1843.] Visit to the Pakchan River. 527 



hesitation in saying, that the scheme alluded to, is not in my opinion 

 reasonably practicable. 



On a rough estimate, I assume 450 feet as the greatest rise of 

 ground between the two seas, and if we suppose the line of road to be 

 100 feet above the level of the bed of the water-courses of the Pass as 

 they now exist, and deduct that from the above, it will leave 350 feet 

 of excavation, chiefly in solid rock, to be effected at the head of the 

 Pass, to which the depth of the ship channel would remain to be added. 



As no ships could come higher up than the second anchorage of the 

 Hoogly, or 25 miles in a direct line below Pakchan, the length of the 

 canal would be increased by that distance, as well, in all probability, 

 by the five miles beyond Tasapaow, as the rivers on that side of the 

 Peninsula are known to be generally obstructed by bars of sand. 

 Both the Kraa and Chimpohun rivers are very small streams at this 

 season, running over rocky beds, and no supply of fresh water could, 

 I think, be depended on from either, to feed such a canal, or that would 

 be sufficient at any period of the year to supply the loss by absorption 

 and evaporation. An approximate section of the ground is given 

 on the accompanying plan, by which it will appear, that the probable 

 cutting for such a canal, supposing its width 100 feet and of rec- 

 tangular form, would be on the lowest calculation as follows : — 



Length. Breadth. Depth. Cubic Feet. 



From the Great Kawan 



River to Pakchan, 25 miles + 1 00 feet + 60 feet 870,000,000 



From Pakchan to top of 5 



Kraa Pass 6 q Do. -f- 100 Do. + 380 ~r- 2 = 685,520,000 



From top of Pass to a spring 



marked in the Map, ... 16 Do. + 100 Do. + 380 ~r 2 = 1,605,120,000 

 From the spring to Tasa- 



paow, 5 Do. + 100 Do. + 180 = 264,000,000 



From Tasapaow to the 



Gulf, 5 Do. + 100 Do. + 50= 132,000,000 



3,556,640,000 ( Solid feet of Exca " 

 \ vation, 



which, supposing that one man excavated during the entire work 

 twenty cubic feet per day, and placed it where it was eventually 

 to remain, and that one man's labor is there worth one rupee per day, 

 would cost eighteen millions sterling. 



7. Having remained at Pakchan during the 15th, for the purpose of 

 the conference between the Siam Chief and Mr. Blundell, which took 

 place on the morning of that day, we left the place the same evening, 

 and rejoined the steamer again in eight hours. On the 16th, we 



