DELTA, 
time the meafure a oo but the inundation no 
ed extends over the Low t, but its progrefs ts 
on a in ae ee Koens g country. 
The Nile, however, fometimes rifes to 22 cubits. 
nu nber of canals, which givea free paflage to the waters. The 
el ch is ninety leagues in circumference, is at prefent 
in the moft favourable ftate for agricult afhed on the 
eaft and wef by two rivers formed by the divigon of the Nile, 
and pe ean by innumerable rivulets, it prefents to the 
menfe garden, all the different compartments of 
g the three months 
ate- 
here are perpe cose eae ine en and a ve 
conitantly varied and - ewed ; it is, In a fhore, fays M. Savary, 
gia on Egypt, vol. i. ) a picture 0 of abundance, that de- 
By lofing 
ts height, has in« 
creafed. (Stra vil, ) r the reign of Pflamme- 
tichus, the oe ais 30 veffels, Janded at the mouth of 
the Bolbitine branch, now called that of Rofetta, where they 
fortified themfelves. They there built a town called « Me- 
telis,’”? the fam : as Faotie. This town, formerly a fea-port, 
is at prefent 9 leagues diftant from it, and this is the {pace 
by which ae Delta has pie ae from the time of Plamme- 
tichus to ou aye aes the new town of Alexandria is 
at fome gitar av north of the ruins of the old town, 
a the fa oi salired, (See Avexanprta and Puaros.) 
Some Arabs divide the Delta into two parts “ Al 
Rif,” and «* Al Bahriya;” the former, being t rae weit. 
ern part, is fuppofed by Bochart to be the Raha oe the 
occ and was fo called becaufe of its form, ratembline 
whic ela pe call Rib, or Ribi. 1 
Babriya is sae eafter the Delta, in the opinion of 
icard more ly places Al Buahriya, or as he 
beyond the weftern branch of the Nile. 
Delta, as Savary sine ue, is divided into two oe 
in which two Beys r Menouf is the capital of t 
Up pper, an nd Mehallé a Kebire of re lower pom 3 he 
former is mie d Menoufié, and the latter Gar 
Dexra, a town of Egypt, in ie pas Dele accor- 
ding eS Ptolemy.—Alfo, a name given to a quarter of 
ee ria. 
ELTA of the Ganges, - part of the province of Ben- 
gal which hes near the mouth of the Ga anges, commencing 
about 220 miles from the . or 300 by the windings of the 
river, and comprehending confiderably more than twice the 
area of that of the Nile. 
fe two weiternmoft branches, etn the Coffimbuzar 
d Jellinghy rivers, unite, an 
cae the Hoogly river; which 
and the only branch of the Ganges t 
i That art of the Delta, which borders on 
of which are fait except thofe that immediately communi- 
~fited, from the remoteft ages down to the prefent time. 
Thi tg 
or *§ Sunder oe 
cate with the Sa se ot of the Ganges, 
kaown by the name of * Woods,” 
pofed as to form a complete inland navigation throughout 
and acrofs the lower part cf the Delta; without e ther the 
delay of going round the head of it, or the hazard of put- 
ting to fea. Here falt, fufficient for the whole confumption 
of Bengal and its depen SS is made and tranlported 
with equal eapied: ; and i 
ttore of ti imber for 
anges expands its br ance at its jurdtion ah ‘ifs fea. 
In tracing the fea-coaft of the Delia, there are found no lefs’ 
than eight openings; each of which, without hefitation, one 
pronounces to oe een in its time the principal mouth o 
the Ganges, the occafional deviation of the - 
cipal branch, er ra the only caufe o aus in the 
dimentions of the Delta he deltas of moft capit 
the tropical ones efpecially, are obierved to encroach u 
the fea. This circumftance is probably owing to the aad 
and {and brought down by the rivers, and gradually depc- 
nown, are loaded with mud and fand at their’ 
as; and it is alfo known, that the fea re- 
the diftance of 20 leagues from 
nor on the nc 
and r 
Delta, nothing ape but on) a black monies in ae 
flrata, till we arrive at the clay, chat forms the lower part of 
their beds. There is not re fubftance fo coarfe as gravel, 
ree in the Delta, or nearer the fea than 400 miles, at 
a, where a rocky point, a part of the bafe of the 
neighbouring hills, profes into the river: but in places 
e great rivers, the foil is either red, ycllow, 
own. Renneli’s Memoir, Phil. Tranfi Sol 
lxxi. p. 92> bee, 
the Indus, a part of the province of Sinde, 
med by ie mouths of the river Indus or Sinde, near its 
pine: oe fea, and projecting into the fea, inftead of 
receding Mi earn see major Rennell, that dur- 
ing great pers of t oon, or at leaft in the 
saga of July, Augutt, aa an of September, — is 
the rainy feafon in moft other parts O- 
fj hee) in the Delta of the Indns is generally clouded ; Gut 
no rain falls, except very near the fea. Indeed, very few 
fhowers fall during the whole feafon 
Ava or Pegue river forms likewife a delta of confi- 
derable extent. Thus alfo the Kiftnah and Godavery rivers, 
owever remote at their a approach within 80 miles 
of each oe in ant ower s of their courfe; and form 
an extenfive ae ee ompoled of rich vegetable 
ould, fuch as is aly found at i mouths of iar ger rivers. 
By comparing this tract with the Deltas of Egypt and Ben- 
gal, and reafoning from analogy, it will ce readil aepet 4, 
that the whole, or the greateft part of the territory included 
between Samulcotta and Pettapolly, about 3150 miles in 
length 
