ARTILLERY OPERATIONS. 41

A man was supplied with a sand-bag, in which he placed a 32 or 24 poundershot and slung it over his shoulder, or a stick was given to two men to runthrough the rope handles of the 8-inch and 6-inch wooden shell boxes, andthus they carried them on their shoulders to the depot at the Col ; from thisthey were conveyed to the Right and Left depots by Turks.

The men employed on this duty suffered severely from exposure to themost inclement weather.

Another means of transport was obtained as follows :

Two canvas bags, made on hoard the Fleet, joined together by a canvashand, were slung across a horse’s hack ; in each bag a 32-pounder shot wasplaced. The Horse Artillery supplied the horses, three of which travelledabreast, the centre one carrying a gunner, leading the outer ones, eachcarrying two 32-pounder shot. Thus one man and three horses brought upfour shot.

Several propositions for the conveyance of the 13-inch shells were made ;two methods w ere tried which are w orth noticing.

1. It was proposed by a French Artillery officer to make a lai’ge number of“ beam hooks,” with the beam long enough to allow the breasts of four mento be applied to it; the cords fastened to the beam were to be of sufficientlength to allow the shells which were attached to the hooks at the end of eachcord to trail along the ground after the men. The experiment was tried, andthough found to be exceedingly laborious and fatiguing, so far succeeded that,it would no doubt have been put in practice but that the battens were notforthcoming.

2. The other method proposed was to hook the Turks into trench carts,with man harness, each cart containing six shells; but since on the firstoccasion of this being tried most of the Turks lay down before they had gonea mile and a half, and several died where they lay, the experiment was notrepeated.

None of the new armament had yet been sent to the Batteries.

The men of the Siege Train were suffering, in common with the rest of theArmy , from the prevailing diseases, fever and dysentery; their numbers, beinggreatly diminished, were not sufficient even for the reduced work in thetrenches; moreover the state of the roads to and through the trenches madeit useless to attempt the armament of our works until fine weather andreinforcements should arrive.

A small quantity of shot and shell was got down by the men going on dutyto the trenches carrying shot or dragging trench carts loaded with ammu-nition ; the sailors assisted in the same manner.

F

Second TekioilNov. 1854—April 1855.

Preparationsfor SecondBombardment.