Funday Times

A series by Gaveshaka in association with Studio Times
Early days of the Colombo harbour
“Many ships from Bengalla, Persia and the South and Red Seas used to assemble to take on board cinnamon and elephants” was how the port of Colombo was described in the sixteenth century. Really there was no port as we know it today. There was only a roadstead, a place near the shore where ships anchored. Only the smaller ships came to Colombo. They were anchored one or two miles from the shore and the trading items were loaded on them. The larger sailing vessels preferred to call at Galle, which had a natural harbour, rather than at Colombo. However, the Galle harbour was not very safe because of submerged rocks and the hazardous approach.

After the British took over the maritime provinces, Colombo started to develop as the commercial centre. As the years went by, the progress made by the coffee industry and the increase of shipping traffic necessitated the urgent construction of a proper harbour in Colombo.

The beautiful picture of Colombo Fort and the harbour is from ‘A series of fifteen views of Ceylon’ sketched by Captain C.O’Brien, who served as Assistant Surveyor General from 1845. Early records describe how he built himself a talipot-hut under the trees, from which he surveyed several clearings in the countryside.

This view of the harbour is from Mutwal in the north of Colombo. Mutwal was the resort of the fishing-boats where the fisher-folk went out to sea and returned with their catch. The fishing boat has been described as “one formed of a singe tree, with a washboard, supported by an outrigger of light wood, attached to the canoe by two tough but light sticks, and has immense speed.”

At the far end can be seen the Custom House from where the Department of Customs operated, the roadstead where several ships are being loaded and the ‘inner harbour’, where several vessels and fishing craft are moving. Warehouses, wharves, the old lighthouse and flagstaff are also featured. The former Queen’s House and the clock tower are on the far end towards the left corner.

As for the goods to be loaded on ships, coffee, cinnamon and coconut oil were shipped to Europe. This was the time when trade was increasing every year. As for the imports, rice was one of the major items, mainly for use by Malabar coolies who worked on the coffee estates.

The need to construct a spacious harbour came when it was realised that loading and unloading of cargo was a slow and laborious process. Barrels of coffee and coconut oil as well as bales of cinnamon and spices had to be hoisted and lowered with the aid of slings and pulleys.

At the same time the Galle harbour was found to be risky and unpopular. While the authorities wondered whether Galle should be developed rather than Colombo, the Chamber of Commerce, the influential body of the business community pressed for the development of Colombo. The fortifications dating back to the Portuguese and Dutch times were being demolished and Colombo was fast becoming a commercial city. Many foreign business houses had been established and exports were increasing in volume.

An extent of four and a half acres was reclaimed and the foundation of the southwest breakwater (barrier to break the force of the waves) was laid in 1875 by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). Sir William Gregory was Governor at the time.

It took ten years for the work to be completed. A breakwater 4,212 feet long, 40-50 feet wide was ready. Concrete blocks of 21 tons each were laid resting on a rubble mound.

As the work in the breakwater was being completed, the popular shipping company, P & O abandoned Galle as a port of call and a ship named ‘Rome’ called on Colombo in June 1882. Gradually more and more ships started coming to Colombo and plans were finalized to erect a north-east breakwater (1,110 feet long) and a north-west breakwater (2,670 feet long).

As the years went by the Colombo port became a hive of activity. In the days when people traveled by ship, passenger liners docked in regularly. The practice died out only when air travel became the fashion of the day. Expansion work in the port continued regularly and today it has become a busy place where container loading and unloading is a regular happening.

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