80 



THE MADRAS HARBOUR. 



we have the same energetic and skilful staff at work, and, 

 judging the future by the past, their task should be completed 

 this year. 



One result of the works I ought to notice, viz., the accumu- 

 lation of sand to the southward of the harbour. That there 

 would be such an accumulation was always anticipated, 

 though the means did not exist of estimating the rate of 

 growth. It was at one time assumed by many people to be 

 a fatal objection to the construction of a harbour at Madras, 

 but it is now evident that it will not affect the harbour for 

 many years to come, and whenever it does so the engineer of 

 that distant future will no doubt be competent to meet the 

 evil. The plan shows four years' growth in the form of a 

 triangle in the angle between the pier and the shore. Every 

 year will add a strip, longer, deeper, and by consequence 

 doubly narrower to the base of this triangle, till at last it will 

 reach the turn of the pier, and then the pier must be extended ; 

 no great penalty to pay by anticipation for the benefit of the 

 harbour for some generations to come. 



During the progress of this work we have been, as usual, 

 comforted from time to time by the predictions of the 

 prophets of evil. Most of these predictions have already been 

 falsified, and these may now be left to oblivion ; but there are 

 some which have yet to be brought to the test of experience, 

 and one at least to which I ought to allude. It is said, 

 " You have been fortunate hitherto in your weather; wait till 

 you get a regular first-class cyclone." Some of the prophets 

 add a confident prediction that our works will then be utterly 

 destroyed. 



Now, I am by no means prepared to meet this assertion 

 with an equally confident one that the works will receive 

 no damage. I am content to wait the advent of a first-class 

 cyclone before I form my own judgment. But what I do 

 say is this, that the experience of other places where damage 



