﻿30 ON THE COURSE OF THt GANGES 



a few hints as to the poflibih'ty or pra6licability of 

 rendering the latter navigable at all feafons, the im- 

 portance of which objetl, if it could be attained, 

 miift be obvious. 



The principal caufes which obftruft the navigation 

 of thefe rivers, may be reduced to three: firit, the 

 quantity of fands which are occafionally thrown into 

 their beds by the Ganges; fecondly, the too great 

 breadth of their channels in fundry parts where there 

 is not a proportionable depth ; and thirdly, the cafual 

 obftruftions which are thrown in the way of the flream 

 by the fifliermen. The Brft of thefe, it will readily 

 be conceived, can never be prevented; but fo long as 

 thefe rivers continue to be the outlets of the Ganges, 

 and to drain off a confiderable portion of its waters, 

 there will always be a flream throughout their chan- 

 nels during the whole year, however fcanty it may be 

 in fome parts. I have never, at leaft, known an in- 

 flance of their being left dry in any part of their beds ; 

 excepting the Jellinghy^ the old entrance to which, 

 as I have mentioned before, had been entirely fhut 

 up, but which continues, notwithftanding, to receive 

 a fupply of water from the Cuicullia, and to maintain 

 its communication with the Ganges through that 

 channel. 



As the fhallows which are produced from the caufes 

 abovemcntioned are only partial, affecting only in a 

 fmall degree, comparatively ^vith their lengths, the 

 channels of thefe rivers, it might be pofTible to coun- 

 teraft them in fuch a manner as to produce a more 

 equal diflribution of water ; and as the depth which 

 would be rcquifite for boats of a moderate burthen is 

 inconfiderable, perhaps it might be effected with much 

 lefs labour and expence, than might at firft be ima- 

 sincd. 



i-> 



I was led to this fuppofition, from frequently feeing 



that the mere operation of dragging by force a boat, 



5 Of 



