1849.] from Chikuldah to Baroach. 475 



Note on Captain Fenwick' s passage down the Nerbudda in charge of 

 boats laden with coal. 



Captain Fenwick (late of the Nizam's service) started with ten boats 

 laden with coal, from below the Dharee falls, on the 5th of April, 1848» 

 under instructions from the Resident of Indore, and has noted minutely 

 in his journals all the difficulties and obstacles which he met with, but 

 as we have ample information regarding the river from the Dharee falls 

 to Hirunphal, and as it is allowed that no absolute obstructions to 

 navigation exist in the lowest portion, i. e. from Tulluckwarrah to the 

 sea, it will be sufficient to notice here only the most prominent points 

 connected with those parts, and confine ourselves chiefly to the portion 

 between the Burkhery rapids, just below the Hirunphal, to near Tul- 

 luckwarrah, respecting which we possess the least information, and which 

 at the same time is evidently, (irrespective of the detached obstructions, 

 such as those at the Dharee and Sahesurdarah falls, and at Hirunphal), 

 by far the worst part of the river to navigate. 



Captain Fenwick reached Chikuldah from the Dharee falls without 

 any accident, on the 20th of April, having been 15 days on the way. 

 The distance he calculated to be 8GJ miles, which he divided as 

 follows : — 



April bth. — To Sillanee 9f miles ; no unusual difficulty met with. 



April 6th. — To Alliagaum, 12^ miles. A narrow passage with four 

 feet water and 3 turnings, difficult for laden boats, which were let down 

 with ropes ; met with 2 miles from Sillanee ; 1| mile further on Bhalerai 

 rapid, very difficult passage, extending for more than 100 yards ; from 

 this to Katghurra 7f miles, nothing particular. The Katghurra rapid 

 extended for about 600 yards, studded with rocks, channel dangerous, 

 with 4 or 5 feet water. Laden boats eased down with ropes. 



It appeared to Captain Fenwick that in the then state of the river 

 between Dharee and Alliagaum, boats of more than 6 feet beam, 30 

 or 35 feet long, with 2\ feet wall sides, flat-bottomed, the bottom side 

 planks of one log, scooped out, would be the only ones that could be 

 generally used. During the monsoon he thought no boats could live 

 at some of the places, where most dangerous whirlpools and high waves 

 would be formed at that season. The boatmen corroborated this 

 opinion. 



3 Q 



