APRIL— JUNE 1857.] Breahwater for Madras. 147 
3d. Its suitableness in form, &c. 
4th. Its cost, &c. 
5tli. Its value, &c. 
I propose therefore to consider the general question, viz., what 
under present circumstances it would be most advisable to do for 
the improvement of the fort of Madras. 
I may observe that this is a question (that of the best mode of 
correcting the evils of Madras as a Port) which I have had before 
me for 20 years, and therefore I have had abundance of time to come 
to a decision on /he subject, and of the main point I feel perfectly 
satisfied, viz., that a ship breakwater, consisting of a straight line 
of loose stones, similar to those at Plymouth, Portland, &c., and 
parallel with the beach, is the work that should be undertaken. 
I therefore proceed to give my reasons for this conclusion ; in 
respect of 
1st. Its practicability. 
2nd. Its effects. 
3d. Its cost. 
4th. The present circumstances. 
\st. Its practicability. — Of this I suppose there can be no doubt 
in the minds of any in the least conversant with such matters. 
To throw a quantity of stones into the sea is certainly one of 
the simplest operations an Engineer can have to perform. But 
it is a point we need no guessing about, because we have the 
fact of many such works having been executed, and being now 
in progress in the most exposed situations that could be found in 
the world. After trying many fanciful modes of executing such 
works, engineers are now satisfied that nothing can be done be- 
yond throwing a certain quantity of large stones down on agiven line 
leaving it to the sea to throw them into such a form, as will bear 
its violence. In this way the breakwaters at Portland and Holy- 
head are now being formed. I need not attempt to*answer here 
the various objections that might be started (as is universally the 
case) by persons entirely unconversant with such matters, because 
they are endless, but I may allude to one, because it has been so 
often suggested, viz,, that such a work might be swallowed up in 
