G A NOETIC HINDOOSTAN. .147 



I SHALL, in my account of this celebrated river, give firft a 

 defcription of its mouths, of the appearance of the country be- 

 tween them facing the fea ; the knowlege the antients had of 

 that part, and then begin the detail of this river, and its twin 

 the Burrampooter^ from their fources to their difcharge into the 

 bay of Bengal. 



The Indian name of this river is Pudda or Padda, and Burra Names of the 



Ganges. 



Gonga, the Great River, or by way of eminence Gonga, or the 

 River. There may be a third origin of the name, that of 

 Gajiges, from Ganga, one of the three goddeffes of the waters 

 venerated by the Hindoos. The learned prefident of the Afiatic 

 fociety joins her with Teniana and Serefzvata*. Ganga is re- 

 prefented lightly treading on the furface of the ftream, with a 

 flower of the Nelumbo, or water lily, in each hand; we meet 

 with other Gongas and Ganges in India, as we do with our Dee 

 or Divona, rivers in Britain ; the Mavilagonga in Ceylon, and 

 others of the name of Gafiges, may be brought as inftances in. 

 this great peninfula. Many of the rivers of India are held to 

 be facred, this, fuper-eminently fo : it is called the Heavenly 

 River, and fuppofed to be the great purifier of all the fins of 

 mortality. The natives of Bengal are carried by their friends, 

 when at the point of death, to its fiiores, and are placed up to 

 their middle in water ; if they chance to die with the additional 

 advantage of holding a cow by its tail, in the important mo- 

 ment, that circum.rtance is no fmall confolation to their fur- 

 rounduig friends. Thofe who have neither means or fi:rength 

 to be brought there, think upon the river, and fay, " O Ganges, 



* Afiatic Refearches, i. 256. The figure of Ganga is opj-ofite to that pnge, 



U 2 , " purify 



