606 EE PORTS ON MOUNTING OP HEAVY ORDNANCE AT MALTA. 
property—it was necessary to sink a 24-pr. S.B. gun at a depth of 5 ft. To 
this a stout chain was attached, and passed down as far as possible through 
the sallyport towards the sea. 
On account of gas-pipes the gun could not be sunk nearer than 6 ft. to the 
walls. 
The trench was well rammed and watered. 
It was thought more advisable to place the winch and tackle where there 
would be no occasion for shifting again ; consequently the winch was placed 
in a store near the holdfast in Strada St. Nicola, and the tackle (consisting 
of two treble 18-in. blocks* and 6-in. fall) had one block made fast to the 
chain, and the other, from which the running end came off, reaching down 
20 ft. or so clear of the convreport. In case the gun could not be landed 
in a direct line with the sallyport, a bollard was cut in the soft rock, from 
which a strap was led to the lower block of the tackle, in order to keep it 
in its place. The running end of the fall was brought back to the holdfast, 
and made fast until the tackle should come into play. From the hook of 
the lower block a single return of 6-in. rope was led down through a single 
18-in. block (which was made fast to the gun) and back through a leading 
block made fast to the same bollard, up to the holdfast, through a leading- 
block attached there, and thence to the winch inside the store. 
The working party consisted of Lieut. Coffey of my battery and 100 men. 
August 24th .—-At 5.30 a.m. the gun was brought round on two barges or 
pontoons, lashed together, mounted on a sleigh placed on two launching 
ways across the width of the pontoons, and projecting over the sides about 
8 ft. 
The pontoons were made fast fore and aft, so that the ways projected 
about 4J ft. on shore. They could not be brought nearer, and had to be 
moored at an angle, owing to the rocks, which had been foreseen, as is shown 
by the above arrangement of tackle. 
The gun was then mounted by one party on its sleigh, on four rollers, 
by means of 30-ton jacks (two). 
Another party was told off to continue the roadway by means of 20' x 15" 
x 15" fir skids, which as well as the launch ways were carefully shored 
up. Another party to pass a sling round the gun, to attach the single 
block to. 
The operation of placing the gun on rollers was carried out as follows :— 
The front w r as raised by the two 30-ton jacks sufficiently to allow of a 3-in. 
plank being placed under it; then the rear of the sleigh was raised the 
distance of 6 ins., which, together with the skidding the sleigh rested on, 
gave the height required. At the same time, the skidding was brought 
sufficiently to the rear as not to interfere with a roller being placed in rear 
of the carriage of gun. The weight was again taken by the jacks in front, 
and the front rollers passed under; the rear then raised, and the rear rollers 
passed under—viz. four altogether, the weight equally divided. 
A couple of tackles as preventors were attached to the rear of the sleigh 
and maimed, and all was ready to move. The winch was worked, and the 
* One treble and one double block would have answered, 
