KURRACHEE (KARACHI) PAST: PRESENT AND FUTURE ALEXANDER F. BAILLIE, F.R.G.S., 1890 BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF VICTORIA ROAD CLERK STREET, SADDAR BAZAR KARACHI REPRODUCED BY SANI H. PANHWAR (2019) KUR R A CH EE: PA ST:PRESENT:A ND FUTURE. KUR R A CH EE: (KA R A CH I) PA ST:PRESENT:A ND FUTURE. BY A LEXA NDER F.B A ILLIE,F.R.G.S., A uthor of"A PA RA GUA YA N TREA SURE,"etc. W ith M a ps,Pla ns & Photogra phs 1890. Reproduced by Sa niH .Panhw a r (2019) TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR MOUNTSTUART ELPHINSTONE GRANT-DUFF, P.C., G.C.S.I., C.I.E., F.R.S., M.R.A.S., PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, FORMERLY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA, AND GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF MADRAS, ETC., ETC., THIS ACCOUNT OF KURRACHEE: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HIS OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. INTRODUCTION. THE main objects that I have had in view in publishing a Treatise on Kurrachee are, in the first place, to submit to the Public a succinct collection of facts relating to that City and Port which, at a future period, it might be difficult to retrieve from the records of the Past ; and secondly, to advocate the construction of a Railway system connecting the GateofCentralAsiaand the Valley of the Indus, with the Native Capital of India. I have elsewhere mentioned the authorities to whom I am indebted, and have gratefully acknowledged the valuable assistance that, from numerous sources, has been afforded to me in the compilation of this Work; but an apology is due to my Readers for the comments and discursions that have been interpolated, and which I find, on revisal, occupy a considerable number of the following pages. I am inspired with the hope that this extraneous matter may serve to relieve the otherwise uniform gravity and monotony of my subject. ALEXANDER F. BAILLIE. LONDON, May, 1890. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. THE EMPRESS MARKET .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 THE OLD TOWN: VIEW FROM THE BANDAR ROAD .. .. .. 30 MANORA POINT .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 53 THE WATER-WORKS: STAND FOR BULLOCK SERVICE .. .. .. 96 NATIVECART .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97 GOVERNMENT HOUSE .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 125 THE " SIND CLUB" AND FRERE HALL .. .. .. .. .. 127 KNIVES TO GRIND! .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 143 A NATIVE FLOUR MILL .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 149 MUGGER PEER: THE SACRED ALLIGATORS .. .. .. .. 158 SHEEP: BRITISH AND FOREIGN .. .. .. .. .. .. 170 PLANS AND MAPS. KROTCHEY, KROKALA— MASCALL .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 ADDENDUM. THE Author desires to acknowledge, with thanks, the aid and assistance that he has received from a number of Published Works, Public Institutions, and Personal Friends, of which and of whom the following is, he fears, an incomplete List:— Andrew, W. P.: "The Indus and its Provinces." Asiatic Society of Bengal: Journals of the. Asiatic Quarterly Review: "Karachi and its Future," by Major-General Sir F. J. Goldsmid, K.C.S.I., C.B.; "The Great Indian Desert," by Horace Bell. Baillie, A. W. Mowbray, B.A., Barrister-at-law: Arabic Derivations. Baillie, Neil B. E.: "Digest of Moohummudan Law"— "Is the Sultan of the Turks the Caliph of the Mussulmans?" Barnes, C. (Lt. R.N.R.), Commander of the "Branksome Hall." Barros, Joao de ; "Asia Portugueza." Batten, George H. M.— Personal Communications. Bell, Horace: "The Great Indian Desert." Black, C. I. (Rev.): "The Proselytes of Ishmael." Bombay Government: Selections from the Records of the. Bombay Presidency: Reports of the Administration of the. Brunton, J. Forrest, A. M. Inst. C.E.: Memoranda. Brunton, John, M. Inst. C. E.: Reports on Scinde Railway Extension, Burton, Sir Richard F., K.C.M.G.: "Scinde Revisited." Couto, Diogo do: The "Decadas." Daily News: The. Deschanel's Natural Philosophy, by J. D. Everett, M.A. Dilke, Sir Charles: "The Biluch and Afghan Frontier of India." Eastwick, Edward B.: "Murray's Handbook of the Bombay Presidency." Fitz Patrick, Frank: 80th (South Staffordshire) Regiment. Fortnightly Review: "The Biluch and Afghan Frontier of India." Goldsmid, Major-General Sir F.J., K.C.S.I.,C.B.: "Karachi, and its Future." Grant-Duff, James C.: "History of the Mahrattas." Green, Major-General Sir Wm. H. R., K.C.S. I.: Personal Communication. Hamilton, Captain Alexander: "A New Account of the East Indies" (1744). Hughes, A. W.: "Gazetteer of the Province of Sind." Hunter, Sir W. W., K.C.S.I.: "The Imperial Gazetteer," and other Works. India Office: Record Department of the. Indo-European Telegraph Company, Limited. Karachi Municipality: Reports of the Managing Committee of the. Keene, H.G., C.I.E., M.R.A.S.: "A Sketch of the History of Hindustan." Kurrachee Chamber of Commerce: Reports of the Managing Committee of the. Kurrachee Harbour Works: Correspondence selected from the Records of the Bombay Government. Lambert, G. N. P., M. Inst C. E.: Personal Communication, Leslie, Sir Bradford, K.C.I.E.: Memorandum on the Delhi-Kotri Railway. Personal Communications and Annotations. Malcolm, Sir John, G.C.B.: "The Political History of India." Manchester Chamber of Commerce: Monthly Record of the. Manchester Guardian: The. Mc Gregor, W. L. (Dr.): "The History of the Sikhs." McHinch, Alexander (Lieut.