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Taking soundings on board a steamer on the Indus, 1876. Creator: Unknown
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Taking soundings on board a steamer on the Indus, 1876. Creator: Unknown
Taking soundings on board a steamer on the Indus, 1876. The navigation of this great river, which, below the confluence of the Punjaub "five rivers"...has yet a further course of five hundred miles to the sea, should afford considerable aid to inland commerce. The Indus is navigable...nearly a thousand miles from the ocean, though still 8- or 900 miles from the source of this wonderful stream in the Himalayas of Thibet. But its channel is...greatly obstructed by shifting sands, and it undergoes frequent alterations of the bed and rapid variations of the currents, which make it needful to observe the greatest care with the steam-boats of very light draught...A passenger...will often hear the cry "Charr Fo-oo-t!" "Four Feet!" [uttered by] the man with the sounding rod, in the bow of a river steamer which has gone aground...It happens...two or three times a day in the dry season...and it occasionally causes a delay of several hours'. From "Illustrated London News", 1876
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Taking Soundings on Board a Steamer on the Indus, 1876
EDITORS COMMENTS
is a captivating photograph that offers a glimpse into the past of river navigation on the Indus, one of the longest rivers in Asia. The image depicts a group of men on the deck of a steamer, intently focused on their work as they take soundings in the river. The Indus, which flows through Pakistan and India, was an essential waterway for inland commerce, with a navigable length of nearly a thousand miles from the ocean. However, the river's vast expanse, which extended another 500 miles to the sea and 800 miles from its source in the Himalayas, presented unique challenges. The Indus was notoriously unpredictable, with its channel frequently obstructed by shifting sands and undergoing rapid variations of the currents. As a result, navigating the river required utmost care, especially for the light-draft steamers. The men in the photograph are taking soundings to determine the depth of the water, ensuring the safety of their vessel as they traversed the river's ever-changing bed. The cry of "Charr Fo-oo-t!," or "Four Feet!" can be heard frequently from the man with the sounding rod, located in the bow of the river steamer. This warning signaled that the vessel had run aground, a common occurrence in the dry season, and could cause several hours of delay. Despite these challenges, the Indus remained a vital artery of commerce and transportation, connecting the inland regions to the sea. This photograph provides a fascinating window into the past, offering a glimpse into the daily life of river navigators on the Indus in the late 19th century.
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