1844.] 



of a Pier at Madras. 



61 



Though the accomplishment of a water communication thus far, may 

 be thought to afford sufficient convenience to the trade in general, ar/ll 

 might serve as a limit to this part of this plan, yet in order to extend the 

 great benefit of an easy navigable conveyance in the most general man- 

 ner, that the very favorable situation of the Black town in point of level 

 affords an opportunity of doing ; I shall proceed to mention still further 

 advantages to be derived from it. 



9 



From the junction with the ditch of the Black town at the south-west 

 angle ; if the ditch were rendered navigable for boats throughout its 

 whole extent, and even along the north face, it would add essentially to 

 the strength of the place, and in this point of view alone, it is particularly 

 worthy of the attention of Government, exclusive of the great conve- 

 nience it would afford of depositing goods at any of the gates desired, 

 with scarce any expense of carriage. Indeed, the present very insecure 

 state of the Black town, demands some precaution, as there is nothing 

 whatever to prevent a body of Maharatta horse from riding directly up 

 to the foot of the walls, along the north face, and mounting the ramparts 

 from which they could with ease plunder the Black town, nay they could 

 gallop into it round the north-east angle without obstruction, that part 

 being perfectly open ; in order, therefore to remedy this defenceless state 

 of the Black town, I propose to form a deep ditch completely round the 

 whole of it, as expressed in the plan, and to communicate with the sea 

 by means of a sluice formed precisely in the same manner as those pro- 

 posed at the mouth of the river, from which tile ditch may be supplied 

 with water. From this ditch before the north face, a cut may with great 

 ease be introduced through the curtain marked [X] in Plan No. 3, 

 and led on to join the Basin in Attapollsm, thus might a most complete 

 circulation of the tide be carried through the heart of the Black town, 

 equally contributing to the convenience of trade, the security of the place, 

 and the health of the inhabitants ; for by keeping the water in those dif- 

 ferent basins' under command, which may easily be done by gates of a 

 simple construction ; the whole force of the tide might be directed to 

 carry off the filth, which now renders the Black town so offensive. 



The difference of level throughout the whole of this line being only 

 seven feet seven inches, there can be no inconvenience whatever arising 

 from the execution of this plan. The highest point of this line is at the 

 entrance of Popham's broad-way, where the surface of the ground is seven 



I feet seven inches higher than low water at spring tides, 



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