I. 



INDIAN MARINE SURVEYS.* 



First Period, 1875-82. 



The survey of the coasts of India has ever been a matter of high 

 importance for navigators, and from the days of the old Bombay 

 Marine and its successor, the Indian Navy, the observations of the bold 

 and experienced seamen belonging to those services bore rich fruit 

 in the labours recorded in the pages of the " Memoir on the Indian 

 Surveys." The operations of these Indian officers extended to the 

 Bed Sea, the Persian Grulf, Arabian and African coasts, China Sea, 

 and other regions far beyond the limits of India proper. But in 

 1862 the Indian Navy was abolished, and no arrangement was made 

 for continuing the excellent survey work for which the service had 

 become renowned. After a long period of inaction, a small but 

 efficient and economical department was at length organised in 

 1875, under the superintendence of Commander A. D. Taylor, late 

 I.N., a good start was made, and an encouraging record of work 

 achieved had been shown in the pages of the first report. 



In the spring of 1876 Commander Taylor started on a tour of 

 inspection of the principal ports on the coast of Burma, where two 

 steamers had struck some little time previously on rocks unmarked 

 on the existing charts. Akyab, Bassein, Rangoon, Moulmein, 

 Tavoy, Mergui, and the Pakchan river were visited, as well as the 

 ultra-Indian ports of Kopah and Junkseylon on the Siam Coast. 

 From this inspection, after examining the chart of Amherst, which 

 was found most incorrect and incomplete, Commander Taylor 

 arrived at the conclusion that no large port of British India so 

 much required to be carefully surveyed. Navigating Lieutenant 

 Jarrad, R.N., was accordingly despatched in the " Clyde " to execute 



* The spelling of Indian proper names lias been assimilated to that adopted in the 

 Imperial Gazetteer of India. 



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