36 



INDIAN MARINE SURVEYS. 



be charted on a large scale, which with other miscellaneous work 

 would take a season. 



From Madras to False Point the east coast of India was, until 

 1888-89, quite unsurveyed, and as beacons have been erected by 

 the land surveyors this important piece of work could be finished by 

 1894. "With the view of rounding off this survey, the portion 

 between the Mahanadi river and the Palmyras shoals should be 

 examined and the soundings carried out in a south-easterly direction 

 to 40 fathoms. This would then join on to the survey of the Pilot's 

 Ridge, and approaches to the Hugli, executed by the Department 

 in 1885. 



The Burma coast from 20 miles north of Elephant Point down 

 to the Terrible Rocks has only been sketched, and many complaints 

 are received from steamers trading up and down it. The coast is 

 essentially rocky, and there are mud volcanoes at its south end 

 which are liable to form new shoals. This coast would take three 

 years to complete. 



Passing over the extensive Cheduba Strait survey, we again come 

 upon a large piece of coast 150 miles in length from Sandoway to 

 Cape Negrais, which has never received more than a running survey, 

 and that as far back as 1826-30. This part, until properly charted, 

 is quite unapproachable for steamers owing to the numerous rocks 

 and shoals that exist. But as it lies in a bight and out of the track 

 ot passing vessels, the requirement is not pressing. 



The Bassein river has not been examined since 1853, and has 

 undergone great changes, but the upper reaches which connect it 

 with the Irawadi shift so frequently that a marine survey would 

 be thrown away, and vessels must depend only on their pilots, 

 i ranee should, however, be sounded, and this could be done 

 by a boat party in one season. The Great Baragua mud flat, 

 extending across the deltaic mouth of the Irawadi, has never been 

 thoroughly delineated and was only sketched in during the early 

 years of this century. In 1855 Captain Ward, I.N., made a survey 

 of it and of the outer banks of the Sittang river, but unfortunately 

 the drawings were lost. The Sittang river mouth, too, is a blank 

 on the present charts, nothing whatever being known of its present 

 channels. One season should consequently be set apart for a general 

 sounding of the Gulf of Martaban and Sittang banks. 



The coast of South Burmah from Amherst to Pakchan, a length 

 of about 400 miles, with the exception of Ye River, Tavoy River, 



