July 24th.—Morning fair and cloudy. The enemy endeavoured to repair the bridge of boats, but were prevented by the fire of our 18-pounder. The heat and stench terrible, and the flies were beyond endurance, contesting every particle of food with us, and preventing all attempts at rest during the day. Only a few round shot thrown, but the enemy actively at work about forty yards from the Redan battery, in a deep trench. Advantage taken of the temporary lull to repair some of our defences, which had sunk a great deal in consequence of the heavy rain; but our men, reduced in numbers and harassed to death day and night, were not capable of any prolonged exertion. Every possible effort was made to grind wheat, and from twenty-five to thirty hand-mills were kept steadily at work, producing an average of twenty maunds of flour daily. The 48th Regiment Native Infantry have had seven, and the 71st Regiment, upwards of fifty desertions, since the commencement of the siege.
About dusk, the enemy, for the first time, sent in many shells; which, however, caused no loss, fortunately. The commissariat department busy withthe stores, getting ghee up from the Round House; while a fatigue party of officers, under Captain Radcliffe, threw up earth, and heightened the traverse across the road, near the Post-office gate. Lieutenant Hutchinson, of the Engineers, accompanied by Lieutenant Birch, crept down in the dark, and examined, as well as they could, the enemy's works in the immediate vicinity of the Redan. Night dark and cloudy.