EXTRACTS from the following Paper appeared in the "Short Notes," which were issued with No. 11, Vol. V., of the Proceedings.
    The Whole Paper is now given in consequence not only of its intrinsic merits, which are great, but of the peculiar interest attached at the present moment to everything connected with Egypt. 1
    Brig.-General Lawson, the author of the "Memorandums," became a Fireworker in 1759, and 2nd Lieutenant in 1766. At the close of the Egyptian Campaign he was mentioned by Sir John Hutchinson, the General Officer Commanding (on the death of Sir Ralph Abercrombie), in the following words:—
    "Brig.-Gen. Lawson, who Commanded the Artillery, and Captain Brice, the Chief Engineer, have both great merit in their different departments. The local situation of Egypt presents obstacles of a most serious kind to military operations on an extended scale. The skill and perseverance of these two Officers, however, overcame difficulties which at first appeared insurmountable."
    He died in Woolwich in 1816, a Lieut.-General and Colonel Commandant of the 10th Battalion. 2

THE Expedition, under the orders of Admiral Lord Keith and General Sir Ralph Abercromby proceeded from the Island of Malta on the 21st of December, 1800: arrived at Marmorice Bay, in Asia Minor, on the New Year’s Day following, and remained there, waiting the co-operation of the Turks (being the time of their Ramasan), 3 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-Chief 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 Belleisle only) having joined the army—very indifferently provided, indeed, for such an uncommon arduous enterprize—no time could be lost. All the artificers were landed, and strong working parties sent into the woods to cut down timbers for making additional 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 generally acknowledged difficulty of travelling by 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, as represented by the drawing in the 1st Plate, termed—

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, 4 something near the shape of a common handbarrow; 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. The drawings show the figure and manner of travelling the machine by two horses or mules, each having a small cart-saddle with girth, backband, 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 cask of provisions, &c. 5
    Besides these single barrows, a design was formed for double ones, consisting of three shafts, as seen in the drawing, Fig. 2, to be carried by four horses in pairs; and also upon a still larger scale for camels; but neither time nor materials admitted of their being put into immediate execution.
    A very considerable number of carrying-poles, about nine feet 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 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 Rhodes, for the purpose. The block-trailed light 6-pr. carriages had ten horses allotted to each for draught, but the framed ones required twelve when going over heavy sand or shingle.
    A few of the most useful Horse Artillery manoeuvres were also practised here, it being the Commander-in-Chief’s intention to establish some pieces on that principle whenever horses could be procured for it. Drivers were also very much wanted; several of those which came out originally with the Battering Train having, with their Officer, returned, in a very unaccountable manner, from Lisbon 6 to England.

1ST. As the passage of the Fleet to the coast of Egypt may probably be short, it is humbly proposed to have the light field-pieces of the First Division of Troops conveyed from hence to the decks of the Ships of War, so as to be at once lowered down altogether into the boats, having their Artillery detachments along with them, without the necessity of any other preparation after coming to anchor.
    2nd. The Ordnance Ships, in which the other pieces next for landing are aboard, to be conducted and stationed by the Agent himself (the Masters alone not being sufficient at such a crisis) as near to the shore as safety will admit. And it will be necessary, on account of the crowded manner in which they were loaded in England (being taken upon freight), to have light vessels alongside of them to receive water casks and articles, not immediately wanted, in clearing away for those sought for.
    3rd. Small vessels, or decked boats, with field ammunition and musket ball-cartridges will be required (particularly if the coast proves shallow) still nearer in-shore, and to be stationed opposite the centre of attack, immediately after the landing of the First Division of the Troops, distinguished by ordnance jacks. In order to furnish the most speedy supply possible, a number of hand-carts and carrying-poles may be thrown on shore from these boats for the soldiers to take off any ammunition wanting until the horses can be landed.
    4th. The flat-boats and the launches of the Ships of War are wished to be employed carrying the field ordnance, &c., ashore, instead of transport’s long-boats, which (as was experienced at Cadiz), from their want of hands and general size, are quite inadequate to the business.
    5th. Planks joined together lengthways by staples and cordage may be necessary to travel the carriages upon over the heavy sands. The French, it is said, made use of raw hides in passing the Deserts with their field-pieces. Perhaps lengths of rope, about 30 feet each, with narrow netting between to receive the wheels upon, may be found as useful, and in our situation more readily procured.
    6th. One thousand seamen, provided with drag-ropes or harness, will be required to assist in landing and drawing up the heavy ordnance and stores.
    7th. The mode of advancing into the country will depend upon the means of draught found there; but, at all events, if a strong detachment of seamen can be procured to remain with the Artillery, it will be highly beneficial to Service.
    Agreeable to these representations, application was immediately made to Lord Keith, who consented to take aboard each of the Line-of-Battle Ships two field-pieces, which were placed on the poops, ready for lowering down into the launches altogether. Twenty-five seamen and Officers were allotted to each piece, with fifteen of the Artillery. These 350 were all the seamen his Lordship could spare out of the 1000 demanded.
    Two general rehearsals of landing were then practised—the guns got ashore very readily, and quicker than the troops could leap out of their boats. Each Ship of War formed its own boat’s gangway—the best of them was made out of the fishing of a mast, which, being hollow, secured the wheels of the carriage from slipping, without side-pieces.

