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



particular part of its course. In my former report, I did indeed advocate 

 the plan, but I did so then from hearsay. Now I give the result 

 of my own observation. The navigation of the Delta is certainly 

 intricate ; but the difficulties are not so insurmountable to render a 

 portage desirable, nor does the river improve so much above it, as I 

 was at the time given to understand. 



In one respect, the authorities on the river have it in their power to 

 confer a considerable boon on the navigation of the Lower Indus. The 

 only obstacle in the river, from which danger is to be apprehended, and 

 which no attention can effectually guard against, is sunken trees. Now 

 the river brings down none of these from the mountains. All come 

 from the shikargahi or hunting preserves of the Sinde Ameers. The 

 supply might be cut off without material injury to these forests, or 

 interfering with their Highnesses' amusements. Let the Ameers but 

 give an order, that between the shikargah and the river, a clear belt of 

 twelve yards wide be left, and in a iew weeks their numerous foresters 

 will have cut down a twelve months' fuel for our steamers, and insure 

 a path for the trackers. 



As these forests do not extend north of Sehewan, the operation 

 would not require to be carried above that town, the jungle wood there 

 being too small to affect the channels of the river. 



