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196
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1908.
12. 13m - Vessels drawing 2 and 3 fathom water may go thro' either of these passages. At particular seasons of the year they occasion strong and dangerous Currents setting to Westward.
Chatham Islapd. Chatham Island in Port Cornwallis, on the Eastern side of the Island on which the present Settlement is Established, is sitnated in N. Lat180, 20m and in East Longitude from Greenwich 920, 55m. 55'. Its extreme Length, North & South, is a little more than 8000 yards. Its greatest Breadth at the North End is 900 yards; On this face the Colony is formed, the breadth varies inconsiderably, until it approaches the South end of the Island, where it terminates in Darrow spit, fordable at low Water to the Main, about 400 yards across.
Surface. The Surface is extremely irregular, being perpetual succession of Ridges & Valleys in all directions, the former are not very high, the sides of most of them are thrupt, and cut into deep Gullies by the Periodical Rains; the latter are in general narrow and confined, with
Ravine or Watter Course in the Center of each. The whole Leland is so thickly covered with Jungle, that it is difficult to calculate with accuracy the extent of level Land, judging from the few spots we have cleared, there can hardly be more than an eighth part level, or of an easy inclination. The high grounds are cloathed with Timber Trees, some of them of an astonishing size their Trunks are mostly concealed from view by innumerable strong creepers, which greatly impede our progress in clearing, they being interwoven in such a manner, as to render it impracticable to drag them down, or to get rid of them, except by fire. The Valleys abound with the wild Beetlo Nut, and various Trees of slight fibre, useless for the most part 48 Timber. The Sons of the Island, and all the neighbouring shores, are garnished with the Mangrove and other Aquatic Trees, some species of which afford good knees, and crooked Timbers for building boats and small vessels.
Soil. There is an artificial soil of rich black mould over the whole Island evidently formed by decayed leaves and other vegetable matter, it is seldom deeper than five or six inches, except around tbe Roots of the larger Trees, where it is often more than foot deep; beneath this is the natural soil, apparently of a Suift, fat, yellow loam, but experience has shown as that when filled for Cultivation, and exposed to the force of the Rains, it becomes a mere sand, and probably will not prove Tory Productive, as there is soarcely - Tree to be met with on the Island having a Tap Root, on the contrary the Roots extend to an incredible distance in search of the Artificial Soil, along the exterior Surface, and have so slight a hold of the ground that it is imprudent to leave single Trees standing as they usually fall the first Wind that blows. It is a question whether in clearing for the purposes of Agreculture, we may not deprive the Lands of the source of their most Prolific Soil, and when turned for Cultivation, whether the good Soil will not be washed away, has been the case in our Garden, at the expiration of the S. W. MORBoon, it was a mere bed of Sand, and we were under the necessity of collecting the Vegetable Mould from other places to restore ita fertility. The spot for this Garden was certainly ill chosen being at the foot of an extensive Ridge, and having a gradual slope to the Water edge; there are spots where we may resonably expect a more favorable issue, one of which we have cleared, and put into cultivation, s an experiment the approaching Monsoon. A small quantity of Paddy planted, proved very productive, and some Manilla Indigo seed afforded A most luxuriant Crop, and was from five to six feet high, and much superior in appearance to any I ever saw, either in the Deccan, the Douab, Bengal, the Carnatic, or Mysore Country.
Troog. Of Trees useful to an Infant Colony for common pa poses, there are many sorts, (Musters (samples] of which, with the Head Carpenters Account of them, aceompanying have been sent to you) it does not appear that any of them are equal to Teak or Sissoo, and very few to Saule
Oroopers Tiere are an immense variety of Creepers, the wild Pawn has been an Aoquisition to the Native Settlers, and two or three different species of Acetogs Vines, have proved highly beneficial to the Scorbutic Patients, the Bamboo, Ground Rattan, &c, are all useful.
