via the Canal, would, instead,
meet her on her voyage home at the Cape. On the 14th October the
_Terrible_ reached Simon's Bay. By October 21st, Captain Scott, her
commanding officer, had devised a field mounting for a long-range
12-pr. and, having put it through a satisfactory firing trial, was
authorised by the Commander-in-Chief to make several more. When, on
October 24th, the Admiralty telegraphed that the War Office would be
glad of all the assistance that the Navy could render, and that all
was to be given that would not cripple the ships, the order had been
so far anticipated that the upper decks of the _Terrible_, _Powerful_,
_Monarch_ and _Doris_, as well as the dockyard itself, had already
assumed the appearance of a gun-carriage factory.

[Sidenote: Preparation of heavy guns for landing.]

On October 24th, the day when this message was received from home, the
Admiral arranged with Sir A. Milner that the _Powerful_ should go to
Durban on the 26th. On October 25th the Governor of Natal telegraphed
to the Admiral that "Sir George White suggests that, in view of the
heavy guns with Joubert, the Navy should be consulted with the view of
sending a detachment of bluejackets with long-range guns firing heavy
projectiles." He also revealed to the Admiral the gravity of the
situation, and the scanty means available for defending Maritzburg and
even Durban itself. The Admiral replied at once, saying, "_Powerful_
arrives Durban 29th. She can on emergency land four 12-prs. and 9
Maxims." He then saw Captain Scott of the _Terrible_, and enquired if
he could design a mounting to take a 4.7-in. and have two ready for
the following afternoon, 26th. This Captain Scott did. By the next
evening two such mountings had been put on board the _Powerful_, and
before midnight she sailed for Durban. These 4.7-in. mountings were
meant for use as guns of position, and not as field guns. They
consisted--briefly described--of four 12-in. baulks of timber 14 feet
long, bolted together in the form of a double cross. This made a rough
platform to which was secured the plate and spindle which was used to
carry the ordinary ship mounting of the 4.7-in. guns. They were
intended to be placed in a hole in the ground 15 feet square and 2
feet deep, and the ends of the timber baulks were to be secured with
chains to weights sunk in the ground. But this securing of the timbers
was found to be quite unnecessary when a mounting of this kind was put
t