SHORT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
20 
remained there waiting the co-operation of the Turks (being the time of their 
Kamasan) until the 20th of February. During this period every measure was 
taken the situation admitted of, to lessen the numerous difficulties expected to be 
met with in Egypt, such as a dangerous shore to land upon, a country destitute 
of wood, water, or roads ; where, as the Commander-in-Cliief informed the General 
Officers (assembled by order), nothing was to be looked for but a wild waste of 
desert, and obstacles, which the most unremitting exertions had only a chance of 
surmounting, independent of a formidable opposition from the French troops. 
“ Under these ideas, and the battering train (originally designed against Bellisle 
only) having joined the army, very indifferently provided indeed for such an 
arduous enterprise—no time could be lost. All the artificers were landed, and 
strong working parties sent into the woods to cut down timber for making addi¬ 
tional spars, skids and various sized rollers, to form gangways for landing the 
heavy ordnance upon, assisting them over deep sandy beaches, and in crossing the 
canals, formed for conveying the rising waters of the Nile into the towns, and 
cultivated spots of the country. 
“ The general acknowledged difficulty of travelling wheeled carriages in Egypt, 
induced the trial of a number of contrivances, to lessen that inconvenience also, 
the first of which, and most obvious, were a kind of litters, termed “ Horse 
Barrows.” 
“ No wood growing in this country proper for such purposes rendered it necessary 
to dig saw pits, in order to cut the pine timber into long scantling,* something 
near the shape of a common hand barrow, preserving the grain as entire as possible. 
Two movable cross bars which are secured by two small bolts, keep these shafts 
at a proper interval to admit a horse at each end between them. Fig. 1 shews 
Fig. 1. 
the manner of travelling the machine by two horses or mules, each having a small 
cart saddle with girth, back-band, breastplate, and crupper, and a halter for 
leading them by. 
“ These barrows were particularly useful for narrow paths and the trenches of 
an attack, or for conveying any individual weight too heavy for a single horse, such 
as a small piece of ordnance, standing carriage, large casks of provisions, &c.f 
“ Besides these single barrows, a design was formed for double ones consisting 
* Sixteen feet in length, and about four inches square. 
f The powder and ammunition expended in the attack of Aboukir Castle was mostly conveyed 
from the landing place to the batteries in this manner. 
