to come in two days from Bankok, and fuel (billets of wood) in quantities (about 20,000 pieces) was collected. There was a schooner of about 150 tons lying off the shore at about 50 yards distance in 5 fathoms of water, but there is a bar, above where the schooner lay, across the mouth of the river Tsoompeon, with only 1 fathoms over it at low water. There would be no difficulty in making wharves for large ships, and, so far as we could observe, there would be no difficulty in making roads from Tsoompeon to this place. We found store-houses here with a couple of 32 Pr. Carronades belonging, we supposed, to the King's steamers, though we asked no questions about them. From the general appearance of the buildings, &c., we think it is a place not open to severe storms or heavy sea. This is confirmed by an extract from Commander Richards' "Gulf of Siam," taken from the Bankok Calendar, stating that "Heavy gales are unknown in the gulf.” With a view of establishing a communication across the Isthmus of Krau, it would be necessary, accurately to determine several points which would render such communication practicable with reference to the gulf of Siam, as we had ascertained in regard to our own side; this the time and commissariat at our disposal prevented us doing satisfactorily and we did not wish to exhibit a curiosity by asking too many questions which might have proved offensive to a friendly power. We made the distance from Tsoompéon to the sea shore 21 miles, making the total distance from Krau to the shore of the gulf about 50 miles. 14. At 7 P. M. 4th April we returned to Tsoompeon, surveying the river roughly; we passed Tayoung about 4 miles from the mouth a short distance up a creek which here falls into the Tsoompeon, we were told that two vessels of some 200 tons were loading there. Tayoung is large, said to consist of some 200 houses, we had not time to land, as we wished to get back to Apay this night. 15. We arrived at Tsoompeon at 10 A. M. and after much civility, which we hereby acknowledge, from Payar Teet the Governor, who provided us with two more elephants, we started on our return through heavy rain. Slept at Apay this night (4th April). Got to Krau the next day, 5th at 4 P. M., passing through the streams which had swollen a little from the heavy rain, the commencement of the monsoon. Went straight on board our boat, tested the cor rectness of the survey of the Pakchan (hereto annexed) said to have been executed by an Officer of the "Ganges" Steamer, which some fifteen years ago, was employed in conveying Captain Durand on an expedition up this river to settle a boundary question. Anchored for the night; arrived next day at noon on board the "Nemesis." 15. On the route from Krau to Tsoompeon we were struck with a remarkable change of geological features. We had observed, as we emerged on the plains of Tsoompeon, very marked looking abrupt hills, which, being accustomed to such in the limestone Islands of the Mergui Archipelago, we concluded were of the same group, but on closer examination they turned out to be sedimentary rocks of either the secondary or primary series, Captain Forlong inclines to think the latter, and to be closely allied to the old red sandstone group, the dip was N. E. by N. We were unable to collect specimens worthy of being forwarded. All the Islands of the gulf, that we could see, seemed of the same formation, worn into smooth rounded tops, but with perpendicular sides, some of the layers were as fine as thread, although generally half an inch thick,* all abounded in pebbles, and what Captain Forlong believes to be minute fossils. The rocks across the pass were mostly a quartzose sandstone. 16. It seemed, from our survey of the route, so manifest that a communication might be established with little comparative expense across this narrow neck of land, thus connecting the Bay of Bengal with the China sea by a route which would avoid the long, dangerous, and circuitous passage by the Straits of Malacca, that we thought it worth while to enter into a few calculations by which might be shown in figures the comparative advantages of the two routes. The following is the result, one which, to our minds, makes a further examination of the Isthmus of Krau worthy of immediate consideration by our Government in communication with that of Siam, as likely to prove of advantage to each, and of enormous value to commerce and the travelling world in general. It would relieve the commercial world to a great extent of the enormous steam charges which keep up the prices of the goods which form the staples of trade between Europe, India and China, and which render travelling almost prohibited, and it would open up a new and interesting country to the geologist and the botanist, [* Sic ex conject. The copy received has "thick. EDS.] and introduce a hardy and hard-working population (the Chinese) into provinces which contain mineral wealth in known and unknown quantities; wealth, which merely requires labour to develop to any extent, and in search of which the Chinese even now find their weary way, but who would then come in large numbers, especially as the new treaty allows them to emigrate with their families. Much and valuable information regarding the great mineral wealth of these provinces may be found in some interesting papers by Colonel Tremenheere, Bengal Engineers, and Professors Helfer and Oldham. 