▁E min ent ▁British ▁ge ograph er ▁Major ▁James ▁R enn ell , ▁who ▁survey ed ▁the ▁region ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁officer ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁suggested ▁that ▁a ▁" n avig able ▁passage ▁could ▁be ▁maintained ▁by ▁d red ging ▁the ▁stra it ▁of ▁Ram isser am ▁". ▁However , ▁little ▁notice ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁his ▁proposal , ▁perhaps ▁because ▁it ▁came ▁from ▁" so ▁young ▁and ▁unknown ▁an ▁officer ", ▁and ▁the ▁idea ▁got ▁rev ived ▁only ▁ 6 0 ▁years ▁later . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 3 , ▁Sir ▁Arthur ▁Cot ton ▁( then ▁an ▁En sign ), ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁survey ▁the ▁P amb an ▁channel , ▁which ▁separ ates ▁the ▁Indian ▁main land ▁from ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁R ames war am ▁and ▁forms ▁the ▁first ▁link ▁of ▁Adam ' s ▁Bridge . ▁Ge ological ▁evidence ▁indicates ▁that ▁a ▁land ▁connection ▁brid ged ▁this ▁in ▁the ▁past , ▁and ▁some ▁temple ▁records ▁suggest ▁that ▁violent ▁storm s ▁broke ▁the ▁link ▁in ▁ 1 4 8 0 . ▁Cot ton ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁channel ▁could ▁be ▁d red ged ▁to ▁enable ▁passage ▁of ▁ships , ▁but ▁nothing ▁was ▁done ▁until ▁ 1 8 2 8 ▁when ▁Major ▁Sim ▁directed ▁the ▁bl ast ing ▁and ▁removal ▁of ▁some ▁rocks . ▁ ▁A ▁more ▁detailed ▁marine ▁survey ▁of ▁Adam ' s ▁Bridge ▁was ▁undert aken ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁by ▁Lie uten ants ▁F . ▁T . ▁Pow ell , ▁E ther sey