1830.^ 
On Raising Water, 
1 55 
V. — On Raising TVater, 
To the Editor of Gleanings in Science. 
As my line of life and situation in the Mofussil, afford opportunities of use- 
ful observations upon some of the topics on which your correspondents touch, I 
send you the following remarks, hoping they may be acceptable to some of your 
1*0 ciders • 
I shall begin by remarking that your correspondent, who writes on the relative 
value of lands between India and England, only takes one crop into consideration! 
He, I suppose, is a resident of the up country, but I beg to remark, that in this quai- 
ter the lands average nearly four crops in the year, (giving from two to six,) 
are never allowed to^lie fallow. The profits of all these crops must be calculated be- 
fore a just comparison can be made. 
With respect to the best method of raising water, the China Pump far excels all 
others as yet in use in this part of the country, for Indigo purposes. I have filled 
a loaded vat, measuring 22 feet by 22, and 4 feet deep, with 14 men, in 23 mi- 
nutes, raising the water above 15 feet perpendicular height, by the China Pump. 
The same number of men on the bucket pump took 32 minutes, while I believe the 
bullock (bucket pump) of my neighbour took 40. The plant in the vat I suppose 
occupied one-third of the space, but cannot say sufficiently correct to calculate the 
quantity of water raised. The English Pump is too subject to derangement, or 
rather too difficult to repair, and cannot be safely trusted to but in large factories, 
where, if one goes wrong, it will not stop the work. 
A reservoir is always necessary where there are bullock pumps ; and where 
there is a reservoir, bullock pumps are by far the best ; as we are then independent 
of coolies. 
In Bengal we consider the bullock pump 
and reservoir the best, but most expensive 
way of filling vats ; the China Pump the 
quickest ; the basket and lever the cheapest, 
most simple, and least subject to derange- 
ment. The mol, in your number for Ja- 
nuary, will not throw water high enough 
for indigo purposes, without two lifts ; 
which would be disadvantageous, although 
one beam would be sufficient to work both. 
The Cylinder Pump 1 you introduced to 
our notice is probably far superior to any 
we have at present in use ; should any of 
your correspondents be acquainted with its 
powers, he would much oblige us by com- 
municating information on the subject : — 
even that pump is far from perfect ; it has 
too many cog wheels ; the pivots, or pad- 
dles, which raise the water, are too far 
from the fulcrum, thereby wasting power, 
and a loss is sustained by water escaping 
through the curvatures along with the 
pivots ; to remedy which, I would propose 
using two cogs instead of cylinders, as in . . , - 
the accompanying sketch, (No. 1), by which one wheel would be avoided, the 
power increased, and the size of the outer cog wheels might be much diminished. 
A tread mill, like that used for the China pump, might be applied to it with advantage. 
I shall conclude by enquiring of some of your scientific correspondents, if 8 or 
10 inches of a worm screw, contained in a pipe, immersed in watei, and turned by 
a long rod, would not throw up water, and to what height it would raise it . 
I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, 
Bengal, March , 1830. An IndI( "° Planter. 
Remark by the Editor. The screw proposed by our correspondent, if we un 
derstand him rightly, would raise water, but at an enormous expense of means. 
For it is evident that the screw, in turning, would not only have to raise the 
but to support the great weight of the whole column filling the shat . ns 
1 The Rotatory Pump of Mr, Jo?, Eve, described in our second number,— 