THE moving of heavy ordnance over the Deserts of Egypt the French thought impracticable, and attempted no larger calibre than 8-prs. or 12-prs. Something more, however, seemed necessary for us to make trial of against an enemy so much more formidable than any they had had to contend with, independent of the ambition of superior resources.
    Upon comparing all circumstances together it appeared likely that, whatever works they might have raised in the interior of the country since their possession of it, could not be very solid ones, even if composed of masonry—for want of time to settle and the cement to harden sufficiently in such substances. And earth alone, in this climate, must soon crumble to dust or sand, and easily be destroyed by shells. From these considerations, it was concluded, carronades might probably be found sufficiently powerful to breach them in either case at moderate distances, and be easily conveyed by the double horse or camel barrow across the country, if necessary. The circumstances being suggested to General Sir Ralph Abercromby, and, at the same time, the means proposed for altering the carriages for this purpose, without affecting their sea-service in the smallest degree, His Excellency communicated the idea to Lord Keith, who immediately ordered several of these 24-pr. carriages (the larger ones were wished for) ashore from the Ships of War to undergo the necessary alteration. This operation being soon executed, some trials of shot and shells were made there, and afterwards aboard the "Foudroyant," in presence of the Admiral and the General—and much approved of. The drawings, Plate 2, show the design; 7 the additional parts added to make the carriage more serviceable could be separated from the carriage in a few minutes, leaving it in its former state for sea service. These carriages have one considerable advantage, which, indeed, all those intended for Sieges or Barbette Batteries ought to posses, that is (the upper part turning upon a centre independent of the base), they require little or no platform, 8 by which much expense, time and labour may constantly be saved, not to mention the hazard of losing the artificers usually employed on these occasions.

MANY mistakes, as well as loss of time, happening on service by the ammunition being sent into the field with the wagons accompanying the guns in the same state as lodged in the store-houses, that is, round shot, case shot, cartridges, and small stores (each article in separate packing-boxes), it was thought advisable, especially on this occasion, where the ammunition must be mostly carried on camels’ backs, to complete each individual box with a certain number of rounds (one-fourth case), including small stores, and everything necessary to the firing of them. This was effected by only raising the round shot packing-box about two inches higher, and the addition of a small board as a false bottom, which admitted of stowings as follows: viz., for light 6-prs., fifteen rounds 9 and one extra caseshot; light 12-prs., eight rounds; medium 12-prs., seven rounds. For the royal howitzers’ ammunition it was necessary to have two packing-boxes on this principle, viz., one containing nine live shells and one case shot; the other with two case shot, and all the articles for firing twelve rounds complete. This mode was found extremely useful in the field, and is strongly recommended for all immediate occasions of service, as no possible mistake can then happen, either from ignorance or neglect, in supplying the guns or limber-boxes with the utmost expedition.

THE ammunition for field service was usually conveyed on camels’ backs, each carrying four of the altered 6-pr. packing-boxes 10 —two on each side, in a sort of netted bag thrown over a pack-saddle. But useful as these animals are generally for great weights, there are inconveniences attending them in this particular service, viz., when loaded (which, of course, must be daily repeated) they move very slowly, therefore quite unfit for Horse Artillery. In order to load or unload they must first be made to kneel down, which in an action they are not always inclined to, and sometimes become very refractory and unmanageable. Whatever quantity of ammunition is required for the gun must always be taken equally from both sides at the same time to preserve its equilibrium, &c.
    These reasons determined a trial of light carriages in their stead, first beginning with royal howitzer ammunition, it being the most dangerous and liable to injury. Some of the hand-carts were selected for this purpose, and, in order to travel the better, converted to curricles. 11 The poles were accordingly lengthened, and cross-bars fixed to support them in front of the horses’ collars, much in the same manner as the 3-pr. carriages formerly used in the Horse Artillery, only more simplified in other particulars, as represented by the drawing, Plate III., Fig. 1. These carriages were drawn by four horses each, and went through all the marches of the Army to and from Grand Cairo remarkably well, travelling very rapidly with forty-eight rounds of the howitzer ammunition, completed for immediate service, as already mentioned.

