1863.] FERGTTSSON DELTA OF THE GANGES. 341 



to raise the country, for nearly forty miles in length and some 

 twenty to thirty in breadth ; while, as the more active rivers on 

 either hand have raised theirs, this remains an immense half-inha- 

 bited tract, which is yearly getting relatively lower, and will become 

 absolutely uninhabitable unless some active silt-bearing river turns 

 in that direction. Whether it will be from the westward or the 

 eastward that the succour will come remains to be seen. My im- 

 pression is that it will be in the latter direction. Already the Ellan- 

 khally has sent the Chittra in a south-westerly direction across the 

 Boyrub at Kulna ; and it has done a great deal of good in raising the 

 depressed country. This stream is not marked in Rennell's maps. 

 When I knew it, it was narrow and crooked, but deep and navigable. 

 It has now one-mile oscillations, with a width of about 1200 feet, 

 and is increasing. Its only defect is, that it strikes the Jheel- 

 country too low. What is wanted is that the Ellankhally should 

 send off a branch a few miles below the junction of the Novo Gunga, 

 which would enter the heart of the swamps. If it does not find an 

 opening to the eastward, across the Barassj-a (which, as mentioned 

 above, it is now seeking), it will probably turn in this direction, as 

 it affords an opening which, though not so promising, is yet pro- 

 bably more easily accessible than the other. 



9. Changes in the Course of the R. Teesta. — Before leaving the 

 rivers of the Delta, there is one that exhibits phenomena of so dif- 

 ferent a class that it may be well worth while noticing them, in 

 order fully to understand the subject. 



The largest tributary to the delta-streams, east of the Coosy, is the 

 Teesta. It rises in the Sikkim Mountains not far from Darjeeling ; 

 and when surveyed by Major Rennell, it took a course due south 

 after passing Julpigoree, joined the Attree, and, after flowing past 

 Dinajepoor, joined the Natore rivers, and thence, passing through the 

 Oorasagur, joined the Ganges at Jaffiergunge. In the year 1787, 

 either one or two years after Major Bennell's survey was completed, 

 an unusual flood occurred ; the river brought down from the hills a 

 sufficient quantity of sticks and stones to throw a dam across its 

 junction with the Attree, and, taking a south-east course, it joined 

 the Brahmapootra above Dewangunge. 



The curious part of the matter is that, on looking into Rennell's 

 original MS. surveys, a chain of ponds is marked in this direction 

 as " the old bed of the Teesta," too insignificant to be marked in his 

 Atlas ; but at their junction with the Brahmapootra he does mark 

 " Teesta Creek." To those who know how permanent the names of 

 rivers are, this is proof positive that the river once before flowed 

 in this direction ; but, unfortunately, we have no knowledge when 

 it deserted this bed and became a confluent of the Attree. Since the 

 separation, however, it has shown no tendency to go back, but runs 

 steadily in the direction it took seventy-six years ago, and in which 

 it now flows with an oscillation of two miles, and a width, even in the 

 dry weather, of some 2000 feet. 



One thing, however, may be remarked, namely, that it certainly 

 was not any change in the level or the course of the Brahmapootra 



vol. xix. — part i. 2 a 



