THE HOOGHLY RIVER. 497 



which as everybody knows forms the port of entry for 

 shipping, and upon whose banks Calcutta, the capital 

 of India and the seat of the Viceregal Government, 

 is located, is often so difficult and dangerbus of approach 

 for vessels, that the prudence of abandoning it altogether, 

 as a seaport, has for some time past been seriously 

 considered. 



The proposal is to remove the port to Diamond 

 Harbour, some 30 miles further down the river, which 

 though still a bad port is yet better than Calcutta. 



The Hooghly is not only subject to cyclones of the 

 most dangerous character, concerning which we shall 

 have more to say presently, but on account of its 

 shifting sands and impetuous current it can only be 

 navigated by daylight; great delays are thus caused 

 to vessels. As an instance we may state that quite 

 recently we were ourselves detained for nearly three 

 days, on board a P. & O. steamer in this way, between 

 the mouth of this river and Calcutta, in doing a distance 

 of only 90 miles. The first day we arrived off the 

 mouth of the Hooghly, and the tide being low, were 

 obliged to anchor near the lightship. Here we remained 

 idly floating, out of sight of land, till the afternoon of 

 the following day, before the tide suited to enter the 

 river. Want of water again obliged us to anchor for 

 the night at Diamond Harbour, after doing only about 

 four hours steaming ; and it was only on the third day 

 that we reached Calcutta. These details will give the 

 reader some idea of the serious impediments which 

 adverse conditions may produce at the mouth of one 

 of the most important river systems in the world. 



The three principal obstructions to tidal rivers are: 

 (i) a bar; (2) a shifting channel; and (3) inadequacy of 



VOL. II. 32 



