on the opposite shore at Hopefield Point and above threatened to form a bar in fron of the city.

Although the Memphis Reach extends from Island No. 40, 10 miles above Memphis, to Scanlan's Landing, 18 miles below, the work above mentioned is all that has been done.

The channel works have been exclusively for the protection of caving banks and have been both revetment and spur-dikes. A fine description of all this work is given in the report of Captain Leach to the president of the Mississippi River Commission, dated November 15, 1887, and published in House Ex. Doc. 55, parts I and II, Fiftieth Congress, first session. As this report is of great interest I would suggest that it be made a part of the annual report of the commission.

The work done during the past year on the Memphis City Front has made the line of protection complete from above the mouth of Wolf River to the down-stream end of the citizens' protection work. It seems superfluous for me to say anything regarding this construction, as the details have already been given by Captain Leach.

It only remains for me to say that no damage was done by the high water just passed, and although I have not yet been able to get a survey since the high water, I can say that the bank has been perfectly protected.

At Hopefield Bend the revetment was extended 4,000 feet below the old work of 1884. Upon commencing operations in the fall of 1887 it was found that 1,400 feet of the work of 1884 was lost. This was caused by caving at the lower end. In addition, a small break in the 1884 work was repaired, equal to 105 linear feet, making a total of 4,105 linear feet, with a width of 335 feet. This is from 50 to 75 feet wider than work previously done in this bend.

The usual methods were followed in building the subaqueous mats and the bank protection, except that for a portion of the upper bank protection, the brush in two layers was laid diagonally on the ground, the two layers being at right angles to each other. I am of the opinion that this is an improvement over laying the brush parallel and perpendicular to the banks. The bank caved badly during and subsequent to the past high water, where not revetted, the caving at Hopefield Point being 375 feet; at head of Old Hen Island about 150 feet, and at Fort Pickering, below the protection works, about 75 feet.

It will be necessary to continue the protection down to and beyond Hopefield Point, and at Memphis the work must extend 6,000 feet further down.

A comparison of the present protected bank at Hopefield Bend, with bank line of 1882, shows that 2,500 feet below the head of the revetment is on bank line of 1882; 6,500 feet below the head of the revetment the caving is 400 feet; 8,700 feet below is 1,100 feet, and 12,000 feet below is 2,400 feet.

At Hopefield Point the caving is 3,000 feet, and the point has moved down-stream 4,200 feet since August, 1882. The total caving at Fort Pickering since 1882 has been 200 feet.

LEVEES.

Yazoo Front.-No work has been done since the last annual report. During the past high water the line was cared for by the Yazoo-Mississippi Levee Board, and no damage was done. The Robinsonville Levee, for which the Commission allotted $60,000 at its last meeting, conditioned on the levee board completing the line, has not yet been begun. On May 31, however, the levee board decided to advertise the work, and application was made to enter into contract with whoever might get their contract for the Government work.

White River Front.-Under the allotment of $75,000, made by the Mississippi River Commission at their last meeting, contracts were made for building this line for a distance of 64 miles. This line, added to the part built by the local authorities, completed 14 miles of levee from Helena, Ark., south. The line followed was that of the old levee, with loops at breaks. The grade of this line is 2 feet above the high water of 1886-the highest in this section.

The following is an abstract of bids received: