I N D 



118 



I N D 



from the union of the two rivers, the Inclre and the 

 Loire. It i> bounded on the north by the department 

 of the Sarte, on the east by the department of the Loire 

 and Cher, and the Indre ; on the south and south-west 

 by the department of the Vienne, and on the west and 

 north-west by the department of the Mayneand Loire. 

 It extends about 50 miles from north to south, and 45 

 from east to west, and contains about 32.5 square 

 leagues. This department has been called the garden 

 of France, on account of its great fertility. The pe- 

 ninsiilu formed by the Indre, the Loire, and the Vk-nne, 

 is extremely fertile. The district between the Loire 

 and the Cher is light and sandy, though productive. 

 Rye, barley, millet, wine, fruits, and pasturage, are the 

 principal productions, and it contains also iron mines, 

 and mineral springs. The annual contributions were 

 2,868.779 francs, and the population 278,758. Tours 

 is the capital of the department. See FRANCE, vol. ix. 

 p. 675. 



INDUCTION. See LOGIC. 



INDULGENCES. See ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, 

 vol. viii. p 316.. and REFORMATION. 



INDUS, a celebrated river in India, known to the 

 ancients by the name of Sindus, or Sinthus ; is called 

 the Sindhu, or Sindhus, in the Sanscrit ; and Aub Sin- 

 de, or the water of Sincle, by the Persians. Its source 

 has never been explored, and still remains a subject of 

 conjecture. The natives of Hindostan assign to it a very 

 remote origin in the mountains, four or five days jour- 

 ney to the north-west of Yarchand ; which would place 

 it near the city of Cashgar, in Chinese Tartary, about 

 44 north latitude, and 70 east longitude. Hence they 

 describe it as taking a southerly direction, and ap- 

 proaching within two days journey of Lahdack ; then 

 turning west, as far as Saighur, (probably the same as 

 Shekerdou,) and afterwards proceeding in a direct 

 course to the south. Mr. Colebrook supposes that it 

 may originate on the western side of the great Hima- 

 laya ridge of mountains, and thence take a sweep to 

 the north. It enters Hindostan about 33 1.5' north 

 latitude, where it is joined by the Attock or Cabul ri- 

 ver, after which it is no longer fordable, and is about 

 three-fourths of a mile in breadth in the month of July. 

 As it proceeds along the frontiers of Afghanistan, it re- 

 ceives all the principal streams of that region ; and, 

 from Caluhaugh northwards, it is a clear stream, rather 

 deep than broad, flowing between two ridges of rocks, 

 and yielding from its banks abundance of salt and 

 alum. In the province of Mooltan, it receives all the 

 rivers of Lahore or the Punjab, and increases consider- 

 ably both in depth and breadth ; but is not considered 

 as one of the five rivers, which give the name to the 

 Punjab, being rather the trunk or stock into which the 

 Cabul and Lahore waters flow. About 170 miles from 

 the sea, it divides into two branches, of which the 

 westermost is the largest. This branch, after proceed- 

 ing about 50 miles to the south-west, divides again in- 

 to two parts ; and, as it approaches the sea, is subdivi- 

 ded into several other branches or creeks, like the Sun- 

 derbunds or Delta of the Ganges, of which the largest 

 is the Ritchel . At the mouths of these different branch- 

 es, the bore or sudden influx of the tide is extremely 

 high and hazardous ; but it is a remarkable circum- 

 stance that the tides are not visible up the river at a 

 greater distance than 60 or 65 miles from the sea. 

 From Attock to Mooltan, it is called Attock, or for- 

 merly Nilab ; and, farther down, it is named Soor or 

 Shoor, till it separates at Tatta, (supposed to be the 

 ancient I'attala), when its largest branch is denomina- 

 ted Mekran. Its whole course, including its windings, 



and supposing it to originate to the north-west of .Cash- Indus, 

 gar, is estimated at 1 700 miles. From Attock to the Infanticide. 

 Delta, its breadth is generally about a mile, and its s "" "Y"'' 

 depth varying from two to five fithoms. \ It is naviga- 

 ble for vessels of 200 tons burden, from the Gulf of 

 Cntc.li to Lahore a distance of 760 geographical miles. 

 From Attock to the sea, a distance of nearly 900 miles, 

 it runs south by west, with fewer windings than any 

 other river in India; and forms, through the whole of 

 that extent, a distinct barrier to Hindostan, which has 

 never yet been passed by any of the invading armies. 

 Its two principal mouths are those which enter the sea 

 at the village of Ritchel, and at Jiget Point in the 

 Gulf of Cutch ; but the number and positions of its se- 

 veral outlets have been very imperfectly ascertained. 

 The Delta of the Indus is about 150 British miles in 

 length along the coast, and 1 1 5 in depth from the se- 

 paration of the superior branches to the most promi- 

 nent point of the sea coast The lower part of this 

 Delta is intersected by creeks and rivers in almost eve- 

 ry direction, but is altogether destitute of trees ; and, 

 except a few of the drier spots, which are covered with 

 brushwood, it is a mere desert of arid sand, noisome 

 swamps, and muddy lakes. The upper part is well 

 cultivated, and produces abundance of rice, which is 

 mentioned by Abul Fazel as forming, with fish, the 

 principal food of the inhabitants of these districts. A 

 great portion of the Delta, especially the nearest to the 

 sea, is set apart for the rearing of camels, which feed 

 upon the tender parts of the brushwood. See Rennel's 

 Memoir of a Map of Hindoslan ; Foster's Journey from 

 Bengal to England ; Hamilton's East India Gazetteer ; 

 and Tennant's Indian Recreations, (q) 



INFANTICIDE. The solicitude almost universal- 

 ly observed for the preservation of human life, has 

 been subject to some remarkable exceptions in differ- 

 ent ages, and in various parts of the world. Not only 

 has the ordinary course of nature been interrupted in 

 restricting the intercourse of the sexes by positive or- 

 dinances, civil or ecclesiastical, but the latent embryo 

 has been destroyed in its progress to maturity, and the 

 infant consigned to death at the moment'of beholding 

 the light of day. 



Parental affection seems so deeply rooted in mankind, 

 by a wise provision for the protection of the offspring, 

 that, without actual evidence, it would be difficult to 

 credit the extent to which infanticide has extended. 



It has been affirmed by some learned authors, that 

 the sole purpose of nature in preserving the animal 

 kingdom is the reproduction of the species. Yet mankind, 

 as if to disappoint her object, condemn themselves to 

 celibacy, sometimes by vows of such a nature, that 

 their infringement would be attended with the forfeit- 

 ure of life. Nay, there are repeated instances of mar- 

 ried persons having withdrawn from each other's socie- 

 ty from similar motives. Mandelslo ' relates, that, in 

 the Island of Formosa, the women have no children 

 until they are 35 or 36, " from the impression they re- 

 ceive from their priestesses, that it were a great sin 

 and shame for them to bear children before that age." 

 Therefore, should they become pregnant previously, 

 abortion is procured by violent means, and by the as- 

 sistance of the priestesses themselves. The laws of 

 Tunkin are so severe against having illicit offspring, 

 that the same practice prevails ; and it is thence so 

 frequent, that there are women whose profession it 

 is to facilitate and obtain abortion. It is said, by 

 Krascheninikow, that there are females in Karotschat- 

 ka who use herbs and conjurations to prevent con- 

 ception, and that they procure abortions by means of 



