41 



13. Karaikal. — This small French port would also make a 

 good fishing centre. The river mouth seldom closes (it did in 

 May 1905) and that its bar offers no obstacle to light draft 

 traffic is evidenced by the numerous cargo lighters which load 

 cargo at neat wharves within the river to carry to the steamers 

 of the British India and Asiatic Steam Navigation Companies 

 which call off the port fortnightly. The railway station is 

 within a quarter of a mile of the cargo wharves. 



Nagore and Negapatam. — These twin ports are situated 

 within five miles of each other, Nagore being this distance to 

 the north of Negapatam, which is 222 miles by rail from 

 Madras. 



Negapatam is by far the most prosperous port between Point 

 Calimere and Madras, but this is in spite of considerable natural 

 difficulties. Asa harbour Negapatam is inferior to several of 

 the ports so far enumerated, and keeps its trade chiefly because 

 of the conservatism of business men (otherwise i: vested 

 interests ") and the support given by this being a terminal 

 railway port. Of recent years the river entrance has steadily 

 deteriorated, causing continual anxiety and trouble, more 

 especially during the mouths of January and February when 

 there is considerable danger of the bar closing entirely. In 

 February 1907 and January 1908 the entrance was 4.00 feet 

 south of the jetty and had only 6 inches of water over it at 

 low water of spring tides. From 'February to October or 

 November no greater depth than 12 to 15 inches can be reckoned 

 upon at low water, with a rise of from 2 to 2^ feet at springs. 

 During such time traffic over the bar is possible only for a 

 limited time before and after high water, sometimes (as in May 

 1905) for one hour only before and after. As a consequence 

 the cargo boats here are of comparatively small size, ranging 

 mostly from 8 to 10 tons register. The dimensions of one of 

 the larger are : length 45 feet ; beam 8 feet 7 inches ; depth 5 

 feet ; burden 10 tons in fine weather. 



It is interesting to find that the deterioration of this river 

 entrance is an instance of the harm which may be done to a 

 harbour by the reduction for irrigation purposes of the volume 

 of water in the river which produces the scour requisite to keep 

 the bar navigable. In the present instance a diversion of the 

 river Vellaiyar was made some years ago by which its stream 

 was prevented from joining the Kaduvayar of which the mouth 

 forms Negapatam harbour ; as a consequence the floods in the 

 river were reduced and the bar scoured less deeply than in 

 previous years- At the present time I understand that steps 

 are being taken to return some of the diverted water with 



6 



