GANGETIG HINDOOSTAN. 35; 



The Tbibetians name this river Sampooy or the River ; the Or Sampoo. 

 Indians call it Burrampooter \ it is faid to be written in the 

 Sanjkrit language Brabma-pooter, or the fon of Brahma. The 

 feat of the antient Bracbjnani may be placed near its banks, be- 

 tween the Cbajimaning and LaJJa. 



This great river rifes in about Lat. 32' 30' north, eaft Lon- ORicmoFi 

 gitude from Greetiwicb 82° 40', in the kingdom of Tbibety or 

 country of the grand Lauia^ and on the oppofite fide of the 

 fame mountains which give rife to the Ganges. It originates 

 from three fprings, the neareft of which does not meafure ^in 

 the map) above fifteen miles from the head of that celebrated 

 river. From its fountains it bears, for the far greater part of 

 its courfe, the name of the Sampoo. It takes an eaftern direc- 

 tion for a confiderahle way, keeps confined in the vale of 

 Tbibetj between the vaft chains of the Tbibetian mountains, 

 probably with a moft rapid courfe. The fummits of thefe 

 chains are covered with eternal fnow, the vallies deep, each 

 with their torrent, which helps to augment the rivers oi Ben- 

 gal. The cold of ^bibet is very great, occafioned by the vaft 

 trail of fnowy regions, which the northern wind palTes over 

 in its courfe. Mr. Bogle found at Cbanmaning, where he Great Colb. 

 wintered, the thermometer in his chamber 29* below the 

 freezing point, notwithftanding the latitude was in 31° 39', or 

 eight degrees to the north of the burning Calcutta. In ^pril 

 all the Handing waters were frozen. In Tbibet the mountains 

 are quite naked, and bear a very different afpedl from thofe of 

 Boot an, or that part which is adjacent to the province of Bengal. 

 1 may here obferve, that the inhabitants of Bootan, Tbibety 



Z z 2 4[famy 



