REPORTS ON MOUNTING OE HEAVY ORDNANCE AT MALTA. 
607 
gun came on shore. The time occupied in the actual landing, 1^ hours. 
Preparations, about 12 hours. In landing the second gun, the time of 
landing was about one hour only. 
August 24th .—The gun in the afternoon was moved forward on the rollers 
on a roadway of planks, until it reached the block of the treble tackle; the 
single rope was then cast off, also the strap from the bollard, the main tackle 
lower block (treble) hooked on to the sling, and the running end of this 
tackle—which had been temporarily made fast to the holdfast—cast off and 
passed through the leading block at the holdfast, and thence on to the winch. 
The move forward was continued through the couvreport over the three 
balks laid in place of the drawbridge, and rested immediately in the lower 
sallyport at the bottom of the ramp of 12°, on the level. 
In order to pass this gate and roadway of couvreport the 8' x 12" 
rollers were changed to 6 f x 10", and wherever the trunnions touched the 
stonework had to be cut away. 
Time, 2 to 9 p.m. 
August 25th .'—-The gun had to mount up the covered ramp of 12°, and as 
a heavy strain was expected, the sling (9-in.) was changed to a 12-in. one. 
As the men at the winch were obliged to work inside the store, and the 
detachment was much reduced—viz., to about 60 only—and the thermometer 
was about 95° in the shade, the gun made very slow progress up this incline, 
and the men were working from 2.30 till 8.30 p.m., when they reached the 
top, at which point the ground rises rapidly to about 20° into the Strada 
St. Nicola; and besides, owing to the narrowness of the street, and the 
tackle being chock-a-block, it was necessary to make another arrangement 
to get the gun through the gateway, which, remained there that night. 
August 26th. —Sunday. 
August 27ih .—Orders having been given to land another gun by our own 
party, preparations were made to do so. A great number of the stores had 
to be removed down to the landing place. 
Atigust 28th .—The tackle being, as above mentioned, chock-a-block, and 
there being only a gun's length between the gate and the holdfast, a tram¬ 
way was cut from the sleigh with a small slope into the street. This was 
made level with 3-in. oak planks. The sling was shifted quite to the cascable 
of the gun and rear of sleigh, and shortened as much as possible, and the 
jacks were placed in rear to start it, and the gun was moved forward 
as before until just clear of the gateway by a few inches, or as far as it 
would go. 
August 29th .—Long 15" x 15" skids were placed at right angles to the 
sleigh until flush with the side pieces, and well supported. 
The gun was raised by jacks clear of the bed of the sleigh, being 
alternately lifted at the breech and muzzle. 
Two 8-in. oak skids were placed under the short coil on the top of front 
fir skids, so as to keep the gun level, and the gun was then rolled off on to 
this roadway. [Vide Plate III.) 
I may here mention an ingenious suggestion made by my subaltern, 
Lieut. Coffey, so as to furnish a holdfast for taking the gun up, by par- 
