to load. Put poles into the holes to mark their position, and returned. The party at the small channel had removed some large fragments of rock with greater ease than before, by means of the windlass received from Ceylon; this also obviates the necessity of the men being any length of time in the water. New work-shop finished, and the second raft nearly completed.
28th. The raft again proceeded to the great channel, and succeeded in boring six more holes in the rock. At 12 o'clock commenced loading but the tide rose so rapidly, and the sea becoming rough, were obliged to postpone the firing till to-morrow. Party on shore erecting a hut for the seamen, and twenty-two men in the small channel, who removed in the course of the day about twenty tons of stones; ten more holes prepared for blasting. The health of the men has appeared to improve; there are at present only six in hospital, a decrease of seven since the middle of the month; they have been less in the water than before.
March 1st. The great raft proceeded to the main channel at seven a. m. and by 11 had seven holes ready for loading; they were instantly charged and fired, six with very good effect; the charges were contained in leather bags, and Bickford's hose burnt with its usual certainty. One failed, from the fuse being cut by a stone, but the powder was taken up on the following day perfectly dry. Another raft was nearly finished; half the party still employed on the small channel, and the convicts in bringing coco-anut trees from some distance.
2d. The breeze was strong from the N. E. and the sea high in the main stream; the decked canoes rode perfectly well, but the progress was slow, as the divers could not work at the bottom owing to the strength of the current; only five holes were bored and three were loaded And fired. The weighing boat brought up some tons of stone, but could not work after 11 a. m, from the force of the current and wind. Fourteen men were permanently attached to the weighing boat; some large stones were brought up with apparent ease, and lashed on the sides, after which they were cut away at about 100 yards from the channel.
Though our progress in the principal object of deepening the main channel has as yet been trifling, in fact is just commenced, the results are such, as to leave no doubt regarding the ultimate success of the work, and, in the mean time, the small channel has been rendered much more practicable than formerly, and, when completed, will be of little less importance than the main one. It is not included in the present project, but forms a necessary part of the undertaking, vessels being subject to more delay, waiting to re-ship their cargoes, than in passing the reef.
