49$ Rivers of Afia and Africa. [Book VI L 



The Amour, in Eaftern Tartary, v/hofe courfe is 

 about five hundred and feventy- five leagues, from its 

 fource to its entance into the fea of Kamtfchatka. The 

 Kiam, in China, five hundred and fifty leagues in 

 length. The Ganges, one of the moft noted rivers in 

 the world, is about as long as the former. It rifes in 

 the mountains which feparate India, from Tartary j and 

 running through the dominions of the Great Mogul, 

 difcharges itfelf by feveral mouths into the bay of Ben- 

 gal. It is not only efteemed by the Indians for the depth, 

 and purenefs of its ftream, but for a fuppofed fanc- 

 tity which they believe to be in its waters. It is vifited 

 annually by feveral hundred thoufand pilgrims, who 

 pay their devotions to the river as to a god i for favagc 

 fimplicity is always known to miftake the blefiings of 

 the deity for the deity himfelf. They carry their dy- 

 ing 'friends, from diftant countries, to expire on itg 

 banks ; and to be buried in its ftream. The water is 

 loweft in April or May ; but the rains beginning to 

 fall foon after, the flat country is overflowed for feveral 

 miles, till about the end of September ; the waters then 

 begin to retire, leaving a prolific fedirflent behind, that 

 .enriches the foil, and, in a few days time, gives a luxu- 

 riance to vegetation, beyond what can be conceived by 

 an European. Next to this may be reckoned the ftill 

 more celebrated river Euphrates. This rifes from 

 two fources, northward of the city Erzerum, in Tur- 

 cumania; and unites about three days journey below 

 it, whence, after performing a courfe of five hundred 

 leagues, it falls into the Gulph of Perfia, fifty miles 

 below the city of Baflbra in Arabia. The river Indus 

 . is extended, from its fource to its difcharge into the 

 Arabian fea, four hundred leagues. 



The largeft rivers of Africa are, the Senegal, which 

 I run* 



