ABSTRACT
Although no mention of him is made on the front cover, there are clear indications in the text that the author of this pamphlet is Sir Hugh Cholmley (1632–1688), the engineer who directed the construction of the Tangier mole from 1663 to 1676. The British Library entry for this text also attributes the pamphlet to the said Cholmley. An account of Cholmley’s career and long association with the Tangier mole is supplied in the Introduction, based largely on this publication and other journals he kept during his years of activity, but which appeared in print only decades after his death. Here it suffices to note the circumstances in which this pamphlet was published and the general drift of its argument. Using third-person narration, perhaps in an attempt to divert attention away from himself, Cholmley offers a brief account of the Tangier mole and the various stages of its construction. The pace of work was often slowed down by such unforeseen challenges as adverse weather conditions, lack of construction materials, dilatory administrative procedures and inadequate financial resources. In spite of these chronic hardships and difficulties, considerable progress was made due to his persistence and sacrifices. In 1674, however, due to the damage wrought by violent sea storms on the mole, the Tangier commissioners opted for new management and chose to assign the task to Cholmley’s former assistant, Henry Sheres. Cholmley and Sheres were not ideal workmates. They had different views as to the methods of framing the chests and laying them in the water. Sheres’ method of producing the chests was inspired by his observations of the mole of Genoa. Cholmley on his part thought the Genoese technique was inappropriate for the Tangier mole since it was exposed to constant violent sea storms.
