SHORT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
21 
of three shafts, as seen in Eig. 2 , to be carried by four horses in pairs; and also 
others upon a still larger scale for camels, but neither time or materials admitted 
of their being put into immediate execution. 
Fig. 2. 
“ A very considerable number of carrying poles about 9 ft. long each, were formed 
out of the small sized trees, to which rope slings were added, for the soldiers to 
convey kegs of musket ball cartridges, ammunition boxes, or royal mortars with, as 
represented by Fig. 3. 
“A number of horses were purchased at Constantinople on the part of the 
English Government, and sent to Marmorice for remounting the light dragoons; 
and those rejected by them, were turned over to the artillery service.'* Such poor 
undersized animals as they were, rendered it absolutely necessary, not only to take 
the harness entirely to pieces in order to bring it anything near fitting them, but 
also to lay aside all the heavy parts, such as neck collars, chain traces, curb 
bits, &c.; and replace them with light leather breast collars, rope traces, and 
pads formed out of the wagon harness, a great part of which, fortunately, was not 
likely to be otherwise called for. 
“ About 130 horses being thus completed with harness, some light pieces (guns 
and howitzers) were landed and a small park formed, in order to drill them to the 
draught. Every reform possible was made to lighten the travelling of the ordnance ; 
and it was very much wished to have exchanged the limber shafts for poles also, on 
account of their weight, as well as other considerations, but no proper wood could 
then be procured even at the island of Ehodes for the purpose. The block trailed 
light 6-pr. carriages had ten horses allotted to each for draught, but tbe framed 
ones, required twelve, when going over heavy sand or shingle. 
* ce The turning over only rejected horses from the dragoons to the artillery service, was not so 
well judged as might be expected. It would have been fortunate (the best of theirs bearing no 
comparison with the French cavalry) to have rendered the movement of the ordnance more 
effectual] as it was, both corps remained insufficient; the effects of which, were fully experienced 
in the action of the 13th March, when, had only a part of the number of pieces then in the field 
been very well horsed, the fate of Alexandria it is more than probable, might have been decided on 
that day. The French on the other hand, constantly applied the very prime of their strong horses 
(those belonging to the officers not excepted) to the draught of their ordnance, which were chiefly 
on the horse artillery establishment with 8-pr. guns (equal to British 9-prs., and howitzers as 
four to three in proportion) and 6-inch howitzers opposed to light 6-prs. and royals only.” 
