120 The Past and Present of the Port of Melbourne, 



regulated by a sea wall having a dock formed in the deep 

 bend as shown, and indented with basins for the patent slip, 

 graving dock, and timber piers where required, by which 

 means the current of water both entering and flowing out 

 of the river would be restrained to certain limits, within 

 which no obstruction would exist to divert it from its 

 proper course. 



With such a system of retaining walls and channels, 

 Hobson's Bay when once dredged out to the proposed depth 

 of 30 feet, would have little or no deposit, for the sources 

 from whence it is now derived would be cut off, owing to 

 the river waters being kept out and the littoral drift from 

 the south stopped. 



In the Queen's basin the river and new channel, the 

 deposit would after freshets be continuous, but it would 

 be under conditions easily dealt with by the dredge, and 

 being thus dealt with at the upper part of the river, the 

 great evil of deposit in the bay would be materially lessened. 



One of the results to be anticipated in the bay outside of 

 the harbour wouli be the rapid make of foreshore south 

 eastward of the east wall, but I should not deem this an 

 evil, owing to the fact that as we must have shoaling 

 and making of foreshore somewhere in the gulf, it is just as 

 well to let it occur where in place of doing harm it will 

 do good, by reclaiming land which at some future day will 

 be valuable. 



It may be urged that such a scheme of works as above 

 suggested is much beyond our present requirements, but to 

 this I say most decidedly no, because in executing them it 

 is not sinking capital, but creating it by giving value to 

 lands that are now worthless, and which are even now 

 wanted for the extension of business, and this creation of 

 capital will be a certain result if the work is carried out 

 with economy and prudence. 



In the general estimate of cost which I annex, provision 

 has been made for facing the walls with concrete, coped 

 with wrought bluestone, and faced with the usual fender 

 piling. 



The estimated cost for a completed scheme of works as 

 above suggested, and shown on plan, would be wholly 

 recuperated by the value of the reclaimed lands, and the 

 whole cost of after working and superintendence, defrayed 

 from the leasing of wharf sites and frontages, so as to give a 

 free port and harbour, save and except light and pilot dues. 



