling over a precipice, to break the safety-pin; 
but a series of continuous blows, might cause it to yield by degrees, 
and finally liberate the striker. 
As soon as we had available time, we extracted the projectile, by 
pouring hot water down the bore, and leaving it there for about five 
minutes; the extractor was then introduced by the muzzle, and the 
fuze extracted. 
The defile of Dalboka is very tortuous, in some places moderately 
wide, but in others narrower than the track of our carriages. I had 
to take precautions that these should not get upset, and have them 
steadied by men with ropes, who walked with difficulty on the 
steep sides of the ravine. This was a dangerous operation: one 
false step, and the whole lot, men, horses, and carriages, would have 
come to grief. We only used the wheel horses, unhooking the others, 
and having men pulling on drag-ropes, and manning the wheels, &c. ; 
we had occasionally to unlimber, and lift gun and limber separately. 
To each gun, a company of infantry was told off, of which one half 
acted as escort, whilst the other half were on fatigue, and assisted 
the gunners, the two relieving each other frequently. We began 
the ascent at 4.30 in the morning, arrived at the opening of the 
Pass at 5 in the afternoon, and by 9 at night were posted in the 
neighbourhood of Balabandzi, that is to say, we occupied 12| hours 
in the ascent, and 4 in the descent. Although the latter was longer, 
it was much less steep, and therefore, notwithstanding the tremendous 
efforts made, the ascent took us much longer than the descent; we 
had 10 or 12 men on each carriage, to act as a drag. We trotted when 
we could, in order not to delay the troops in rear, and also to get out 
of the defile as quickly as we could, as the enemy, if he had attacked 
us there, might have done us great harm. 