OUR Cavalry, from their want of proper horses, being found very unequal to the capitally mounted French Dragoons, it became necessary to aid that defect by the attachment of Artillery. Four light 3-prs. (brought from Malta) were first prepared for this service; their original mode of travelling with shafts and single line of draught was altered to a double one by cutting off the shafts of the limber at the cross-bar, and introducing a pole instead of them, together with other improvements, as represented by the drawing, Plate IV. 12 Four or six horses, with two drivers (according to the ground) drew the carriage. These pieces were served by four Artillerymen—two on the carriage, and two mounted on the off-draught horses. They went through the service to Grand Cairo, and travelled much better than was expected from the lowness of the limber-wheels, which defect there was no remedy for in Egypt.
    Four light 6-prs. upon block-tailed 13 carriages with two royal howitzers were also equipped (as nearly as the means would admit) for Horse Artillery service. Seven Artillerymen and three drivers with ten horses were allotted for the service of each piece—the gunners riding the horses in draught, but the non-commissioned officer mounted single, for the purpose of advancing to examine roads, reconnoitring the enemy, &c.

THE success of the curricle carts induced a trial if something might not be done with the wagons also hitherto looked upon as out of all question, except the local duties of the park. Some of them were taken to pieces, and all the heaviest parts laid aside: that is, the bolsters, sides, and shafts. The bottoms were then contracted both in length and breadth, so as just to receive nine or ten of the altered packing-boxes only: the hoops were lowered and the painted covers made to fit exactly. Poles were used instead of shafts, and the usual swingletrees reduced fewer in number, as represented by the drawings, Plate V. The rejected parts being weighed, no less than 600 lbs. appeared saved in the draught by this simple operation, and a larger proportion of ammunition conveyed by it at the same time with less labour. The immense bulk and weight of the devil and platform carriages rendered them totally useless. Some of these altered wagons were substituted as a light class of the latter kind by taking away the bottoms entirely, and fixing in their stead a couple of very strong planks to each, with an interval between them, resembling the original. These light platform carriages proved very useful in withdrawing the ordnance and stores from our lines across very heavy sands for re-embarkation.

THE two-wheeled trench cart (of which there were, luckily, a number on the Expedition) is a most useful little carriage for carrying articles of moderate bulk to a ton in weight; indeed, even so far as 10-inch iron mortar beds of 23 cwt. were transported in them, but in these cases it was necessary, of course, to make use of a gyn also. To obviate this circumstance, and render the cart (Plate VI.) of more independent utility, an inclined plane (a) was attached to the rear of it, and a small windlass (b) fixed in the front with a rope and iron block (c) hooked to the weight (d), having rollers (e e e) to ease the purchase, which brings it up on the cart by turning the windlass in the manner shown by the drawings. By this simple means, six men were sufficient to mount upon the cart and deliver at a Battery any article the strength of the axletree could bear, without making the appearance or drawing the attention of the enemy, which such large machines as devil carriages and sling-carts constantly do; besides taking into consideration the vast difference, in point of weight, between these carriages in themselves. Another considerable advantage is, that this contrivance is only occasionally applied, and the cart may be immediately worked in its original capacity.

IT being apprehended that extraordinary heavy weights might cause the low narrow wheels of the trench cart to sink so much into the sand as to retard the draught considerably, a contrivance was thought of to prevent this from happening by occasionally increasing the breadth of the felloes. 14 The staves of casks being strong, and of a favourable shape for the purpose (and still more valuable from their being easily procured at the Commissary-General’s Store), it was proposed to cut them into lengths of seven or nine inches each piece, having two small iron staples fixed at an interval the breadth of the felloe. A rope equal in length to the circumference of the wheel is run through each of these lines of staples, secured so as not to slip out, but keep the staves parallel at one inch asunder, as represented in Plate III. Fig. 2. They are then applied to the wheels, as shown by Fig. 3, and fixed by small lashings to the spokes, to keep the whole from any alteration in travelling.

