slide on account of the shifting character of the sand. Dampness begins to ooze through one place in the passage, not yet sufficient to affect the ammunition, which is in good order.

Colonel Butler complains of a defect in the powder sent from the naval ordnance bureau with or for the Brooke gun, saying experience has proven it to be defective in strength. To the eye it appears good; analysis can only disclose the reported defect. The same officer requests that efforts be made to procure for the guns in his command a small quantity of bar steel to repair the eccentrics of the columbiad carriages, which remains, when necessary, can be made at the island. The battery is connected with Fort Moultrie by a sally-port.

Fort Moultrie, next in order upon the island, has now no quarters inside, which gives a good parade within its walls. It is well protected by a system of traverses and the guns in effective condition. The magazine is in good order and neatly kept. In the rear of the fort are a number of broken canister, which might be removed for renewal to Charleston. The ammunition in good order.

Battery Rutledge in good order, with its ammunition dry and well cared for. The batteries from Bee to this one constitute one continuous parapet, well protected with traverses and spacious, well arranged bomb-proofs, and in some instances with amputation rooms for the medical bureau; these of course were not visited.

Nos.1,2,3, and 4, two-gun batteries extending along the south beach at an average distance of about 500 yards part, covering the space between Forts Beauregard and Marshall and intended seemingly as a protection against boat assaults, are small open works with no traverses. There being no magazine in this cordon of works, the ammunition is kept in chests, exposed to the weather. Some of the chests need repairs and tarpaulins as a protection. The parapets of No. 1 could be improved, if it had more superior slope, so as to admit of firing closer under the battery. The parapet of No. 4 has, to some extent, been blown away by the winds. These works, being built of sand, should be sodded in order to preserve them, and, if possible, iron traverse circles should be given these guns, some of them being without them. One of the guns in No. 3 works badly from a defect easily remedied. A bolt in the axle-tree of the carriage rests upon the tongue of the chassis, creating much friction. The carriage could be dismounted from the chassis and the head of the bold chipped so as to make it work free of obstruction. You will observe a great disproportion between the cartridges and projectiles in each of these works. If it should be determined to remedy this disproportion by the withdrawal of projectiles rather than by an increase of cartridges it would probably be advisable to leave the grape, canister, and shell.

Battery Marshall, at Beach Inlet, is as yet in an incomplete condition, though the guns are all in working order. A large bomb-proof, in addition to those already complete, has been commenced, upon which a force is now at work. One of the 12-pounders has wheels of different sizes, and in another the cheeks of the carriage are not upon a level. These two defects in these two carriages should be remedied. The magazines are in good order, and dry, as well as the ammunition, but roaches, by which they are infested, cut the cartridge-bags. It would therefore be as well to keep the powder in the boxes and barrels until a necessity arises for use, so that the bags may be preserved. I noticed the passage-way to one