FOURGASSES
(STONE GUNS)
MORTARS CUT IN THE ROCK SPECIFICALLY DEVISED AS A WEAPON OF WAR. THEY ARE UNIQUE OF THEIR KIND AND EXCLUSIVE TO MALTA. THEY (THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA) HAVE INVENTED A KIND OF ORDNANCE OF THEIR OWN, UNKNOWN TO THE WORLD BESIDES. THE MORTARS CUT OUT OF ROCK IS A TREMENDOUS INVENTION!
THERE ARE ABOUT FIFTY OF THEM NEAR DIFFERENT CREEKS AND LANDING PLACES ROUND THE ISLAND. THEY ARE DIRECTED AT THE MOST PROBABLE SPOTS WHERE BOATS WOULD ATTEMPT TO LANDINGS. THE MOUTHS OF SOME OF THEM ARE ABOUT SIX FEET WIDE, AND ARE SAID TO THROW A HUNDRED CANTERS OF CANNON BALLS OR STONES, CHARGED WITH 80 POUNDS OF POWDER WILL THROW FIVE TONS OF STONES OVER A SURFACE 160 YARDS LONG BY 120 YARDS WIDE.
THE ORDER OF THE STONES – LARGEST AT THE BOTTOM, SMALLEST AT THE TOP. THE POWDER CHAMBER IS FULL AND FIRMLY SEALED BY A WOODEN TAMPION. ABOVE IT THE SAUCISSON RUNS FROM THE CHAMBER AND ALONG A GROVE IN THE ROCK TO THE MOUTH, WHERE A MATCH IS FIXED IN A WAY THAT CAN BE SAFELY IGNITED BY A SOLDIER. A MILITARY FOUGASSES WAS ALSO A SMALLER VERSION, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BLOWING UP INFANTRY ON THE WAY UP TO CAPTURE THEIR CITADEL, FORT OR OTHER WORK.
THESE SMALLER FOUGASSES CAN BE FIRED BUT ONCE ONLY SINCE IT IS DESIGNED TO PURPOSELY
BLOW ITSELF UP WHEN FIRST FIRED: WHEREAS THE LARGER TYPE OF FOUGASSES COULD BE RE-
IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT THESE UNIQUE MORTARS, CUT INTO SOLID ROCK, MAY NOT AT
FIRST BEEN CALLED ‘FOUGASSES’, BUT THAT THIS NAME, 'FOUGASSES' WAS USED LATER AS
REFERENCE (RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY)IT’S NOT KNOW WHO INVENTED FOUGASSES NOR EXACTLY WHEN
AND WHERE IT WAS FIRST PRODUCED NOR WHEN THE WORD FOUGASSE WAS FIRST APPLIED TO THESE
MORTARS CUT IN THE ROCK -
WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER EVENTUALLY EXCAVATED, THOUGH IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE OVERALL NUMBER FOR THE ISLANDS OF GOZO AND COMINO, COULD WELL AMOUNT TO AROUND SIXTY. WE DO KNOW, HOWEVER THAT IN 1715 WHEN THE ORDER HAD FINALLY DECIDED TO ACCEPT AND IMPLEMENT A COAST DEFENSE PLAN, THE FOUGASSES WAS INCLUDED AS A DEFENSIVE WEAPON, WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT, THAT BY THAT DATE, THE FOUGASSES HAD NOT MERELY BEEN INVENTED, BUT ONE PROTO TYPE, AT LEAST WOULD HAVE BEEN EXCAVATED, TESTED AND APPROVED.
THE SHAPE OF FOUGASSES, IS THAT OF AN INVERTED CONE, THEY VARY IN SIZE AND ANGLE OF ELEVATION (BETWEEN 40 & 60 degrees) AND OTHER PARTICULARS, THE MOUTH IS ELLIPTICAL BUT THE BORE IS CIRCULAR AND NARROWS AS IT TAPERS DOWNWARDS AND THEN TUNS INWARDS TOWARDS THE POWDER CHAMBER. STONES OF ALL SIZES WERE USED TO LOAD THEM, WITH THE LARGEST BEING PLACED AT THE BOTTOM AND PROGRESSIVELY ENDING UP WITH THE SMALLEST AT THE TOP.
