Page:Madras Journal of Literature and Science, series 1, volume 6 (1837).djvu/149

1837.] hose attached, lately sent by Captain Cotton; not one went off, but the hose had burnt to the nozle [sic] of the cases; there it must have been extinguished, from the suffocating effects of the oil mixed with the resin, and easily absorbed by the powder in the hose. At eleven a. m. fired off a 10-lb. case. The dhonies were not in use to-day.

5th. The borer and jumper were employed 9n the northern reef, but only made together six holes during the day. The buoys I took so much pains about have lost their distances, and two have had their numbers stolen by the dhonies passing to and fro. The two dhonies with the sapper removed from the channel 1295 cubic feet of stones, weighing 87 tons.

6th. There was no blasting to-day, the jumper and borer proceeded to the northern reef, where they made twelve holes during the day, three feet deep— 56 tons of stone were removed from the large channel, measuring 860 cubic feet.

7th. The wall of the new magazine was completed with a doorway; part of the old roof has been removed, being excessively dangerous and constantly threatening to fall—74 tons of stone were removed from the large channel, measuring 1100 cubic feet.

8th. The jumper, shamrock and borer were all out to-day, and sixteen holes were made. The sawyers have been employed in cutting up planks for the paumben out of the pieces of jack wood sent to us from Ceylon. Thirty-eight tons of stone were removed from the channel, measuring 5/0 cubic feet.

10th. The jumper, borer and shamrock were all out to day in the large channel. The sawyers continued cutting up plank for the paumben. Eighty-six tons of stone were removed from the large channel, measuring 1290 cubic feet.

11th. The jumper and borer only were employed today—four sepoys were sent to the small channel—seven blasts were fired there to-day, which had great effect. There are, however, so many stones lying in the bed, as to form a serious obstruction to the larger description of cargo boats. I shall, therefore, use the small dhoney there, if it can be spared from the large channel—68 tons of stone were removed from the large channel, measuring 1040 cubic feet.

12th. As our powder is now nearly out, I am forced to limit the details of parties proceeding to the channel to blast. Twenty men were at the small channel today—the holes were fired off that had already been made. A great quantity of large stones are in the bed of the channel, that it would be necessary to blast, if required to drag them to any distance; but the small dhoney will be able to take them away without this additional trouble. One-hundred tons of stone were removed to-day from the large channel, measuring 1500 cubic feet.