SHIFTING CHARACTER OF THE INDUS. 89 



mander of the steamer, that in 1850 those rocks 

 were so far inland as to be hardly visible ; sucli 

 is the shifting character of the Indus, — indeed 

 the sands are so continually shifting that the 

 lead must ever be kept going. No one could be 

 more watchful than our commander on this 

 point; but still the Frcre once touched the 

 ground, though she was speedily afloat again. 

 The navigable channel in this part of the river is 

 described as presenting generally the form of 

 a narrow gut, with abruptl}^ rising sides, the 

 remaining bed of the river forming a broad but 

 shallow expanse of water. The banks of the 

 Indus, like those of the Nile, bear traces of the 

 periodical overflow, being marked by a suc- 

 cession of ridges, as each layer of mud has dried 

 on the preceding one. There is not, however, 

 tliat appearance of agricultural wealth in Sindh 

 that the banks of the Nile and the lands adja- 

 cent thereto afford, though rich cultivation is 

 certainly to be found at a short distance from 

 the Indus. Above Tatta we observed much 

 improvement in the appearance of the country 

 through which we steamed ; the river became 

 wider, its banks higher, and some reaches dis- 

 played really pretty scenery, having on cither 



