border of the territory of Laffa (in which is the refidence of the grand Lama) and then deviating from an caft to a fouth-east course, it approaches within 220 miles of Yunan, the wefternmost province of China. Here it appears, as if undetermined whether to attempt a paffage to the fea by the Gulf of Siam, or by that of Bengal; but feemingly determining on the latter, it turns fuddenly to the west through Affam, and enters Bengal on the north-eaft. I have not been able to learn the exact place where it changes its name; but as the people of Affam call it Burrampoot, it would appear, that it takes this name on its entering Affam. After its entry into Bengal, it makes a circuit round the western point of the Garrow Mountains; and then, altering its courfe to fouth, it meets the Ganges about 40 miles from the fea.

Father Du HALDE expreffes his doubts concerning the course that the Sanpoo takes after leaving Thibet, and only fuppofes generally that it falls into the gulf of Bengal. M. D'ANVILLE, his geographer, not without reafon, fuppofed the Sanpoo and Ava river to be the fame; being justified by the information which his materials afforded him: for the Burrampooter was reprefented to him, as one of the inferior ftreams that contributed its waters to the Ganges, and not as its equal or fuperior; and this was fufficient to direct his researches, after the mouth of the Sanpoo river, to fome other quarter. The Ava river, as well from its bulk, as the bent of its courfe for fome hundred miles above its mouth, appeared to him to be a continuation of the river in queftion: and it was accordingly described as such in his maps, the authority of which was justly esteemed as decifive; and, till the year 1765, the Burrampooter, as a capital river, was unknown in Europe.

On tracing this river in 1765, I was no less furprized, at finding it rather larger than the Ganges, than at its course previous to its entering Bengal. This I found to be from the caft; although all the former accounts reprefented it as from the north: and this un

ex

expected discovery foon led to enquiries, which furnished me with an account of its general courfe to within 100 miles of the place were Du HALDE left the Sanpoo. I could no longer doubt, that the Burrampooter and Sanpoo were one and the fame river: and to this was added the pofitive affurances of the Affamers, "That their "river came from the north-weft, through the Bootan mountains." And to place it beyond a doubt, that the Sanpoo river is not the fame with the river of Ava, but that this laft is the great Nou Kian of Yunan; I have in my poffeffion a manuscript draught of the Ava river, to within 150 miles of the place where Du HALDE leaves the Nou Kian, in its courfe towards Ava; together with very authentic information that this river (named Irabattey by the people of Ava) is navigable from the city of Ava into the province of Yunan in China*.

The Burrampooter, during a course of 400 miles through Bengal, bears fo intimate a refemblance to the Ganges, except in one particular, that one description may ferve for both. The exception I mean, is, that during the last 60 miles before its junction with the Ganges, it forms a stream which is regularly from four to five miles wide, and but for its freshness might pafs for an arm of the fea. Common description fails in an attempt to convey an adequate idea of the grandeur of this magnificent object; for,

Scarce the muse

Dares ftretch her wing o'er this enormous mass

Of rushing water; to whose dread expanse,

Continuous depth, and wond'rous length of course,
Our floods are rills-

THOMSON'S Seafons.

My information comes from a perfon who had refided at Ava. See the Memoir, page 216, and alfo the Modern Univerfal History, vol 6, page 205. The courfes of the Burrampooter and Ganges, as well as that of the Ava river from Yunan to the fea, are described in the map of HINDOOSTAN.

I have already endeavoured to account for the fingular breadth of the Megna, by fuppofing that the Ganges once joined it where the Iffamutty now does; and that their joint waters scooped out its prefent bed. The prefent junction of these two mighty rivers below Luckipour, produces a body of running fresh water, hardly to be equalled in the old hemisphere; and, perhaps, not exceeded in the new. It now forms a gulf interspersed with islands, fome of which rival, in fize and fertility, our isle of Wight. The water at ordinary times is hardly brackish at the extremities of these islands and, in the rainy season, the sea (or at least the surface of it) is perfectly fresh to the distance of many leagues out.

