Page:Madras Journal of Literature and Science, series 1, volume 6 (1837).djvu/136

114 profitable use to which the labour of the party can be applied, during the time we are waiting for the supplies from Ceylon, and completing our preparations. It is of little less importance than the great channel; all the boats with the cargoes of the vessel pass through it, which they can do in all weathers.

11th. Men employed as yesterday; fired 8 more blasts, a few with increased charges, and the holes at greater intervals; the splinters were thrown to a considerable distance. Large charges can only be employed when the rock is entirely under water. This day some carpenters and smiths offered, and were hired on trial; they had come from Ramisseram and the neighbouring villages. The whetherweather [sic] is now variable, with a southerly wind for a few hours in the day, which denotes the calm season. Hastened the work as much as possible, and heard from a vessel which left Colombo three days since, that the Ceylon party were near.

12th. Sunday.

13th. The artificers employed on the rafts and boats. The sappers and convicts in removing the rocks broken by the mines, and in deepening the channel.

14th. Twenty-one sappers employed as yesterday in removing the stones, and the convicts in deepening the channel. Artificers on the boats. The new jail advances slowly, as we can only spare 10 men to work on it

15th. Party generally employed as yesterday, and 12 more holes bored in the main dam of the small channel. Our success was not equal to the former trials, the match for exploding under water being of an inferior quality. This is the first we had tried of that manufactured at Madras, in imitation of the English; some part was made by the Engineer sergeant-major, the rest at the depôt St. Thomas's Mount: eleven out of the twelve failed. The convicts, who had shewn signs of insubordination for some days, positively refused to work in the water. I was obliged to order 12 sappers under arms and secure 6 of the ringleaders, who were slightly punished by the Chouckdar, and the remainder forced to work. The extent of punishment which can be awarded appears to be little understood, and is the cause of the small value of this labour under the Madras establishment.

16th. This day 2 sergeants and 13 men sick, principally trifling accidents and bowel complaints from constant work in the water. The men as yesterday, and 4 trying to extract the charges which had not exploded, but without success. The vessel expected arrived from Ceylon bringing some stores, 8 seamen and a diving-bell.

17th. The raft for working in the great channel was this day finished and launched; it rode well and promises fully to answer the purpose. Eight more charges, fired with the English match, answered perfectly; the others as yesterday failed.