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CHAPTER II.
BBIEF DESCRIPTION or KARACHI.
Section 1.
1. Karachi the capital and the chief city of the province of Sind
is situated nearly at the apex of the Arabian Sea
in 24°.27' N. Latitude and 66°58' E. Longitude.
It is the third in importance of all the sea-ports of British India and is the
natural outlet of the trade for Sind and Punjab. It is the sea-board terminus
of the great railway system of the North-West, as far as Peshawar in the north
and round to Delhi in the east. The present importance of the port is due to
its being the nearest point of disembarkation, being 200 miles nearer to Aden
than Bombay, and may in future become the point of junction of the main
lines of railway to Europe.
2. Physical aspects. —The area within municipal limits comprises nearly
74 square miles and includes large areas of waste and dry lands and rocky
grounds, absolutely useless, and covered at certain seasons only by water. The
aspect of the surrounding district is hilly excepting that bordering on the
sea. Ranges of hills, lofty and barren, are found running from north to south
with deep wide valleys between. After heavy falls of rain these afford
good pasturage.
The area of Karachi, qua town, is much more limited, being only 5 square
mile3, and is in the shape of a triangle with its apex at the Custom House and the
base formed by a line from the Cantonment Station to the Government
gardens. Kiamari, with its long line of wharves, forms an entirely separate
district, separated from the mainland by a narrow creek (the China creek),
the village being two miles away from the city. Manora, Baba and Bhit are
islands facing the long line of wharves and have constant communication with
the mainland across the basin. On the north and the west a shallow break-
water spreads out, through which runs the one river " Lyari " and a number of
creeks connected with it. When heavy rain falls in the hills, the river flows
with water; but this occurs only for a few days of the year and generally it is
perfectly dry. The creeks are fringed with mangrove bushes, and drain the
marshy ground and mud flats which are covered with water at high tide.
The tidal waters of the creek have a scouring effect, and some of the mangrove
swamps are almost entirely submerged twice a day.
3. Hydrography.—The canals of the district are all in the Indus Delta
which extends from Ghizri to Ghar, 125 miles distant. The supply of water
to the city is obtained from two wells on the Malir river 16 miles away,
and is thence conducted by conduits into a distributing reservoir. The tanks
in the city are all filled up. There are 271 wells in the city, none being
found in the Civil Lines and at Kiamari which is the harbour proper. There
are 230 wells in the Lyari division which is a suburban village extending
beyond the Lyari river.
4. The town is not much above the mean sea-level, the greater part of it
being from 5 to 7 feet above that level, while the Civil Lines are from 10 to
30 feet upwards. The marshy areas to the west of these and beyond Queen's
Road are low-lying waste lands where the sea-water rushes in at spring tides
and forms shallow pools.
5. The vegetation is characteristic of a rainless climate, dry atmosphere
and a sandy soil impregnated with salts. Babul and milkbush are only seen
and there are no jungles round about. There is little natural undergrowth. A
great portion of the land on the east side—the Garden quarter—is under
cultivation, a majority of them being market gardens.
Section 2.
1. Climatic data.—The climate of Karachi resembles more nearly that
of Bombay, in temperature, humidity and equability.
The average mean annual temperature is 77.5° F.,