'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎238] (347/496)

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the meantime it is useful for ship’s purposes. She made good progress
during the afternoon. The strip of cultivated land on the right bank, op
posite to Mooltan, is very narrow,—three to five miles broad,—only the
mounds and waves of desert sand, topped by stunted bushes, being
visible in many places, but, wherever water is raised and distributed, the
soil is abundantly fertile. The fuel of Kandah wood continues excel-
1 ent: in Mooltan, a camel load of five maunds costs two to three annas,
but this is not split and shaped for furnaces. To-day, during four hours
and twenty minutes gained fourteen miles over the current. Several clay
banks in channel of river this day.
Sept. 11th.—Navigation of the IZavee river dangerous .—Left early,
and at 4.30 p. m., after running twenty-four miles over the current in
nine hours, entered the Eavee river and steamed up about a mile and a
half, the channel very winding, having banks of clay from three to nine
feet high—the color of the water red. Though the passage down the Sut
lej had not occupied half the time of former ones (see comparative state
ment marked A.) yet the water in the Eavee was too low to hope for
a successful run up, or to indulge any expectation of being able to pass
down, and out of the river again, even if we persevered and succeeded
in getting up opposite Lahore. The letter from the Eesident specially
mentioned that, from all accounts, he feared the season was too far ad
vanced for ascending the Eavee, in which case he begged that I would
attempt the ascent of the Chenab river. After steaming with consider
able risk up the Eavee for the short distance effected, the obstruction
to further progress was a steep bank of clay rising in the centre of the
river’s channel. While steaming in ten feet water, to pass this on the port
hand, a cross current carried the vessel towards it against the helm: the
engines were eased and stopt, but the port wheel took the continuation
of the bank under water, and the shock was like striking a rock. The
vessel washed clear, and an anchor was let go. On examining the wheel,
several arms were found broken. Men were sent out to look for a chan
nel, and the greatest depth, a little above, vv T as found to be two feet. nn
dler these circumstances it was but common prudence, at this late period,
to give up the attempt, and proceed at once up the Chenab, as suggest
ocl. It is barely possible that with two or three days’ labour, and on
lightening the vessel, we might pass up the Eavee; but it is not at all
probable that we could come down again before the rise of the river m
April next year, supposing that we were now to persevere and ascend
-the Eavee all the way to Lahore. Under these circumstances, the ves
sel is taken back to the main stream of the Chenab, and secured for the