Copy.
Enclosure 2.
Report by the Harbour Master.
C.O.
549
1 10426
RECEIVED
(REG 2 JUN 30)
Eight old junks were sunk on Kellett's Bank last May. The cost of this was $2,037. They were sunk in one line about 250 yards in extent.
In making this experiment, the junks were not sunk close together, the object being to spread them over as large an area as possible consistent with the idea of causing an obstruction to the current and then a silting up of the sand and mud on the Bank. If a continuous line is required, about double the number of junks would be necessary, and to block Kellett's Bank in case of war the line of obstruction would extend about one mile, or eight times the extent of the present line. This would give about 128 junks for a single line.
But a single line, while causing some obstruction, would not block the passage except to the larger class of vessels, and I think that at least three rows should be sunk more or less on top of one another, whereby I estimate that, as long as the junks hold together, the passage would be blocked to all except very light draught vessels.
This brings the number of junks up to 384 and the cost estimated on the basis of the experiment, but which it is probable it would exceed to not far short of $100,000.
The time that would be occupied is extremely difficult