Notes of a journey across the Isthmus of Krà/Introduction
NOTES OF A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF KRÀ, &c.
In the early part of this year, as Commissioner for His Most Gracious Majesty The King of Siam.[1] I accompanied the French Expedition to survey the Isthmus of Krà[2] for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability of constructing a maritime canal to connect the Bay of Bengal with the Gulf of Siam. The Expedition landed at Paknam Chumpon,[3] on the east side of the Isthmus, on the 16th January, and left Muong Rehnong, on the west side, (Bay of Bengal), for France, via Penang and Singapore, about the 4th of April, the whole time occupied being two months and nineteen days.
I was with the Expedition the whole time, and had ample time and opportunity to make independent observations.
The following Notes, with the accompanying Map and Sections, are the result of observations then made, and, while not pretending to scientific accuracy, they may be relied on as being sufficiently accurate for all practical purposes.
I do not know, of course, what conclusion the French engineers came to on the subject, but my own opinion, formed after careful investigation, is that such a canal as that proposed is quite impracticable. My reasons for thinking so will appear in the course of the following paper.
It will be remembered that the idea of cutting through the Isthmus of Krà has been frequently mooted, and in 1863 a Survey was made on behalf of the Indian Government by Captain Alexander Fraser and Captain J. G. Forlong of the Bengal Engineers. Their report was published at the time, but as it is extremely interesting at present, and is not easily accessible. I have added it to this pamphlet as an appendix. It will be observed that these officers pronounced a canal to be impracticable, but they recommended a railway. It is evident however that their survey was very hastily and roughly made. Indeed they say so themselves. On one most important point they made a serious miscalculation They stated the height of the Krà Pass to be 75 feet above the level of the sea, which is clearly a very great underestimate. Lieutenant Bagges, who was sent by the Indian Government in 1868 to survey the boundary between Tenasserim and Siam, stated the height of the Krà Pass to be 250 feet, which agrees exactly with my own observations. The opinion therefore of Captains Fraser and Forlong regarding the practicability of a railway must be received with caution. But whether a railway could be made or not, I think in these days of swift steamers, it could not compete with them, and would not pay. Without further preface I shall proceed with my notes.
- ↑ In 1883, Chulalongkorn was King of Siam; Siam is now known as Thailand (Wikisource contributor note)
- ↑ See Kra Isthmus. (Wikisource contributor note)
- ↑ Part of Mueang Chumphon District (Wikisource contributor note).