688 



Report on a line of Levels taken by order of the Right Honorable the 



Governor General^ between the Jumna and Sutlij rivers. JBy Lieut. 



W. E. Baker, Superintendent of Canals West of the Jumna. 



The subject of inquiry proposed, having been to ascertain the practi- 

 Preliminary Observations, cability of establishing a water communication 

 for the passage of boats between the Jamna and the Sutlij ; I consi- 

 dered that the best preliminary measure would be to take a cross section, 

 fixing at certain points the relative levels of those rivers and of the in- 

 termediate hill torrents, and the greatest height attained by the inter- 

 vening ridges. 



The line (viz., one between Kurnaul and Loodiana) which I selected 

 Selection of a line, for this section, was recommended by the follow- 

 ing considerations : — 



1st. It connects the highest points of both rivers to which boats of 

 considerable burthen habitually resort. 



2nd. It lies in a South-east and North-west direction, parallel to 

 that of the Sub- Himalayas, and consequently perpendicular to the 

 general lines of drainage. 



3rd. It crosses each of the considerable mountain torrents before 

 its junction with the Cuggur; and, lastly, its length was well suited to 

 the time (about three weeks) to which, having no Assistant, I was 

 obliged to limit my absence from the canals under my charge. 



Having no accurate map of the country, I had merely a general idea 

 Irregularities and ine- ^^ ^^^ direction from Kurnaul in which I should 

 qualities accounted for. g^^jj^g Loodiana, which will account for the devia- 

 tions from a straight course observable in the accompanying map. My 

 object being to note the general features of the country, I took no pains 

 to avoid merely local inequalities, and my Section therefore exhibits 

 much greater irregularities of surface than it need have done, had I had 

 leisure previously to examine the ground ahead of my levelling instru- 

 ment. The hollow in the neighbourhood of Puttiala, for instance, might 

 have been in a great measure avoided by a more northerly course. 



The information thus obtained is necessarily incomplete, and though 

 Nature of the informa- ^^ ^^^ ^^ "^y opinion proved the practicability of 



tion required. ^^ contemplated measure, it has not furnished 



data for u detailed project, and still less for an estimate of the probable 