PREVIOUS to the embarkation at Woolwich, six royal mortars were fitted with new beds something deeper but narrower than the old pattern, and open in front. Iron tooth-bars were also jointed to the mortars, for supporting them at any elevation from fifteen to seventy-five degrees, which proved so useful upon service, as to determine the completing twelve more afterwards on the same principle, but rather simpler construction. The elevator was here reduced to a common flat bar, as represented in the drawing, Plate VII., Fig. 3, with some square holes pierced through to receive a strong bolt, which the mortar resting upon is supported at a certain number of points of principle elevations. 15 The other end of the instrument is fixed to the bed by a common iron staple only, quite independent of the mortar, without collar or joint, which in the former ones were found to be attended with some inconvenience.

MANY of the flat-boats being much injured by these great weights resting upon the gunwale during part of these operations, particularly on shallow beaches, an inclined plane was constructed (at Aboukir, with legs instead of the usual spars), which was placed close to the boat, in the manner seen by the drawing, Plate VII., Fig. 2, and thereby took off the strain from it at once. The plan was much approved of by the Navy Officers that used it; but, unfortunately, having nothing stronger than fir platform sleepers to work upon, it was soon rendered unserviceable. The plane was about sixteen feet in length, the height equal to that of the boat, when near touching the ground. If it should be found more convenient to have it shorter, in order to render it lighter, a couple of spars might be added, extending to the shore, as represented by the drawing.

N.B.—Besides the above, the French were allowed to embark 50 field-pieces from Cairo, and 10 from Alexandria.

