Eastern Branch of the River Indus and Runn. 577 
Presuming, therefore, that the Runn has once been a navigable sea, I 
shall now enter on its present state, which is neither that of a navigable sea, 
nor one at all. Its being denominated a marsh, has, in my opinion, given rise 
to many erroneous impressions concerning it. It has none of the charac- 
teristics of one; it is not covered or saturated with water but at certain 
periods ; it has neither weeds nor grass in its bed, which, instead of being 
slimy, is hard, dry, and sandy, of such a consistency as never gives way, 
unless a long continuance of water on any individual spot have converted 
it into clay, which is rare, nor is it otherwise fenny cr swampy. It is in 
reality but the dried-up bottom of an extensive inland sea, which, from 
having once been overwhelmed with water, more readily receives what flows 
into it from being lower than other parts of the country. 
The grand Runn is that part which lies between Sinde and the islands of 
Pacham and Carir, the other parts being but ramifications of it; and the 
natives, in speaking of the navigable sea, have always that portion of it in 
view. The places which I have before described as its sea-ports in Cutch, 
Chart and Neroné, are, it is to be observed, not on the main Runn, but on 
the narrow branch which separates it from the Bann‘. Those, on the other 
hand, situated on the Banni itself, as Dérut Doh, Phingwarro, &c., I take 
to have been on the banks of the great Run. 
The Bannt at present is not affected by the inroad of sea-water, but 
simply by rain, and never has, as far as I can judge and learn, formed 
any part of the Run». In appearance it is a low humid tract, but never- 
theless higher than the level of the Runn, and never flooded ; indeed, many 
parts of it are inhabited even in the rainy season, there being a stripe of 
elevated land down the centre, which favours the tradition that prevails of its 
having had sea-ports. The existence of such a low tract near what I am 
trying to demonstrate has been inundated by the sea, may excite remark ; 
but its protection from such an inroad of water, originated, no doubt, in its 
being removed at some distance from the course of the overflow of the 
waters, and situated to the south of what is actually their direction at 
present. It does not seem improbable, therefore, that the Banni has 
encroached on the Runn like a sand-bank in the ocean, and has extended 
itself to its present bulk. Rivers are known to be choaked up by an accu- 
mulation of sand, which will gather round any focus, such as the hull of a 
sunken vessel ; and I conceive that the Banni may have had such an eflect 
