4 
142 Scie7itific Intelligence. [no. 3j ^'EW series, 
for Superintendence and profit and tlie chance of loss, and consi- 
dering the peculiar nature of the work, this does not appear to 
the Committee to be unreasonable, though at the same time it is so 
liberal an allowance that it is hoped the additions proposed by the 
Committee may be included in the present Estimate, in which case 
they do not doubt that it will be better economy to accept the 
Contractor's terms rather than to attempt the erection of the Pier 
by the Government Engineers; who have no experience in works 
of the kind. 
The Committee find a difficulty in conveying in' a figured state- 
ment the value that might be assigned to the proposed Pier. But 
a few words will show the existing impediment to the traffic of the 
port which it is confidently hoped that this work wiU remove. 
The trade of the port, both in respect of Passengers and Mer- 
chandize, is carried on in Masoolah boats, calculated to carry two 
tons of goods in very fine weather. These boats are drawn up on 
the beach ; nearly but not quite beyond the reach of the surf, 
where the spray breaks over them to the injury of their contents 
when they are such as to suff'er from the efi'ects of salt water. 
Laden boats are launched with difficulty from the beach : and both 
in landing and shipping goods, all must be done by manual labour 
as cranes cannot iii such a position be brought into use. 
It is needless to remark that the passage through the surf en- 
tails further risk of damage and that the inconvenience sustained 
by passengers is in a sense greater even than that inflicted upon 
goods traffic. But these difficulties are at the present day greatly 
enhanced from various causes which are, first the insufficiency of 
the boat accommodation for the increasing traffic of the port ; 
second, the difficulty of getting the boatmen to work with regula- 
rity and order ; and third, the constant pilfering that takes place 
and which is facilitated by the length and often unavoidable devi- 
ousness of the transit between the shore and the shipping. All 
these obstructions to a regular and orderly traffic would be at once 
removed on the establishment of a Pier. The injury done at the 
time of arriving at and departing from the shore would be alto- 
gether removed, all extra expense avoided, and a facility of transit 
