april— june 1857.] Breakwater for Madras, 147 



3d. Its suitableness in form, &c. 



4th. Its cost, &c. 



5th. Its value, kc. 

 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 Port 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 the 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 ; la 

 respect of 



1st. Its practicability, 



2nd. Its effects. 



3d. Its cost 



4th. The present circumstances. 

 1st. 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 a given 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 



