AN ACCOUNT, &c. T HE GANGES and + BURRAMPOOTER Rivers, together with their numerous branches and adjuncts, interfect the country of BENGAL (which, independent of BAHAR and ORISSA, is fomewhat larger than GREAT BRITAIN) in fuch a variety of directions, as to form the most complete and eafy inland navigation that can be conceived. So equally and admirably diffused are thofe natural canals, over a country that approaches nearly to a perfect plane, that, after excepting the lands contiguous to Burdwan, Birboom, &c. which may be reckoned a fixth part of Bengal, we may fafely pronounce, that every other part of the country, has, even in the dry season, some navigable stream within 25 miles at farthest, and more commonly within a third part of that distance. It is fuppofed, that this inland navigation gives conftant employment to 30,000 boatmen. Nor will it be wondered at, when it is known, that all the falt, and a large proportion of the food confumed by ten millions of people are conveyed by water within the kingdom of Bengal and its dependencies. To these must be added, the tranfport of the commercial exports and imports, probably to the amount of two millions fterling per annum; the interchange of manufactures and products throughout the whole country; the fisheries; and the article of travelling ‡. * The proper name of this river in the language of Hindooftan (or Indoftan) is Pudda or Padda. It is alfo named Burra Gonga, or the Great River; and Gonga, the River, by way of eminence; and from this, doubtlefs, the European names of the river are derived. + The orthography of this word, as given here, is according to the common pronunciation in Bengal; but it is faid to be written in the Shanfcrit language, Brahma-pootar; which fignifies the Son of Brahma. The embarkations made ufe of, vary in bulk from 180 tons down to the fize of a wherry. Thofe from 30 to 50 tons are reckoned the most eligible for transporting merchandize. The fe These rivers, which a late ingenious gentleman aptly termed fifters and rivals (he might have faid twin fifters, from the contiguity of their springs) exactly resemble each other in length of course; in bulk, until they approach the fea; in the smoothness and colour of their waters; in the appearance of their borders and islands; and, finally, in the height to which their floods rife with the periodical rains. Of the two, the Burrampooter is the largest, but the difference is not obvious to the eye. They are now well known to derive their fources from the vast mountains of THIBET * from whence they proceed in oppofite directions; the Ganges feeking the plains of HINDOOSTAN (or INDOSTAN) by the weft; and the Burrampooter by the caft; both pursuing the early part of their courfe through rugged vallies and defiles, and feldom visiting the habitations of men. The Ganges, after wandering about 800 miles through thefe mountainous regions, iffues forth a deity to the fuperftitious, yet gladened, inhabitant of Hindooftan +. From Hurdwar (or Hurdoar) in latitude 30°, where it gushes through an opening in the mountains, it flows with a smooth navigable stream through delightful plains, during the remainder of its course to the fea (which is about 1350 miles) diffusing plenty immediately by means of its living productions; and fecondarily by enriching the *Thefe are among the higheft of the mountains of the old hemifphere. I was not able to determine their height; but it may in fome measure be gueffed, by the circumstance of their rifing confiderably above the horizon, when viewed from the plains of Bengal, at the diftance of 150 miles. The fabulous account of the origin of the Ganges (as communicated by my learned and ingenious friend C. W. BOUGHTON ROUSE, Efq.) is, that it flows out of the foot of BESCHAN (the fame with Viftnou, the PRESERVING DEITY) from whence, fay the Bramins, it has its name Padda; that word fignifying foot in the Shanfcrit language: and that in in its courfe to the plains of Hindooftan, it paffes through an immense rock fhaped like a Cow'shead. The allegory is highly expreffive of the veneration which the Hindoos have for this famous ftream; and no lefs fo of their gratitude to the Author of Nature for bestowing it for it defcribes the blefling as flowing purely from his bounty and goodness. : The rock before mentioned has, I believe, never been vifited by any European; and is even allowed by moit of the natives to bear no resemblance to the object from whence it is denominated. However, as the effects of fuperftition do often long furvive the illufions that gave it birth, the rock or cavern ftill preferves its original name. (This note was written before it was known that M. Tieffentaller had vifited it). adjacent lands, and affording an easy means of transport for the productions of its borders. In a military view, it In a military view, it opens a communication between the different pofts, and ferves in the capacity of a military way through the country; renders unneceffary the forming of magazines; and infinitely furpaffes the celebrated inland navigation of North America, where the carrying places not only obstruct the progress of an army, but enable the adversary to determine his place and mode of attack with certainty. In its course through the plains, it receives eleven rivers, fome of which are equal to the Rhine, and none fmaller than the Thames, befides as many others of leffer note. It is owing to this vast influx of streams, that the Ganges exceeds the Nile fo greatly in point of magnitude, while the latter exceeds it in length of course by one-third. Indeed, the Ganges is inferior in this last refpect, to many of the northern rivers of Afia; though I am inclined to think that it discharges as much or more water than any of them, because those rivers do not lie within the limits of the periodical rains *. The proportional lengths of courfe of fome of the most noted rivers in the world are fhewn nearly by the following numbers;, The bed of the Ganges, is, as may be fuppofed, very unequal in point of width. From its firft arrival in the plains at Hurdwar, to the conflux of the Jumna (the first river of note that joins it) its bed is generally from a mile to a mile and a quarter wide; and, compared with the latter part of its courfe, tolerably ftraight. From hence, downward, its courfe becomes more winding, and its bed confequently wider*, till, having fucceffively received the waters of the Gogra, Soane, and Gunduck, befides many smaller ftreams, its bed has attained its full width; although, during the remaining 600 miles of its course, it receives many other principal ftreams. Within this space it is, in the narroweft parts of its bed, half a mile wide, and in the wideft, three miles; and that, in places where no iflands intervene. The ftream within this bed is always either increafing or decreafing, according to the feafon. When at its lowest (which happens in April) the principal channel varies from 400 yards to a mile and a quarter; but is commonly about three quarters of a mile, in width. The Ganges is fordable in fome places above the conflux of the Jumna, but the navigation is never interrupted. Below that, the channel is of confiderable depth, for the additional streams bring a greater acceffion of depth than width. At 500 miles from the fea, the channel is thirty feet deep when the river is at its lowest; and it continues at least this depth to the fea, where the fudden expanfion of the stream deprives it of the force neceffary to fweep away the bars of fand and mud thrown acrofs it by the strong foutherly winds; fo that the principal branch of the Ganges cannot be entered by large veffels. About 220 miles from the fea (but 300 reckoning the windings of the river) commences the head of the delta of the Ganges, *This will be explained when the windings of the river are treated of. which |