Gunn

Gunn Papers: Box 2

‘Report on the Chong Kumdun Dam and the Shyok flood’, by J.P. Gunn, Executive Engineer. The text and the numerous diagrams are printed; there are many photographs. 29 pages of text.Note on the cover: ‘This paper is a technical one, issued for the information mainly of the Public Works Department, by the Punjab Government. The statements made, and the opinions expressed, are those of the writer, and are not necessarily those of the Punjab Government’.
This document is undated, but appears to have been written in 1929, when, because of the danger of flooding in the Attock district, the Government of Punjab arranged to carry out surveys in the Attock neighbourhood and to despatch an expedition to investigate the glaciers of the Upper Shyok. Attock lies between Peshawar and Rawalpindi close to the Indus river in the northern part of the Punjab. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus, joining it many hundreds of miles upstream from Attock. The Upper Shyok flows to the north and east of Leh in the Himalayas in Kashmir.The expedition consisted of Gunn, Mr. Ludlow and two Indians. It left Srinigar on 22 May, reaching Leh on 6 June. After observations requiring a great deal of travelling in the Upper Shyok area, the party returned to Leh on 30 August and reached Srinagar on 14 September.

This document is useful for water-engineers and possibly to geographers, but has nothing of political or social interest.
‘Background to the Indus water dispute’, by J.P. Gunn.This document consists of 15 large pages, typewritten with three printed diagrams and one printed map of Punjab canals and works.
It begins with a description of the development of canals and irrigation in the area commanded by the rivers of the Indus system – the former provinces of the North West Frontier, Punjab, Sind and the neighbouring Indian States. However, with the partition of India the whole of the irrigation in the Punjab was upset, partly by mass migrations but largely by the location of the National Boundary which cut across the canal systems’. (p, 10)

The paper then continues with an account of projected plans for adjusting and improving the water supply system, and the difficulties that arose from political reasons. The World Bank promised the loan of the necessary funds on condition that a fair allocation of the water was agreed to by both sides. But the Bank found many difficulties, ‘the most serious of all … that the plans put forward by the two sides (India and Pakistan) differ fundamentally in concept’.

Eventually in 1954 the Bank put forward its own scheme which was accepted by India but not by Pakistan. There is an account of the work done by the two sides; (how far there was cooperation, or not, between the two sides is not clear to a layman; an engineer with a close knowledge of the geography of the area might have a clearer understanding). The World Bank put forward new proposals in the summer of 1957, which were not accepted; in February 1958 further proposals were under consideration when this document was being written. The paper closes with a final comment that the ‘success of the World Bank in confining the dispute to the conference table can surely be claimed as one of its major achievements’.

This paper is not technical and can be understood by a layman, but a close knowledge of the geography of the Punjab and of the river systems is necessary for a clear understanding of its contents.
Miscellaneous letters from Gunn to his mother and occasionally to his father, written from India and Mesopotamia between the years 1918 and 1929.

Gunn Papers: Box 1

Lent by W.A. Gunn

MS copy of diary kept by Mr. W.A. Gunn during his first trip up country in Burma where he was with T.D. Findlay & Co.

6 December 1923. describes the journey to Holai by cart and car as a young man not knowing the language. Journeys by night largely because of height and heat. Finds station etiquette tiresome. At Loilem sees rebels in jail with whom he sympathizes.
24 December. at Holai, and hears he is to be sent to inspect ‘girdling’ operations south of Mawkmai. Leaves for jungle
3 January 1924. from Pan Tong . Meets caravan from Trans Salween 150 bullocks loaded with betel nut. Starts girdling teak trees from camp in jungle. Lances headman’s inflamed arm. Working in forest. Plays Chinlon. In the ravine girdles 257 trees average 7 ft. girth.
16 January. Moves camp to Ta Pung Ko to girdle in theHwe Pungleng. Works six miles from camp. Trees scarce. Joined by 2 other forest officers. Large camp. Gets poisoned legs and is laid up for over a week. Goes on working.
13 February. Finishes ravine and moves to next thankfully. Girdled 1,092 trees since 3 January.
18 February. Moves camp again. Heat increasing. Mail oncea week. ‘ Extremely difficult country. Eclipse of the moon, which causes the Shans great excitement. Sandflies, great heat, little game. Fever. Very long walks to girdling area. Stores running out.
22 March. Girdling finishes having done 2,477 trees. Joins Stearns and they return slowly to Holai, with stores running out. No shooting, close season and Reserve.
24 April. Arrive Holai. Goes shooting with the Sawbwa (local king) and they entertain him to breakfast afterwards. Leaves Bolsi. Inspects elephant camps and stores.
17 May. On tour again. Near Kadugyi meet a hill tribe called Toungoos. Preparations for a very big pwai.
19 May. The rains begin. Measuring timber.
22 May. Sees the end of the pwai.
24 May. Foster-mothering in elephants.
27 May. Touring and camping in heavy rain. Flying ants.
6 June. Leave Holai for jungle taking 16 elephants and young, having prepared to be there until about October. Glad to leave after inactivity.
7 June. Camp life described vividly. Mad dog, flying ants, torrential rain
In the Pan Valley. Description of propitiation of nats or local spirits and deities. Watch elephants working on tikes. Description of logging. Rogue elephant attacks the camp in the night in search of rice. Logging begins again on 27th. Second rogue elephant attacks the camp. Old elephant goes musth. Logging timber at headwaters of the Pan. Logging continues, moving camp frequently following loggers. Sandflies, mosquitoes, rain and rogue elephant, and fever. Same daily routine.
24 July. Entry about different qualities of teak logs. Difficulties of working during the rains in swollen rivers. The Pan rises to greatest height on 21 August – teak logs float 100 yards from river bed. Desoription of Shan huts and method of living. Incident of man going temporarily mad from drinking raw spirit and slashing another. Returns to Holai. They take Karen boy with dislocated hip with them — On holiday . Go to Tounggyi where the Karen is examined. Nothing to be done. Go to Kalaw, where they go to the club. Dancing, golf, bridge etc. Most people there are Eurasian. Goes to Reho and takes Burmese examination and passes with fever. Bad bout of fever. On trek again, but in bullock cart because of weakness.
27 November. Starts on his own to the Leng. Different country from the Pan and difficult. Misses colleague, and therefore without knowledge of the country. Ranger has not called on him, he cannot call first. Ranger doing bad work in girdling. Arrival of the Forest Officer, Brown. Description of camp life, when joined by others and the depression when they leave. Description of different ways of camping. Brown’s enormous retinue. Orange groves. Salween River. Sees villagers, making paper and weaving. Gets orders to do a trip down the river Pawn counting the-logs that have not gone into the Saiween. Very pleased. Volume ends.