The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-16 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

have just seen in your paper of this day an
able and interesting article on the Godavery and
Kistnah Indian rivers. You therein describe one
of the innumerable acts of misgovernment of the
"Supreme Lords of India," and you describe some
of the dreadful results. You have, in that article,
referred to neglects, delays, and, in fine, to omis-
sions. Will you allow me to state, not an omission,
but an act committed, with regard to a river as im-
portant as either the Godavery or the Kistnah—
'lamely, the Indus ? The prosperity of Scinde depends,
in a great measure, upon controlling the waters of this
great river. Its periodical inundations at times subside
prematurely for agriculture ; the higher parts of that
portion of the land inundated are, in such cases, either
not reached by the waters, or left dry and exposed to
the powerful sun too soon, and so burnt up. Innumerable
large ditches, called in India " nullahs," run at right
angles from the river to all those lands, like the legs of a
centipede from its body. Up these ditches the waters
of the innundation flow, and by cutting them propor-
tionally deeper, the said waters reach further inland,
passing the limits of the innundation itself, however
high that may be. Now, it required no conjuror to see,
that by a proper arrangement of dams, with sluice-gates,
the waters of the iunundation, when at their highest
elevation, could be retained in the aforesaid nullahs, and
thus the power of irrigation be continued, in defiance
of any premature abatement of the innundation, till
the operations of the agriculturist no longer required
them ; he then would open his sluice-gates, and let the
waters rush back to their parent river. There are also,
vast results which would accrue from such a system to
the health of the people. To enter upon these last
would make my letter too long,
These views I submitted to Lord Ellenborough,
who immediately ordered me to form a department,
under engineer officers, exclusively appropriated to
the execution of this great work—viz., to take the
necessary levels, to cut large main nullahs, and to deepen
the nullahs already existing. This department was im-
mediately formed, and continued in full operation, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, of the Bombay Engineers,
while I remained Governor of Scinde.

I have no papers in London to which I can refer. I
speak from memory when I say that the whole expense
of this department was under the sum of 15,0001. a•
year. A few years would have completed the operations,
and the preservation of each portion of the general work
fallen to the charge of local magistrates. See the
" History of the Administration of Scinde " for a more
detailed account.

Now then for the part taken in this important project
for the improvement of Scinde by the " Supreme Lords
of India." The moment I left the government of Scinde
the Canal Department was abolished, and the expense or
several years 1 lbour in taking levels and forming canals
was then thrown' away—whether by the Court of Direc-
tors, by the Governor-General, or by the Bombay Go-
vernment I do not pretend to say.
I think, Sir, that this picture on the Indus, as regards
Indiar hydraulics, forms a tolerable pendant for yours of
the Godavery and Kistnah.—l remain your obedient
servant, C, J. NAron, Lt.• Gen.
London, May 11,