AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION OF SIR JOHN MALCOLM’S. 
« 7 . 
tnent of this cotintiy tliaii nny other means I am 
awaie of. 'I'o snperinieiul and coiiiiiict tucli a 
work, the (Jovei iiiiieiii (If) not want for scieiiiilic 
nicn.riiiU oiiis is ilieoiily treat |)f)\vei wliicli lias 
not liiilKMto rcsoiied to such icsomces for tiie iin- 
ptovenieiit of tlie country. The road from Miiza- 
poor to JIfaiisy Gl)atii, tlie Itoider of tiie Niiisiiiu- 
p. Df (list) ict, is alieady toinplete, aloii!; uhich the 
rails iniuiit 1)6 laid ; stone qaariit's ate nnnieroiis 
alo))i» the whole line of road, fi« m n hich sleepers 
foi la\ ill” the r.ii's in could he tot ; the tains would 
have no etfect whatever in injuiios; the utad, and 
Wells alieady sunk or other sii()plies of water at 
Convenient distances for tlie einaines- 'I’o work the 
foal, wiilioni sncit means for the removal, would he 
of no advantage, even sn()|)osin‘' that the exnense 
of seitditi!' coal to the Upper Piovinces from Cal- 
cnlia hetriken into consideration, land caniage so 
far (.itheiwise than byiail-ioad catiiage) would be 
too ex pensive- 
The folloivini; extract from a letter fiom Ma- 
jor Geneial Sir I. Malcolm, G c H. will show 
his opinion as to the iia\i”:dion of the Kei hnddah. 
I'lom a memoiandnm of Mr. Wehlie, lie- 
venue Sniveyor, in the office of Major Williams, 
and a well iiifoimed man, it ap|)e:iis, that for seven 
or eifjht months in the year, la. ge Innits navigate 
the Net htnidah, as high as 'l elekwarrai), without 
any inconvenience, and though they might go ten 
01 twelve milts higher up the i iver, dti) iiig a few 
months when it is at the highest, I see no advantage 
ill llxingtlie depot of dehai kation for stores above 
this town, which, from its size, healtliincss, and 
the well cntiivateil country in its vicinity, is every 
way calculated for such a purpose. 
I have q')iie esiahlished by the surveys of Liienle- 
nants tlansaid aitd Mathias, that the Neil)nddah 
fioiti the Huinti I’ahc.l or Deei’s leap (as it is locally 
termed irojn the narrowness of the channel), wheie 
it enters the broken li Iges of the Santpoorali range, 
to below the fall of Mnkiee, a shot t distance above 
Telekwarrali, is, frutn the nigged nature of its bed. 
Its coniiacied sticams, immerons lapids, tind the 
formalioii of its haulms, iiicapalrle of ever being leii- 
deied navigable ihrongliont that spate. 'I liis f.ict 
makes i t i)idispensal)le to proceed front land by 
Telekwa) tall to some point at)ove the Hiiinti Pa- 
ha!, and 1 should fix the place for leceivin-g and 
proieciiiig such stores and goods at or near Clii- 
ciildali, from whence they could be le embaikcd 
and co)iveyed to Moheysii , of with a shot t passage 
of a few hnmlred \ards at Sahasni diintih (oi the 
thousand tails) to M niidle) sir, from w hence they 
can go with case foiiy or lilty miles higiier. 
A memo) adnm ft um Lien enant Mathias, shews, 
that even in At)iil, when the river was at its 
lowest, lie was able to go fiom Mnndletsir to 
the iiutnn Palial in small ctafi,an(l that he went 
to Bioach fiom Telekwariah in a boat of lolei- 
able size, as late as the month of May. 'the 
infoi mtitioii received by this officer fully con- 
lirms that given by Mr. ehh, hoili as to the size of 
the boats (as large as 12 ) caitdies or *2,400 mannds 
hnrthen) employed in the trade between Uioach and 
Telekwa i nih- 
Of the piaciicability of the navigation of the 
Nerhnddah hetweim Chicnldali and Mnndleysir 
.(with the easy pos age nuliced), 1 could have no 
doubt fiom Licnlenant Mathias’ ohsei vaiions, and 
I was also acquainted with the fact, that a liade 
between Cliicnidah and Mohej sir has always been 
carried on in small boats. But being anxious to 
establish this point, beyond the possil)iliiy of doubt, 
1 leqnesicd Majoi Wilson accompanied by Capiaiii 
Stewart of the 1st Cavalry to pioceed to the Unrun 
I’alial, in tiie end of last month, when the small 
quantity of tain iliat liad fallen lendeied the river 
uncommonly low for tlie reason- 'I he result of the 
examination of this pail of tlie river was, that 
with tlie exception of the postages of SahasnrdU)iah 
near Moheysir, where tne river from the falls or 
rather ia|)ids is always very diffictili and soine- 
liines dangerous, the, navigation between Mm;, 
dleysir and Chiculdah was practicable for ligh^ 
craft nine or ten months in the year, and Major 
^Yi!son fill titer informs me (hat fiom his inquiries, 
and from llie meteorological ohsei vaiions he has 
made since he went to Mnndleysir, the wind 
blows tliionghout this period almost alw'ays from 
the wesiwaid, increasing with the monsoon, and 
etiiihliiig boats, wiieii the cm lent is at its height of 
violence, to stein it and to come in iwo and three, 
and sometimes in one (lay from Chiculdah to Mu* 
hey sir. The laige and rather heavy passage boat 
in which he went down came tip lioiii Dherl 
(near the Hnrnn Palial) passing the lapids at Saha- 
snrdunah in lour dais. But the liver helweeii 
tiie Ilnrmi Pahal and Mnndleysir is almost jii^ 
stiaight line, which is a great advantage to the flat 
bottomed crti ft, as they have never to shift a sail in 
coming tip, while in going down they ate aided by 
the cm rent, and where that is slow and the water 
ghallow, they are punted. 
