REPORTS ON MOUNTING- OF HEAVY ORDNANCE AT MALTA. 609 
venient to move it to its destination. As it would have been loss of time 
and no good gained to transfer the first gun on to the sleigh, and from 
which it would have been necessary to remove the second gun, the first was 
slewed to one side, and the second gun taken past it on its sleigh, moving 
steadily along on planks and rollers the length of the trench curtain on the 
22nd and 24th September. 
A crab capstan was used, with a single block at the gun, the standing end 
made fast to a convenient place along the wall, or to a 64-pr, R.M.L. gun 
on a standing carriage. 
On 25th September it arrived at tbe corner. It had to curve round a 
quarter circle. This was done by cutting the rollers, and not by slewing the 
sleigh. The sling was shifted towards the breech, and a double and treble 
block used. The gun was now opposite Lower St. Elmo Gate, in a direct 
line to run through. 
September -Shifted and prepared a holdfast for taking the gun 
over the bridge. 
Tackle used.—One treble and one double block, with snatch for a lead; 
one iron winch. 
As the Engineers found some difficulty in strengthening the bridge, from 
its weak foundation, and the expense being great, it was decided to use two 
old sheer spars, 45' x 26" across the bridge, which is 22 ft. wide, and take 
the gun across on them. 
September 27th .—Placed the spars, and built an inclined plane of timber to 
take the gun up on to the spars, whose height, allowing for the projection, 
was 27 ins. 
It was easier to run it up an incline than to raise it bodily by jacks, 
especially as the jacks could not be depended on. The incline was there¬ 
fore built from the second roller to the level of the spars with old 
timber, &c. 
The front of the sleigh was lifted by jacks, so as to allow of the top pieces 
of timber forming the incline being passed under the front roller. 
A convenient holdfast was made inside the gate by passing a chain round 
the parapet contained between two embrasures; and as the holdfast was much 
higher than the gun, the upward pull lessened the friction. 
Tackle used.—A triple and double block, running end passed through a 
leading block attached to the holdfast chain (vide Plate IV.), close to the 
standing block; the winch being worked clear on one side. 
September 28th .—Completed the inclined plane. Took the gun up and 
across the bridge, and left it under the arch. The gun passed up the incline 
and over the spars without difficulty to the end. It had then to mount a 
very steep ramp. I considered that though the operation of building up 
would take longer, that it would be more advisable to run the gun up a 
temporary incline of timber from the head and top level of the spars to 
about two-thirds of the way up the ramp-—as the steepness of the ramp 
would be thereby reduced—than if I let the gun come down off them. The 
incline was built of any available timber—such as old sides of platforms, &c. a 
which the Ordnance Department gave permission to use. 
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