BEFORE LOADING, THE FOUGASSE WAS CHARGED, A BARREL OF GUNPOWDER BEING PLACED WITHIN THE POWDER CHAMBER, (ABOUT 30 INCHES DIAMETER AND 15 INCHES DEEP) WHICH WAS THEN SEALED BY A HEAVY WOODEN TAMPION SOME EIGHT INCHES THICK, HEWED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FOUGASSE, WAS A GROOVE (TWO INCHES BROAD AND ONE AND A HALF INCHES DEEP) INTO WHICH WAS INSERTED A SAUCISSON, THAT IS A PIPE OR HOSE MADE OF COARSE CLOTH AND STUFFED WITH GUNPOWDER, EXTENDING FROM THE POWDER CHAMBER TO THE MOUTH WHERE A MATCH WAS FITTED, SO THAT THE SOLDIER, WHO SET FIRE TO IT WOULD HAVE TIME TO ‘RETIRE ‘, BEFORE THE IGNITION HAD TRAVELED TO THE POWDER CHAMBER.
THESE FOUGASSES WERE EXCAVATED AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE SHORE AND GENERALLY IN
PAIRS, WITH THEIR AXIS POINTING DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE ENEMY’S MOST LIKELY APPROACH
ROUTE OR LANDING SPOT IN THE AREA. THEY WERE MEANT TO DELIVER A SHOWER OF STONES
OVER THE WIDEST AREA POSSIBLE, EITHER ON THE ENEMY BOATS APPROACHING THE SHORE OR
BY ENFILADING THE LIKELY LANDING GROUND ALONG THAT SHORE, AND WITH SUCH FORCE, AS
TO KILL OR WOUND THE OCCUPANTS AND SINK OR DAMAGE THEIR BOATS, PROVIDING ALWAYS THAT
THE STONE MISSILES LANDED PRECISELY ON THE TARGETS, WHICH OF COURSE, WAS VERY MUCH
OF A RANDOM, HIT OR MISS AFFAIR, AND EVERY TIME THEY MISSED, THEY NEEDED OVER AN
HOUR TO RELOAD AND FIRE THE FOUGASSE AGAIN. HOWEVER THE KNIGHTS OPTIMISM KNEW NO
BOUNDS, EVEN IF THEY MISSED THEIR AIM, THEY INSPIRED GREAT TERROR, FROM THE APPREHENSION
THAT A SECOND ATTEMPT MAY BE MORE SUCCESSFUL. THERE IS STILL TODAY EVIDENCE OF ELEVEN
OF THESE FOUGASSES ON THE ISLAND OF GOZO.
*
1 AT XATT I-
1 BELOW TORRI GARZES (SMALL BAR CLOSE TO SWIMMING POOL AT MGARR BAY HOTEL).
1 BLATA I-
2 ABOVE HONDOQ IR RUMMIEN INLET (ON A CLIFF SITE KNOW AS TAL GHASSA).
1 ON THE DETACHED ROCK GEBEL TAL HHALFA OFF QALA.
3 AT QALA II – PONTA TAT-
1 AT RAMLA BAY (70 YARDS NORTH OF THE EASTERN ARM OF THE BAY.
1 AT MARSALFORN (RE-
*
HERE IS A LIST OF 48 FOUGASSES PROPOSED IN THE YEAR 1717.
KALAFRANA BAY. MNIEH BATTERY BIRZEBBUGA ENTRENCHMENTS BIR ZEBBUGAST. GEORGE'S REDOUBT QAJJENZA BATTERY MARSAXLOKKST. THOMAS BAY MARSASCALA BAY. ST. JULIAN’S BAY. ST. GEORGE'S BAY MADLIENAQALET MARKUSALINA. 4. ST. PAUL'S BAY AND MISTRA. 4. MELLIEHA BAY. 8. COAST FACING THE FLIEGU
