Photograph taken in 1890 by an unknown photographer shows the canal from Tolly's Nullah to the dock. The Calcutta Port is the only major riverine port in India and it constitutes the Calcutta Dock System. 'The construction of wet docks was, for many years the favourite means by which it was proposed to improve the port of Calcutta. Towards the close of the 18th century, General Watson founded a marine yard at Kidderpore, and obtained a grant of land from the King and the East India Company for docking purposes. He designed and actually commenced in 1781 the construction of wet docks between Tolly's Nullah and Kidderpore. To carry out his design General Watson went to the length of diverting the nullah from its old course, but the work...was left uncompleted after General Watson had extended upon it and upon works connected with a dry dock and a shipbuilding yard, on the site of what is now the Govt. Dockyard...' The Tolly's Nullah, constructed by Colonel Tolly in the 1770s from the dried-up bed of Kidderpore Creek, enabled shipping to reach the delta to the east of Calcutta.
Source: http://bl.uk
Photograph of the Calcutta Docks taken in1888 by an unknown photographer showing the double entrance from the half-tide basin to the dock. The Calcutta Port is the only major riverine port in India and constitutes the Calcutta Dock System. The entrance to the dock was to be through a tidal basin about 600 ft by 650 ft, and from the tidal basin to the river were two entrances, one 80 ft wide and the other 60 ft. The gates would open two hours before high-tide when the water in the river and tidal basin would be at the same level . The lock was used to let cargo boats in and out at all times of the tide.
