to INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES. 



countries, of their revolutions and contra-revolutions, that we 

 dare not deny our affent to, or controvert the relations of writers. 

 The great branch of the Delia is immediately to the eaft of 

 Cape Negrais. It is called the Perfahn river, from a town feated 

 about feventy miles from the fea, on its eaftern banks. In 1758 

 we had a fadtory on the oppofite fide. The channel is very wide 

 and deep, having moft of the way fix and feven fathoms of 

 water. On each fide are navigable canals, that probably infulate 

 part of the flat country to the eaft and to the weft. On the 

 eaftern part there is an inland communication from this river 

 quite to that of Pegu, or the Siriam river, as there is through 

 Isle of Ne- the Sunderhunds of Bengal. Negrais ifle, marfliy and wooded, 



CRAIS. 



lies juft within the entrance ; and on the outfide is Diamond 

 ifle, fmall, and furroanded with rocks. Immediately before the 

 front of the whole Delta are banks of mud or fand, of great 

 extent, formed by the waters of the Ava depofiting their foul 

 load before the mouths of the feveral difcharges. The Marcura 

 Metropolis of Ptolemy ftood in about the middle of the Delta, and 

 muft have had its navigable approach. I do not know that any 

 of the difcharges are at prefent ufeful in navigation, like the 

 channels between the iflands of the Sunderbvinds, till we reach 

 the entrance of that which leads to the town of Siriam. This, 

 SiRiAM. known by the name of the Siriam, is a branch of the river of 



Pegu, and contributes to form another Delta. The town is 

 about thirty miles from the entrance; near it are fadlories, be- 

 longing to the French, Engli/lj, and Dutcb. Raynal"^^ fays, that 

 the Armenians carry on a great trade in topazes, fapphires, ame- 



* Hift. of Europ. Set. vol. ii. p. 145, 



thyfts. 