;

The bore (which is known to be a fudden and abrupt influx of the tide into a river or narrow ftrait) prevails in the principal branches of the Ganges, and in the Megna; but the Hoogly river, and the paffages between the iflands and fands fituated in the gulf, formed by the confluence of the Ganges and Megna, are more fubiect to it than the other rivers. This may be owing partly, to their having greater embouchures in proportion to their channels, than the others have, by which means a larger proportion of tide is forced through a paffage comparatively smaller, and partly, to there being no capital openings near them, to draw off any confiderable portion of the accumulating tide. In the Hoogly or Calcutta river, the bore commences at Hoogly Point (the place where the river firft contracts itself) and is perceptible above Hoogly town; and fo quick is its motion, that it hardly employs four hours in travelling from one to the other, although the distance is near 70 miles. At Calcutta, it fometimes occafions an instantaneous rife of five feet: and both here, and in every other part of its track, the boats, on its approach, immediately quit the shore, and make for safety to the middle of the river.

In the channels, between the islands in the mouth of the Megna, &c. the height of the bore is faid to exceed twelve feet; and is so

ter

terrific in its appearance, and dangerous in its confequences, that no boat will venture to pafs at spring tide. After the tide is fairly past the islands, no veftige of a bore is seen, which may be owing to the great width of the Megna, in comparison with the paffages between the islands; but the effects of it are visible enough, by the fudden rifing of the tides.

THE rivers are in a tranquil state, from the time of the change of the monsoon in October, to the middle of March; when the northwesters begin in the eastern parts of BENGAL (though later as we advance weftwards) and may be expected once in three or four days until the commencement of the rainy feason. Thefe northwefters, which have their denomination from the quarter they ufually originate in, are the most formidable enemies that are met with in this inland navigation; they being fudden and violent fqualls of wind and rain; and though of no long duration, are often attended with fatal effects, if not carefully guarded against; whole fleets of trading-boats having been funk by them, almoft inftantaneously. They are more frequent in the eastern, than in the western part of BENGAL; and happen oftner towards the close of the day, than at any other time. As they are indicated fome hours before they arrive, by the rifing and very fingular appearance of the clouds, the traveller has commonly time enough to feek a place of fhelter. It is in the great rivers alone, that they are fo truely formidable: and that about the latter end of May, and beginning of June, when the rivers are much increased in width.

After the commencement of the rainy feafon (which period varies in different parts, from the middle, to the end of June) tempestuous weather must be occafionally expected. Places of helter are more

common at this feason, than at any other, by the filling of the creeks and inlets, as the river increases: and, on the other hand, the bad weather, when it happens, is of longer continuance than during the feason of the northwesters. The rivers being now fpread to the breadth of feveral miles, a ftrong wind has the power of raifing large waves on them, and particularly when blowing in a contrary direction to the rapid parts of the stream; which at such times. fhould be avoided, as much from motives of conveniency, as of fafety.

During the long interval between the end of the rainy season, and the beginning of the northwesters, one proceeds in fecurity with respect to weather, and has only to obferve a common degree of attention to the piloting the boat clear of fhallows, and stumps of trees. These will generally be avoided by keeping nearest to the fide that has the steep bank; but not fo near, as to be within the verge of its inferior flope. This steep bank (fee page 261) has the deepest water, and the ftrongest current near it; and is therefore, on both accounts, the proper fide to keep on, when going down. with the ftream; as its rate of motion must principally determine that of the boat; for the motion acquired by the oars of a large budgerow hardly exceeds 8 miles a day, at ordinary times.

From the beginning of November to the middle or latter end of May, the usual rate of going with the stream, is forty miles in a day of 12 hours; and during the rest of the year, from 50 to 70 miles. The current is ftrongest while the waters of the inundation are draining off; which happens in part of August and September.

In many of the fhallow rivers, the current is exceedingly flow during the dry months; infomuch, that the track-rope is frequentlyufed in going downwards.

A travelling boat, conftructed fomewhat like a pleasure-barge. Some have cabins 14 feet wide, and proportionably long; and draw from 4 to 5 feet water.

In