'The views and opinions of Brigadier General John Jacob, CB. Aide-decamp to the Queen; Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of India, &c. &c. &c.; late commanding in chief the British forces in Persia; at present commanding the Sind Irregular Horse, and Political Superintendent of the North-West frontier of Sind.' [‎73] (104/481)

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be made to penetrate into the ground during the inundation
of the Indus, and whether thereby it might not be possible
to render the sub-soil sweet, and to make the wells in the
neighbourhood of the tank supply a sufficiency of fresh
water all the year round. It was also expected that
eventually the tank itself might be made to contain water
throughout the year.
The experiment, as far as it has gone, has been perfectly
successful, and the tank has proved a very great blessing
to the people. One of the wells in its neighbourhood, into
which the river-water was not turned, purposely to try the
percolation of the tank, has been rendered perfectly sweet,
whereas before it was brackish. The tank itself contained
water two months after the subsidence of the inundation ;
and if dug deeper would never be dry. * * * Of
course no masonry is used for lining the tank. (1852.)
EFFECT OF REMOVING DAMS.
I find that all the offshoots from the main feeder have
had their mouths constructed with dams projecting far into
the channel of the main feeder. This practice is most
injurious under any circumstances, is liable to the greatest
abuse, and has been the cause of much unfairness in the
supply of water to the landholders, without corresponding
benefit to any party.
While these dams greatly impeded the onward flow of
the water in the main channel, they really added very
little, if anything, to the quantity flowing into the smaller
canals, which (the main channel being sufficiently full)
must be regulated by the quantity drawn ofi from them foi
irrigation. * * * I therefore determined to remove
every particle of dam. I pon this, many of the landhold
ers refused to clear their canals, and gave out that the
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