﻿THE 
  EP1CENTRAL 
  TRACT. 
  163 
  

  

  sand, 
  or 
  to 
  a 
  barrier 
  being 
  formed 
  lower 
  down, 
  on 
  whose 
  upstream 
  

   side 
  sand 
  has 
  accumulated. 
  

  

  Lower 
  down 
  the 
  river 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  stretch 
  of 
  channel 
  which 
  has 
  

   caused 
  much 
  trouble 
  in 
  the 
  navigation 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  the 
  channels 
  

   have 
  been 
  ill-defined, 
  constantly 
  shifting, 
  and 
  frequently 
  too 
  shallow 
  

   to 
  be 
  passable 
  by 
  steamers 
  of 
  even 
  3 
  feet 
  draft. 
  The 
  stretch 
  pre- 
  

   sents 
  all 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  a 
  region 
  of 
  deltaic 
  deposit, 
  and 
  immediately 
  

   below 
  it 
  comes 
  the 
  Kholabandha 
  district, 
  where 
  the 
  floods 
  were 
  

   unusually 
  deep 
  and 
  extensive. 
  There 
  is 
  here 
  every 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  

   depression 
  having 
  been 
  formed; 
  which 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  completely 
  

   filled 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  From 
  here 
  down 
  to 
  Dhubri 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  no 
  particular 
  difficulty 
  

   in 
  the 
  navigation, 
  but 
  below 
  Dhubri 
  there 
  is 
  another 
  stretch 
  of 
  river 
  

   where 
  the 
  channels 
  are 
  shallow 
  and 
  shifting. 
  

  

  These 
  facts, 
  for 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  indebted 
  to 
  Mr. 
  R. 
  R. 
  Morgan, 
  

   Superintendent 
  of 
  Pilots, 
  point 
  to 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  there 
  have 
  been 
  

   unequal 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  affecting 
  the 
  river 
  

   gradient, 
  which 
  are 
  too 
  extensive 
  to 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  superficial 
  

   effects 
  of 
  the 
  earthquake 
  on 
  the 
  alluvium. 
  They 
  cannot, 
  however, 
  be 
  

   regarded 
  as 
  conclusive, 
  and 
  are 
  discounted 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that, 
  though 
  

   the 
  river 
  below 
  Hathimora 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  worse 
  than 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  in 
  

   the 
  recollection 
  of 
  the 
  oldest 
  commander 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  steamers, 
  

   the 
  same 
  statement 
  is 
  made 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  river 
  above 
  Disang 
  

   Mukh 
  to 
  Dibrugarh, 
  especially 
  at 
  Sissi 
  Mukh. 
  Here 
  the 
  change 
  can- 
  

   not 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  any 
  general 
  and 
  deep 
  seated 
  change 
  of 
  levels, 
  but 
  

   to 
  the 
  ordinary 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  complicated 
  by 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  

   earthquake 
  on 
  its 
  bed, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  open 
  to 
  question 
  whether 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  

   the 
  difficulties 
  lower 
  down 
  the 
  river 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  the 
  same. 
  

  

  Whether 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  any 
  general, 
  or 
  local, 
  deep 
  seated 
  change 
  

  

  in 
  the 
  levels 
  of 
  the 
  Brahmaputra 
  valley, 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Garo 
  and 
  Khasi 
  

  

  Hills 
  must, 
  consequently, 
  remain 
  an 
  open 
  question 
  until 
  such 
  time 
  

  

  ' 
  as 
  a 
  reobservation 
  of 
  the 
  stations 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Trigonometrical 
  

  

  Survey 
  in 
  the 
  Brahmaputra 
  valley 
  can 
  be 
  undertaken. 
  

  

  M2 
  ( 
  ,63 
  ) 
  

  

  