232 Journal of the Asvatic Society of Bengal. [{November, 1905. 
Tt will be noticed that all sharp bends of the river are in the 
old alluvium, and that the main direction of the river’s course is 
determined by the bends in the old alluvium. Although, in the 
new alluvium, the river does, at times, rapidly make consider- 
able changes in its course, yet its general direction remains con- 
stant for long periods of time, owing to the fact that it is deter- 
mined by the bends in the old alluvium, which alter very slowly. 
There is no historical record of the river ever having been at 
any distance from either Zamania, Ghazipur or Chausa, although 
the configuration of the “ Khadir” shows that, at some past 
period, it must have been several miles distant from each of these 
places. 
: The same probably holds true of both Benares and Chunar. 
At the time of the battle of Chausa, where Humayun was 
defeated in 1539 A.D., the point of confluence of the Ganges and 
Karmnasa must have been at the same place as at present, 
though it is clear, from the island of the old alluvium just oppo- 
site, that, at one time, the Ganges must have been flowing a con- 
siderable distance to the north, and the confluence of the Ganges 
and Karmnasa must have been east of Buxar. There is, there- 
fore, unmistakeable historical evidence that there has been no 
radical alteration inthe course of the Ganges in the Ghazipur 
District for close on four hundred years. 
At Chochakpur there has been very little alteration in the 
course of the river. The configuration of the ‘ Khadir” in the 
reach between Chochakpur and Zamania can be accounted for by 
supposing that between Chochakpur and Karanda the river origi- 
nally flowed nearly east to west, and that the great bend at 
Zamania has been the result of gradual and continuous erosion 
by the river. 
The distance between Karanda and the point of the bend at 
Zamania is 72 miles or 39,000 feet. 
Allowing 4,600 feet as the original width of the river, this 
would give a distance of 35,000 feet which has been eroded by the 
river. 
The first survey was made of the district in 1840. From 
that time to 1872 Mr. Oldham records in his Memoirs of the 
Ghazipur District that the annual rate of erosion was 12 feet 
(vide p. 3 of Oldham’s Memoirs of the Ghaxpur District). Since 
the last survey, made in 1882, the annual rate of erosion has 
been 9 feet. This gives an average of close on 11 feet a year for 
the last 64 years. 
At this rate the erosion of the Zamania bend would require 
about 3,200 years. At the Zamania bend the soil is the ordinary 
stiff clay found in the district without any kunkar reefs. There 
is, however, a kunkar reef at Zamania town, and very solid kun- 
kar reefs at Ghazipur. 
Another noteworthy feature shown by the map is the island 
of old alluvium opposite Chausa surrounded on all sides by the 
“ Khadir.” 
It is stated in Mr. Oldham’s Memoirs that a similar island 
