﻿THROUGH BENGAL. 17 



of it to a confiderable extent, and the prefent entrance 

 of the Culcully is near Murcha. This little river is be- 

 come the thoroughfare for all boats palling from or to 

 the Ganges by the Jellinghy^ the old communication 

 between them being now entirely fliut up. 



The mainbranch of the Ganges runs N. E. by E. to 

 about 4 miles below Allypour ; whence turning E. and 

 E. by S. it pafiTes, as formerly, within 2 miles of Bau^ 

 leak ; being feparated only from that place bv two long 

 iflands, the uppermofl of which, called Gopalnagur 

 dera, is not marked in the old maps. It is doubtful, 

 indeed, whether it exilled at the period when the for- 

 mer furveys were taken. The branch which divides 

 them runs in an E. N. E. direction towards Bauleah, 

 but is not navigable for large boats in the dry feafon. 

 The lowermoft of the two is narrower than it would 

 appear by the old maps, but reaches almoit to Surdah^ 

 as it is therein reprefented. 



On my approach to Cullamary, I entered a nev/ 

 branch, through which a confiderable body of water 

 flowed with fome rapidity ; and this led me clofe to 

 Rajapou?-, leaving Echamariy on the lefc. It would 

 appear, on infpefting Major Rennell's map, that no 

 fuch paffage as this had exilled formerly; and-, indeed, 

 the people informed me, that it had onlv lately been 

 opened by the great river, the main ftream of w.hich, 

 however, continues its courfe, as heretofore, in an 

 Eafterly diredion towards Surdah, This was the only 

 inftance I had obferved, of the Ganges having infu- 

 lated a part of the main land, its ufual procefs of 

 forming iflands being fuch as I have before defcribed. 

 It is probable, ncverthelefs, that the ifland of Ecka- 

 marry, which is very extenfive, and on which are fe- 

 veral other villages, may owe its exiftence to an allu- 

 vion, which took place at fome remote period; or 

 that it might originally have been an ifiand, which, 



VOL. VII. B having 



