Eastern Branch of the River Indus and Runn. 563 
alterations in the river; in its present state it is ill adapted for military 
operations, and in my opinion renders the approach to the country of the 
Amis more difficult to a regular army than ever, as formerly we could 
have transported our artillery across the bands, and saved the trouble and 
expense attendant on a large pontoon train, for the Sindians would never 
have been enlightened enough to throw down, of their own accord, the bands 
which had been the result of so many years’ labour. Should the P’harrdn 
undergo the alterations which I have before surmised, it would become 
useful both in a military and commercial point of view. At present this 
branch of the Indus is navigable for flat-bottomed boats; and were it not 
from the shallowness of the river at Sando, dinjis, or boats with keels, could 
pass up to Allah-band. ‘There is reason to believe that Sando will deepen 
with the other parts of the river. 
The military roads which lead into Sinde at present I have described 
elsewhere, but they have varied with the river, and will of course always 
depend upon it.* The one which Jeads most direct from Cutch passes from 
Bhij, by Nerona to Luna and Raoma ca bizdr, across the Runn; but 
there is an inhospitable tract of forty-eight miles without a drop of fresh 
water, on leaving Luna, and yet the traffic across is considerable. The 
Sindri lake, in proportion as it is full, renders this route’ circuitous, the 
winds often blowing water upon it, and it is therefore subject to varia- 
tion. The natives mistake these encroachments for the tide; but they 
are clearly in error, as with a strong wind there is always water, and at 
other times nota drop. I do not consider it by any means so good a route 
as that leading across the Pacham to Ballyavé; and in invading Sinde it 
would always be desirable to reach the Indus as high up its delta as pos- 
sible, as rivers will be less frequent in the march of an army, the greater 
distance the troops are from the sea. 
The craft now used in the navigation of the P’harrdn, or Cori river, 
consists of flat-bottomed boats, called by the natives ‘ ddéndi,” which are 
square-rigged, with one mast, and from twenty to thirty candies burthen. 
They can only go before the wind; and the people have so little idea of 
tacking, that the boat in which I sailed was dragged down from Allah- 
band to Lacpat through the shallow water by manual labour, and when it 
* See note H. 
Vor. Il. 4D 
