J 84].] Wood's Report on the River Indus. 557 



It appears to me, that Captain Burnes must have erred in giving 

 so large a fall as twelve inches a mile to the Punjaub streams, and but 

 half that quantity to the Indus. In the dry weather, the latter river has 

 most decidedly a much stronger current, than any of these streams, 

 and even in the freshes, their current as far as I have been able to 

 observe the Punjaub rivers, is not so strong as that of the Indus. On 

 the 27th of June this year, the current of the Roree at Lahore was 

 not more than three knots an hour, and neither that of the Jalum 

 or Chenaub exceed four. 



XIII. — Concluding Remarks. 



It has been matter of regret, that so noble a river as the Indus, 

 should have no port accessible to vessels of burden. 



The disappointment is, however, more imaginary than real. If in- 

 deed the merchant is necessitated to employ ships of 4 and 500 tons 

 burden, such a class of vessels cannot enter the river, and he must 

 land his goods at Curachee, the only port in Sinde open to vessels of 

 this description ; but if, on the contrary, he prefer water carriage to land 

 portage, why not avail himself of tonnage ? In the fair season, hundreds 

 of boats frequent the mouths of the Indus ; they are the common coast- 

 ing vessels of Cutch, and none of them exceed, when laden, a draft of nine 

 feet. The average draft is six and seven. I believe that the principal 

 mouth, namely, one that discharges the greatest body of water, will 

 even be found the least navigable, and that the port of the Indus, 

 though it may fluctuate between the Luckput creek and Curachee, will 

 always be situated in a secondary branch, discharging little or no fresh 

 water, but connected with the main stream by a creek or navigable 

 channel, open only to the flat boats of the river. But even admitting 

 that a vessel drawing seven feet water could get upon the main trunk, 

 nothing would be gained, as no other description of vessel but the light 

 drafted steamer already noticed, will be found to answer upon the 

 Indus, and such vessels will be able also to keep up the communication 

 between the sea-going craft and the main river. If then a portage is thus 

 shewn to be unnecessary merely to give free access to the river, it is 

 equally useless by way of avoiding the difficulties of navigation in any 



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