APPENDIX. 465 



with the Kenduayn to the Ganges opposite Futtehghar, and consider it generally as very 

 inferior to the Ganges, where having - received its vast supplies from the Goggra, and the 

 Soan, it spreads its great breadth over the plains like some great inland sea.* 



But I am not anxious to deny high rank to the Irawadi. I am only jealous of its 

 taking precedence, without authority, of its noble compeers. 



I may assume, I believe, that the magnitude^ of the rivers of similar countries 

 bears always some proportion to the spacej drained, so that knowing the extent of 

 country, an estimate might always be formed of the comparative magnitude of its rivers : 

 provided, however, that the similarity of the districts compared, extend to the climate as 

 well as other physical features. 



For comparison with the district drained by the Irawadi, particularly on the upper 

 part of its course, no country could be more happily selected than Asam, similar to it, as 

 far as we are informed, in every particular. The elevation not materially differing, the 

 rains commencing at the same season and equally abundant, the same large proportion of 

 hill tract to plain country, and high mountain ranges, supplying in each the distant sources 

 of their larger streams. 



Asam, with its bordering districts, including from the meridian 90° 30' of longitude 

 on the west, to the heads of the sacred Brahmaputra on the east, and from the crest of 



* This evidence would cany greater weight were I at liberty to name my authority. I would not rest 

 much, however, on what must necessarily be so vague as any person's opinion of the comparative magnitude of 

 livers when formed without sufficient data. 



t Limiting the sense of magnitude to the more legitimate one as applied to rivers. 



% It does not appear of much importance whether the extent drained be considered, or the actual lengths 

 of the courses of the rivers, as it will be found that these bear a near proportion to each other; for instance, the 

 Ganges, down to Allahabad, drains 7-9 square degrees ; the Jumna to the same point, drains 27-1 square degrees; 

 the proportion is 1 to 3'43. The sum of the lengths of the rivers forming the Ganges to Allahabad, is two thousand 

 three hundred and fifty miles, and of the Jumna, ten thousand and seventy, which give the proportion 1 to42S. 

 It is not pretended that these measures are accurate. They were made on Cary's large map, and another 

 on a larger scale, would exhibit more water-courses. For the number of rivers introduced in a map, much must 

 depend on the mode of survey, whether detailed or not; in this, probably, the central districts watered by the 

 contributors to the Jumna have the advantage. 



Y 3 