These facts w ill satisfy Government, there are no 
charges of any consequence likely to atise out of 
the execution of this plan, and the following may 
he eiinmeiated among the advantages with. which li 
will be attended. 
This Toicenow receives its arms, stores, and 
all Emopeaii at tides of piihltc supply from Cal- 
cutta, by the way of Agra, w hich may be calculated 
as a watei carriage of neaily four inmiihs, while 
the distance by land (which is 469 miles) may be 
computed as a march of two months. 
By the line prop. )sed, arms, stores, and stippltea 
of all desci iptions would come lioin Boinhay to 
Bioach, which is the Depot of that Presidency foi the 
ti()(>|)S employed ill its westei'ii ten iioiies, in four 
or five days, in an equal time, there would be 
landed at 'i'elekwai r:ih, and the journey of one 
butidred miles over good roads to the entrepot at 
Chiculdah would easily he accomplished in eiglii 
or ten days and the lemaining dislance by water to 
Mondieysii would not occii|)y more tbaii four or flve 
(lays, At Mitiitlleysir all that cottlil he conveyed on 
elephants, camels and liullotks would he w’iihin 
one (lays, marcli of the De|)ot Jam, and I wo of 
Mhow, while what required wheel cai i iage heiiijfv 
conveyed sixteen miles highei np the liver (and 
the iiiivigiitiuii is wiilioiit ohsti nciioii), would go 
in tliice days, march to Mhnw by the Sutiiiole 
Ghaut. 
From the above statement it appears that arms, 
stores, and all articles «f militaiy supply might be 
bi ought tiom Bombay in a foitiiighi t)y water, and 
a foitni'ihi by land caniage. The saving of money 
fiom this chang-e of ihe (.htinnel of supply must lie 
very great, and tlie dirteieiice of time between one 
and six months is also impoitant. But this even 
is not so essential as tlie coinpaiaiive siiength of 
the two lines. From Broach to Mnndleysir with 
the posts proposed at 'l elekwanah and Cliicnidah, 
1 could piotertihe commnnicalion, iindei almost 
any circumstances, with a lew companies of infaii* 
liy, wheieas that with Agia is esjiosed in a degree 
tliiit would make it incapable of being kept open 
except by large bodies of men. This latter con- 
siil( ration may icfer to an impiohahle stale of 
ali'tiiis, hat sncli talcnlations man be made in the 
esiablisbmeni of all militaiy lines, and paiticular- 
ly those by wiiicli troops receive tlieir arms, am- 
innnilion, and sioies. 
M) iiti( niioii bas lieen directed to Die oltject of 
eveiitii.illy opening tlie foi met direct inteiconise 
between, Sniat and Malwa, by Tikiee and Snlian- 
poor, but this lo.id has been abandoned for near a 
ceiiiniy ami the greater part of it is completely over- 
grown. 'Lite conniry also is desolate, and the few 
scattered inlia'>iiants at e plnndereis yet to lie re- 
cliiimt d. Some yeais, therefore, must elapse be- 
fore this can be (lone. 'I iie late successful elforts 
of Ca)>t;iin Bi iggs in settling Ihe districts of Sn I tan- 
poor, and tlie disposition vvliich the Blieels have, 
recently sliewn to reform will no donlu accelerate, 
its accomplishment, hot that cannot affect the 
utility of the line now proposed, as the dislance h|r 
land from Suiat to Mundleysii by ibis direct route 