1ST. The original intention of the Expedition did not appear to have Egypt for its object, and for a considerable while was very inauspicious. In the first instance, it proved too late to be any use to the Austrians in Italy, and afterwards became unsuccessful at Cadiz. Much time appeared to be lost before it reached the rendezvous at Marmorice Bay, and it was then thought by the Turks a very unseasonable part of the year for any attempt on the coast of Egypt; besides which, it happened to be the time of their Ramasan, when no operations of any kind are undertaken by them. This last delay however, though much regretted, turned out advantageous to the future proceedings of the Army. Some useful arrangements were made there, besides the opportunity it gave of landing the sick, after a long confinement on board ship, by which many recovered, and the Island of Rhodes, just in the neighbourhood, afforded hospitals for the remainder.
    2nd. All the field ordnance which had been landed at Ferrol with Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney’s Army, and afterwards joined General Sir Ralph Abercromby, were re-embarked there in so disorderly a manner—no one piece was found fit for immediate service. This circumstance will for ever unfortunately occur, unless the direction of the business is left entirely to the Artillery Corps, whether Navy boats and Ships of War, or those of the Ordnance only receive them. It cannot be expected that the Navy Officers are, in the first place, fully acquainted with the real importance of keeping all the parts of such carriages, ammunition boxes, &c., exactly sorted together, or that they can bestow much consideration on the subject, hurried as they generally are upon such occasions.
    3rd. 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. 16 guns and 6-inch howitzers, opposed to light 6-prs and royals only.
    4th. The disembarking of ordnance, unless in the instance of field-pieces let down into boats, ready mounted from Ships of War, however regularly performed, is always liable to some confusion. This principally arises from the parts of the same natures of carriages not corresponding so correctly as they might do, particularly in the diameters of the wheels and arms of the axletrees, which should, likewise, be as general throughout the whole as possible. 17 The wagons and carts, being frequently made by contract, are very defective in these points, even to the fitting of their head and tail-boards; and trifling as this may appear to a workman at home, often occasions delays of consequence to the Service, or the credit of those concerned in it abroad. No nation, in point of economy alone, requires so much attention to the construction and solid stowage of its military carriages and stores as Great Britain does, on account of their frequent embarkations, the expenses of which, in the course of a war, are prodigiously great.
    5th. The considerations submitted to the Commander-in-Chief, respecting the first landing of the ordnance and stores, were much approved and happily executed with great despatch, notwithstanding some very serious impediments, arising from the manner of loading the ships by freight (carrying as much as possible without order), instead of being regularly assorted. The embarking troops, also, aboard such ships is always attended, with not only great inconvenience, but considerable damage, from the quantity of water necessary to carry for them, the waste and leakage of which injures the carriages and stores considerably underneath, besides the difficulty it occasions of getting at them when required for service. 18 Great inconveniences were found, also, from the magnitude of some of the ships, which could not be brought within some miles of the shore. They should, for such service, never exceed 300 tons and a moderate draught of water.
    6th. Carronades might certainly be employed in the land service to considerable advantage in many situations, particularly on the flanks, or firing over the parapets of fortifications, and for field-works in general. It would also be very well worth while to have some experiments tried with them in breaching walls and earthworks. The common objection made to their shortness injuring the embrasures has more of imagination than reality in it: they may be advanced the extent of any gun mounted upon a travelling carriage, and much farther than the largest garrison howitzers, with less explosion of powder. If their present carriages are found to recoil too far, it is easily checked, by only laying a few filled sand-bags upon them and in the rear, as was practised in Egypt with perfect success; or it may be checked by small iron wedges, with chains placed to receive the fore-trucks upon, as seen in the drawings.
    7th. The arrangement made of the spare field ammunition on the passage from Marmorice Bay to the coast of Egypt was very fortunate, as it proved impossible to have carried any quantity forward otherwise, for want of conveyance, excepting a few camels taken from the enemy on the first landing in Aboukir Bay.
    8th. The 3-pr. light guns, patched up as they were, 19 gave considerable confidence to the Dragoons. This calibre might be rendered very useful to Cavalry in general by an increase of dimensions—to four feet and half in length, and about four hundred in weight—with carriages upon a quick travelling construction, not over-loaded with ammunition, which our Service is rather liable to. Foreigners frequently observe the singularity of shafts being preferred in the British Artillery carriages to poles—made use of by all other nations, as being simpler, lighter, and cheaper; added to which the experience of having travelled over the most difficult features of Europe, and grounds of every description with them, fully evinces their perfect efficiency. A strong instance of the inconvenience of shafts occurred to us at Ramanieh. Just as one of the 6-prs. was limbering-up, the shaft horse was killed by the enemy; much time was lost in clearing the carriage from him, and the thill 20 harness also being damaged, rendered it difficult to apply another in his place. In the marching of the 12-prs. to Grand Cairo (drawn by oxen with a horse in the shafts), 21 the want of double or travelling trunnion-boxes were much regretted. Some few carriages were formerly so constructed for the Horse Artillery, but why discontinued remains unknown, as they are undoubtedly very advantageous to a heavy draught or indifferent horses. In moving the 24-pr. guns across the country from the first position near Cairo (where a bridge of boats to communicate with the Grand Vizier’s Army was thrown over the Nile) for the attack of Gizeh, the axletrees of the sling-carts giving way, the medium 12-pr. carriages were appropriated to this purpose, the trench-carts carrying the mortars, standing carriages, &c.
    9th. No carriage appears to want reform more than the common Artillery wagon: there is too much of it merely for carrying ammunition, and it is too narrow for baggage or bulky stores. In the alterations made for the proposed arrangement of spare ammunition, the boxes will require, for hard roads, to be more securely fixed than was necessary for travelling in Egypt.
    10th. The inclined plane, or purchase, for raising weights upon the trench-carts, might prove useful upon a larger scale for mounting and dismounting heavy ordnance without being obliged to make use of a gyn, which not only requires a number of men to work, and a carriage to convey it to a Battery, but, when fixed there becomes, a considerable object to the enemy besieged. This proposed machine, being quite free from all these inconveniences, makes it extremely well worth while to try the experiment for such occasions.
    11th. If the mode mentioned of preventing narrow wheels from sinking in deep sandy situations should have the appearance of possessing more fancy than judgement, it must be placed to the variety of obstacles which hourly presented themselves in Egypt, and called for every assistance the mind could catch at to surmount! And still, perhaps, the idea may lead to something useful even in a northern climate, passing over snow, &c.
    12th. The elevating instruments for small mortars, as constructed upon the Expedition is so very simple, any blacksmith can make them in the field as at a regular field-forge. They rendered the mortars very useful in the capacity of howitzers at the Attack of Aboukir Castle, and are applicable to them, as far as the 8-inch calibre: but for those of ten and thirteen inches diameter, whose beds have more space and greater weights to support, quoins are preferable. The extraordinary heavy weights of the iron mortars and beds proved a great embarrassment, without any peculiar advantage derived from them. Indeed, where no considerable extent of range is required (as is the case in most attacks), brass mortars, mounted upon proportional iron beds, seem in general much preferable, at least under thirteen inches in diameter. The iron trucks of the 24-pr. carriages were found, besides their great additional weight, to tear up the temporary platforms very soon. Wood ones for such occasions should be used on both these occasions. Cap-squares to heavy garrison carriages are quite unnecessary, and, when fixed by jointed bolts, particularly inconvenient in mounting and dismounting the guns, as well as in point of stowage aboard ship. Most other nations have them only secured by keys or hooks, or omit them altogether.
    13th. Flat-boats are the best and most useful conveyance for troops, and ordnance possible. Every means, therefore, should be employed to preserve them from injury: though apparently slight, it is surprising what they can bear. In moving the stores up Lake Etcho for the Attack of Fort Julian, some of them were dragged three miles over sand and mud-banks. The battering-pieces for this service were obliged to be landed on the open sea-beach, and conveyed four miles across the Desert and swamps to their batteries. These laborious and difficult operations were frequently repeated during the Expedition. Upwards of thirty 24-prs. were disembarked from the ordnance ships, conveyed by boats up Aboukir Lake, and landed near the head of it, for the Attack of Alexandria. 22 From thence, twenty were returned to the ships in Aboukir Bay, conveyed to the mouth of the western branch of the Nile, disembarked and taken over that dangerous bar by sea-jerms, landed at Fort St. Julians, re-embarked there in river-jerms, in order to proceed up the Nile. Several of them were landed within four miles of Grand Cairo, and conveyed from thence twelve miles across the country for the Attack of Gizeh; returned back after the surrender of Cairo by the same route, and exactly in like manner to Alexandria; re-landed there for further operations of attacks, carrying on both on the eastern and western side of it—the capitulation of which concluding the Campaign—they were again conveyed to the ships in Aboukir Bay.
    Besides the articles already detailed, numerous minute circumstances happened in the course of the Campaign which necessity continually urged the imagination to provide against. Every movement by land or water was attended with infinite labour and difficulties: added to which, the violent heat of the sun, and shocks received by passing over the formidable cracks it occasioned in the ground (annually overflowed by the Nile) on the march to Cairo, operated so powerfully on the carriages, as to require perpetual attention and daily repair, without the most common materials for such occasions, either of wood or iron, to be found in the country.

