1833.] The Ancient Canals in the Delhi Territory. 113 
with great-zeal and in the face of numerous difficulties, and the water 
being partially brought down as the work progressed, irrigation com- 
menced from it in 1819, and by the end of May, 1820, the water was, 
brought to the city of Delhi, and passing through the main conduits in 
the palace, rejoined the parent stream. 
Lieut. BLaNE, instead of drawing his supply of water from the 
river by any of the old heads near Birya, or as pointed out by 
Lieut. Macartney, from near Dadidpir, (either of which, in the 
then state of the case, would have entailed the closing up of what 
had become the western branch of the Jamna, either by a per- 
manent work eminently liable to destruction, or by an earthen 
dam renewed annually, at a great expence and loss of time, besides 
the almost certainty of its destruction, from the floods of the cold 
weather,) wisely selected the vicinity of Chiharptr, to draw the sup- 
ply from, although it entailed the passage of two rivers, one the Patralla, 
of no great moment, the other the Sumbe, of considerable difficulty, 
from its being the sole drain of the mountains south-east of Nahan 
nearly down to the Jamna : these two rivers between them drain also 
the whole country nearly between the Siimbe and the Jamna, and 
as their streams united before reaching the Jamna, one crossing would 
be saved. He unfortunately drew his new line of canal from the junc- 
tion to Burya, too close to the Jamna, instead of leading it under 
Bellachor and Kharwdn, which though much more expensive in the 
onset, would have proved less so hereafter ; it would at least have been 
much safer, as it has now become necessary to take measures against 
the encroachments of the Jamna*, which this season have been to a 
formidable extent, and may this year, require expensive means, to 
prevent its continuance, which can only be decided on after the rains. 
The water led from the Jamna near Chitharpir is conducted along a 
* The effects of this, supposing the Jamna to cut into the canal, may be here 
noticed: the present bed of the canal is above the low-water surface level of the 
Jamna ; the fall of the Jamna is more rapid than that of the canal, the level of the 
latter being maintained to attain the upper surface level of the country, and the 
maximum rise of the Jamna would suffice to throw about 12 feet water into the 
canal at height of floods ; this would probably cause much damage in times of heavy 
floods, and might permanently be injurious by sweeping out the bed, and inclining 
the river to take this course from its lying direct in the line of current. In such 
case, it would break into the river again either at Kanjnin, or at Karnal, or both, 
and its strength of current would suffice to clear for itself such a channel as would 
remedy the evils it could not fail to bring about in the meantime. The superior 
slope of the bed of the Jumna is likely to prevent this, and means may be devised 
to lead off the strength of the current from the bank, it has this year so fiercely 
attacked. 
Q 