-Col.): Speeches and Letters. Napier, Sir William: "Narrative of the Administration of Scinde." Neill, J. Martin B. (Captain): " Recollections of Four Years' Service in the East with the 40th Regiment." Notes and Queries. Orlich, Leopold von (Captain): "Travels in India." Pascoe, Lieut. T.C. (R.N.): Hydrographic Notice— Sind. Pioneer: The. Pollen, J. Dr. (Bo. C.S.): Paper read to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and Private Memoranda. Porter, John (Lieutenant H.C. Marine): " Remarks on the Bloachee, Brodia, and Arabian Coasts, 1787." Pottinger, Sir Henry: "Travels in Bloochistan." Price, W. H., M. Inst. C. E.: Paper read before the Society of Arts (London), and Personal Annotations. Railways of India: Administration Report of the. Royal Asiatic Society: Journals of the. Royal Geographical Society: Proceedings of the. Royal United Service Institution: "Die Weltstillung Englands," by Major Otto Wachs. Rustomjee, H. J., Esq., of Kurrachee: Records, and Verbal Communications. Saturday Review: The. Scinde Irregular Horse: Record Book of the— (1853). Scinde Railway Extension: Chief Engineer's Reports. Sind Gazette: The Strachan, James, M. Inst. C.E.: Letters and Memoranda on the Kurrachee Water-works. Times: The. Times of India: Calendars and Directories of the. Trevor, E. W., Col., Bo.C.S., Collector of Hydrabad: Verbal Information. Tyrrell, the Honourable Wm., B.A., Judge of the High Court, N.W.P. Vincent, Dr. William: "The Voyage of Nearchus." Wilkins, W. J.: "Hindu Mythology," Winter, Charles A.: Personal Communications. Yule-Burnell: " Glossary of Anglo-Indian Words." Yule, Colonel Sir Henry, K.C.S.I. (the late): Personal Communications. NOTE.— Since my remarks on the Kurrachee Tramways were in print, the Company has been compensated by the Secretary of State for India in Council, for any injuries sustained through the extension of the North Western (State) Railway. This fact deserves to be recorded, but I do not think that it will be found to militate against the general argument submitted in the Eighth Chapter of this Work. A. F. B. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. KURRACHEE— A RETROSPECT.— Its intermittent notoriety and oblivion— The rapid increase of population and of trade after the British occupation— Under what name shall its history be recorded? — The Jonesian system of transliteration— Ras Muari and Ras Manora— The Manora Light House — Its geographical position, distances from Southampton to Bombay and Kurrachee— The future Capital of the Indian Empire — The Capture of Manora— First impressions by an eye-witness— Preliminaries to the Conquest of Sindh— Sharp practice— Sir Charles Napier in command— The capture of Imamghir — Wellington's opinion of the exploit— Outram and the gallant defence of the Residency at Hydrabad — Battles of Meeanee and Dabo— The percussion-cap in action— The brave Balochis— Her Majesty's Twenty-second— The Scinde Irregular Horse— Suicide and Murder— Napier's proclamation .. .. .. .. 2 CHAPTER II. A RETROSPECT (continued).— Dr. W. Vincent and the Sandy Isle of Arrian — The first harbor in the Indian Ocean occupied by an European Navy— Mr. Mascall's plan of the harbor— As to the identity of Kurrachee with Port Alexander— The formation of coast lines— How sandbanks and sand-hills are constructed— The report of Commander Carless on the harbour— Kurruck the predecessor of Kurrachee— Former entrance to the harbor — The tradition of an earthquake— Sir Bartle Frere and General Tremenheere— The late Seth Nao Mull, C.S.I.— Brahmanabad— Captain Alexander Hamilton— The Decadas of Diogo do Couto— The Portuguese in Sindh— Early Arabian voyagers — Indian whirlpools— The liver-eaters— Nagar Thato— Porter's expedition and visit to Kurrachee in 1774-5— Major Rennell— The founding of Hydrabad— Kelat and Kurrachee— The first English Factory withdrawn— Capture of Kurrachee by the Talpurs. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 CHAPTER III. ITS CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE CONQUEST.— HOW Docks are built— The Ports on the Indus— Aurunga Bandar— The Earthquake again— The Factory at Tatta and its suspension— Early visits to the Port— Sir H. Pottinger's mission— His opinion of the defences of Manora— The Mission of Sir Alexander Burnes— Dr. Percival Lord's statement — The action of Porwan-Durrah— The garrison of Manors in Lord's time— The present and future importance of Kurrachee— The remissness of the Amirs in the defence of the Port— The condition of the place before its capture—