548 



Wood's Report on the River Indus. [No. 115. 



During the dry season of 1836-37, I had frequent intimation of fords ; 

 but was not fortunate enough personally to discover one, for it so hap- 

 pened, that by the time I had got to the spot, they had always disap- 

 peared. The following sketch is taken from a trust-worthy person, whom 

 I had sent to report on a suspected locality : — 



Ford in the neighbourhood of Bald. 



flf! 



The centre channel is here the continuous one ; that on the east side 

 was however the deepest, and discharged the most water ; but its mouths 

 were closed up by shoals. Forty-two boats were lying above the ford, 

 waiting for the channel to open ; this was on the 27th February. The 

 dotted line shews the ford. On this subject I am glad to have the 

 testimony of Dr. Gordon, the officer who went from Loodiana to Bom- 

 bay with the Maharajah's (Runjeet Sing) mercantile speculation. He tells 

 me, that some distance north of Hyderabad, he came upon a shoal 

 stretching completely across the river, when many grain boats unable to 

 pass over it, were lightening their draft by transporting a portion of 

 their cargo into smaller boats. Dr. Gordon finding more water above 

 the shoal than the boats in his charge drew, held on his course. 



The custom of bridging the Indus by boats at Attock, has prevailed 

 since the days of the Greek invasion, and it appears to me, that the 

 same might be used with equal success to cross an army much lower 

 down the river. 



The place most adapted for this purpose, whether viewed merely 

 with reference to the river itself, or to the Afghan Passes that lead 

 down upon it, and which have not be unaptly termed the gates of 

 Khorassan, is Bukkur fort. Here we have a permanent channel, both 