17. The Tables annexed I. II. & III. show the economy of fuel, establishment, and time, which would be arrived at by establishing easy communication across the Isthmus. A canal we consider out of the question. A railroad is not only quite practicable, but likely to cost less per mile than any other in India. 1st. Table I. exhibits the costs of the present line ....... ......... Rs. 39,700 00 Table III. the ditto, of ditto, kept up by C. &. B. S. N. Company from Calcutta to Maulmein viâ Akyab and Rangoon,......... Total Cost of present arrangement per month, ........... 40,200 0 0 11,900 0 0 91,800 0 0 2nd. Table I. shows again the cost of a line run- 32,900 0 0 ......... 17,300 0 0 Total cost of two lines which would answer all the 3rd. The saving therefore which would be derived by commerce and the travelling world, by establishing a communication across the Isthmus of Krau (provided it be quick and efficient,) by the mere calculation of saving of fuel and establishment of running steamers, will be represented by the sum of Rs. (91,800-50,200)= 41,600 per mensem, or Rupees 499,200 per annum which sum at 5 per cent. would give a capital of 100 lakhs, or one million sterling. 4th. The Tables do not show, however, the vast further saving which would accrue, by running two lines of steamers instead of three in the Bay of Bengal, and one line instead of two on the China side of the Siamese and Malay Peninsula; the reduction of the number of steamers, the saving thereby of steamers lying idle while not running, the concentration of coal depôts, and many other incidental expenses which of course increase according to the number of lines running. 5th. The Tables again do not show what a vastly more profitable undertaking it would be to run one through line from Calcutta viâ Akyab, and Rangoon to the Pakchan, and thence to China, instead of one with a terminus inland at Maulmein getting no traffic as compared with that which would open up to the through line, and another line direct from Calcutta to China, only touching at the Straits' Settlements. 6th. The 12 millions trade (if positive, but which is probably only a transit trade) of Singapore, Malacca and Penang, and the 14 millions of Netherlands-India, could easily command a steamer of its own, to run alternately on either side of the Malayan Peninsula, communicating with Krau on the one side for the Bay of Bengal, and Tayoung on the gulf of Siam, on the other, for China and Europe, as shown by dotted green lines on the general sketch map. It may occur to some, that the cost of this steamer should be deducted from the saving calculated in the 3rd clause. We think not, but there is much more than sufficient for it; and we may place this cost against that of the other private steamers, between Calcutta and Hong-kong viâ Singapore, not included in our calculations. 7th. From Point de Galle to the five-fathom anchorage in the Pakchan river, and from Tayoung, in the gulf of Siam to Hong-kong, Table I. shows to be 281 hours' steam (more or less does not matter for calculation, as the same rate of steaming is taken for all) while the route viâ Singapore is shown to be 337 hours' steam. We calculate, as hereafter shown, that the passage across the Isthmus of Krau would not ordinarily occupy more than twelve hours, with a liberal allowance of time. We have therefore a difference of time in favour of the Krau route [337 +12 | 281 +12] 56 hours. This is of much importance when we hold in view the costly nature of the produce and goods conveyed. It has also long been a desideratum to have a weekly communication with England, but the immense cost of putting on four steamers per month from Calcutta to Aden has hitherto, we suppose, deterred the P. & O. Company as they would thereby obtain no extra trade. But supposing the communication through Krau established, the extra trade that would be brought by the extension of the line of P. & O. Co.'s vessels to Krau, would pay for an extra steamer between Point de Galle and Aden, by means of which by making it meet the Bombay mail at Aden by bi-monthly steamers from Ceylon viâ Krau, the communication between England and Calcutta would be weekly; twice per month by the P. & O. Co.'s line viâ Point de Galle and Madras, and twice by the vessels viâ Krau to Calcutta, thus providing for the whole of the Eastern Coast of the Bay of Bengal viâ Krau, as the P. & O. Co. does for its western Coast via Madras. The time from Ceylon to Calcutta viâ Krau (by the direct steamer as hereafter mentioned) would be as follows. Nearly as quick as the route viâ Madras. 8th. By Table II. including 3 hours' stoppage at Akyab, 12 at Rangoon, 12 at Maulmein, 3 at Tavoy (Mamoogan) without going up the river, and 3 at Mergui, (the trade of the two latter places being about 5 lakhs), the number of hours between Calcutta and Krau by those places is shown to be (143 + 33) 176, while the further progress to China from Tayoung would be about 153 hours, or with 12 hours across the Isthmus of Krau, a total distance |