THESE are excavations resembling the interior of mortars, formed out of solid rock, of which there are several in the Island of Malta, executed upon a large scale for the defence of harbours, &c.
    Having heard much of this species of Artillery, it excited a curiosity (in our return from Egypt) to experiment two of the most perfect, which are situated in St. Julian’s and St. George’s Bays. The drawing (Plate VIII.) represents a section of one as loaded and fired on the 24th February, 1802.
    1st. At St. Julian’s—140 pounds of powder was enclosed in a sort of cask prepared to fit the chamber of the mortar, and being lodged there, a large cane tube filled with quickmatch, was applied to a groove cut along the upper surface of the bore to receive it, and a bottom of wood covered the chamber. The stones were then piled, by four men, within the mortar as they were brought to it in baskets containing about 120 lbs. each: a dozen stones weighing from 120 to 80 lbs. each were first put in, then fifty baskets of other stones from 60 to 30 lbs., then fifty more of 20 to 5 lbs. each, amounting in the whole to upwards of 10 tons. This operation being completed, a piece of portfire was fixed to the end of the tube at the mouth, which communicated through a hole in the cask to the powder. In this manner it was fired as is usual in proving ordnance, and ranged about 700 yards.
    2nd. The same mortar was loaded with 180 pounds of powder, and about 10 tons of stones; they spread considerably more than the first time, but did not range quite so far. The explosion this time cracked the mortar in a direction nearly vertical, leaving a fissure in the rock about one-twelfth of an inch wide, ten feet in the rear and four feet in front.
    3rd. The other mortar of similar dimensions was fired with a charge rather larger than the first of these, but the effect was not quite so considerable: from whence it is concluded that the first proportion should not be exceeded, especially if after repeated. The stones used in these experiments were chiefly fragments of the rock, which having been exposed to the air were become something harder, and did not suffer so much as might be expected from such violent explosions, which in some degree resembled the tremendous discharge of a volcano.
 
 

Right: ‘A Gunner of the Royal Regiment of Artillery—1801. From a manuscript in the Royal Artillery Institution, Woolwich, entitled, ‘Memornadum of Artillery Arrangements, etc., on the Expedition to Egypt, 1801. By Brig.-General Robert Lawson’.