1833.] The Ancient Canals in the Delhi Territory. 109 
Feroz Suan is, that as no marks of irrigation channels exist along its 
banks, it is natural to suppose no system of extensive irrigation had 
time to take root, and that, with the decease of its founder, it fell into 
neglect, and discontinued flowing ; had it flowed long enough to get up 
any system of irrigation, the remains of water-courses would not have 
been utterly obliterated, whereas there are no traces of them west of 
Suffédon. 
ALI MARDAN KHAN’S, OR, THE DELHI CANAL. 
Whether the above canal continued to have a stream in any part of 
its course or not, at the time the Delhi branch was thought of, early 
in the seventeenth century, does not seem very clearly known ; though 
the expression of ALI Marpan Kuan “ having brought his canal 
from Karndl to Delhi’ would imply that, the original canal still 
flowed as far as Karnal, and thence probably into the Jamna, from 
the choaking up and neglect of the excavated portion between Karndl 
and Suffidon. Anxiety to take advantage of the ancient canal of 
Feroz Suan, so far as suitable in direction, probably induced Aur 
Marpsn Kun to follow it as far as Madloda, whence turning south, 
he would fall in with a natural hollow near Kordna, which is in fact 
the head of a great drain of the country ending in the Farkhnagar 
Jhil, about 15 miles 8. W. of Delhi, and this he unfortunately follow- 
ed to Gohdna. Thence diverging south-east, he appears to have pursued 
a line, the traces of which are most prominent from Gohana to Jatola ; 
and thence on, or nearly on, the present line, he made his way to Delhi. 
A terrible catastrophe is recorded to have happened on the first trial 
of the works, when the water, having got into the deep hollow at 
Gohdna, could not escape thence by the channel formed, and accu- 
mulating, until it overtopped the embankments across this hollow 
way, destroyed the town of Lalpir, of which the extensive ruins still 
exist in a low hollow west of the present town of Rhotak. The correc- 
tion* of his error appears to have been made with much judgment, 
passing closely to the natural ridge of the country, where the land 
falls off on each side. From Jatola, the departures from his old course 
are of less moment; although, to account for the remains of bits of canal 
here and there, he must have made another detour near Bhowana, where 
entering on the low ground between that and the rise on which the city 
stands, he had his most difficult task. He appears to have secured him- 
self, by an outlet, at the upper end of this dangerous spot, sufficient to 
reduce the level of canal materially in case of accident. Aheadof this point 
to maintain the level required in the city and palace, the canal, instead of 
* By excavating anew from near Rair to Jatola. 
