1834.] The Island and Bridge of Sivasamudram, 92 



ness the Rajah, and being allowed to levy certain transit duties on 

 jnerchandize, being half of what is now paid to the boat people, I un- 

 dertook to erect at my own expense a bridge on the western branch 

 of the Cdveri^ of the most solid materials, and as soon as might be 

 practicable. 



The new bridge which, as a tribute of gratitude and respect to the 

 Right Honourable the Governor, I intend shall be denominated, 

 " The LusHiNGTON Bridge," is already considerably advanced, 

 and if nothing extraordinary occurs to retard its progress, will I hope 

 be finished in the course of next year, or early in 1832. A plan of 

 this bridge, shewing also the progress made in its. erection, accom- 

 panies this memoir.* 



^t will be seen that neither the Rdmashafuva Bridge, nor the one 

 under construction, is carried in a straight line across the river. 

 Trusting to the skill and judgment of the ancient projectors of the 

 former bridge, I followed the site upon which it appears to have been 

 erected, and I have every reason to be satisfied of the propriety of 

 the resolution which 1 adopted. The shape is certainly not a com* 

 mon one, but it seems better adapted than any other to the situation. 

 When the river is full, the great body of the water in this branch 

 runs in the centre of the bed ; to this the angle of the bridge is op- 

 posed, and the force of the stream, which is very rapid, is thereby 

 broken. 



The best proof, however, of the excellence of its form and struc» 

 ture is, that it has withstood the violence of repeated floods without 

 sustaining any other than trifling damages, which were easily repair- 

 ed. The original parapet of the bridge was of solid masonry ; but a 

 part of it having been carried away by a great rise of the river, the 

 whole was taken down and replaced by a wooden railing. 



The length of the Rdmshatuva Bridge is one thousand feet, the 

 breadth of the roadway thirteen feet, and the height, including the 

 foundation, is twenty-three feet. It is supported by four hundred 

 pillars, which form a hundred and thirteen chesmas, and the stones 

 forming the roadway are not let into sockets, but fastened to the pil- 

 lars with iron pins and mortar. 



The foundations are either cut into the solid rock, or into immense 

 stones placed for the purpose, and in many places to the depth of 

 five feet. 



I am not prepared to state, with any thing like precision, the sum 



* See Plate 2o 



