552 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [November, 1910. 



by Rennell S.E. of Kajabari, was swept away and the Meghna 

 was forced to deposit what silt it held, on the islands to the 

 north, forming a large peninsula, while the Kirtinassa proceeded 



W 



But the new river 



was an unstable adversary, and in the violence of its swing 

 about the year 1830 Rennell 's Mulfatganj was swept away, the 

 river bank lying a mile to the South. By 1840, however, the 

 Meghna had begun to assert itself, and the north-eastward ten- 

 dency of the Ganges was clearly seen in a northern shift of the 

 course of the new river, which at the same time was com- 

 pelled to deposit a large amount of silt to the south down the 

 West bank of the Meghna in the shape of an extensive reach of 

 island chars. So great was the deposit, that the Kirtinassa, 

 its mouth practically blocked up, attempted to find for itself a* 

 fresh outlet. From Noorpour it swept south again in its old 

 bed by Pane liar almost to Badrasun ; there the north-eastward 

 tendency again asserted itself and its oscillation sent it back to 

 Khagootia which it carried away with its pagoda at the junction 

 with the original Kirtinassa, opening up in addition a small 

 stream north of Rajnagar to Mulfatganj. By this date (1858- 

 1860) the chars which the Meghna had forced the new river to 

 deposit at its junction down the western bank had assumed 

 very large proportions. The attempt of the Padma to find a 

 new outlet had failed ; the new channel commenced to silt up 

 rapidly and the original channel of the Kirtinassa resumed its 

 former importance. The Meghna, however, was still insistent, 

 and the Kirtinassa was again defeated in the effort to keep 

 open its mouth. In 1869 it strove for a fresh outlet with 

 remarkable success down the new channel just to the north of 

 Rajnagar. Such was the force of the* new attack which con- 

 centrated again at Chiddypour that the history of the original 

 irruption of the Kirtinassa was repeated, and the new stream 

 carried away in its course the chars, which it had been compelled 

 to deposit on the W. bank of the Meghna. In 1871 Rajnagar 

 with all its glories was swept away ; but the southward cutting 

 of the stream did not augur well for ultimate success ; in 1880-1 

 Luricool and Jopsha vanished with their buildings and pago- 

 das. Between 1873-1883, the old main channel of the Padma 

 (Kirtinassa), about two miles in breadth, was often fordable. 

 But its force was spent ; the north-eastward tendency again 

 asserted itself, and in ten years' time the new stream had given 

 place again to the original channel l and the Padma was deposit- 

 ing its silt more extensively than before down the Meghna chars. 

 The battle appears to be based on a recurring principle ; 

 the Padma strives to maintain its north-eastward tendency ; 



same position. 



the N.E. 



annel was in iden 

 irs to have shifted 



