MAY, JUNE 1765. 
45 
Few particulars worth remarking happened between the 17th & 23rd. except 
that we had in general excessive turbulent weather, & much Rain; & that on y e 21st. 
we had a very hard Gale from the Southward. During this Time we were employed 
in surveying the West side of the River from Nauldee to Nursingdy. The River 
within this space is very broad, rapid, & dangerous, it being full of Islands & 
Shoals: its breadth is in many places 2 \ miles; its Course in general SWBS. The 
Pagoda of Sultansuddy * 1 lies about if mile within y e Western Bank, & is situated 
EBN distant about i6£ miles from Dacca. The Countrey here is mostly sown with 
Padda. 
Nursingdee a Bazar Village is situated on the Western Bank of the Megna & 
bears ENEJN dis* 23 miles from Dacca. Near this Village a large Branch of the 
Baramputrey falls into the Megna, after forming (by means also of that River) an 
Island of about 18 miles long & 7 over. The nearest Passage to Chilmary & Gwalpara 4 
lying through this Westmost Branch, I judged proper to make an exact Survey of 
it first, & to leave the Eastern River, till I could inform myself of more particulars 
concerning its Course ; for even the Countrey People themselves are not acquainted 
with all the Channells, & they are but little frequented by Trading Boats. 
At Nursingdy likewise another small River or Creek falls into the Megna; this 
Creek as I am informed affords a short Passage to the Euckya River, but my Orders 
directing me to leave the Western Branches of this River unsurveyed, till y e great 
River is described, I cannot give any account whether it is all y e year navigable for 
large Boats, but I suspect that it is. The Tides are almost imperceptible at this 
Place. 
From the 23rd. May to y e 2nd. June, employed in surveying the Western River* 5 
whose length is near 40 miles, the windings & turnings 
^Bar a^nlp u t re y C ot e p o gg oi a e included. It frequently separates into smaller Channells 
forming many pleasant & well cultivated Islands; the 
Western side, the soil is of a red Colour & very firm, & in several places there are 
very steep Cliffs by the River side. The Country here is likewise Woody, but none of 
the Trees are fit for Timber.' 1 Here are many Villages whose situations are all 
particularly described in the Map. 
The Current of this River is very rapid ; the Tide rises at Pikerchoar about 8 or 9 
inches, but farther up I could not perceive any Tide. The Western Bank of this 
River harbours a great number of Snakes, amongst which there are some of an 
enormous Size. 
June 3d. came into the great Baramputrey, whose Course is from the WNW. 
I still omitted to survey the Eastern River, for want of a proper Person to inform 
me of the Courses of the several Branches that lead out of it. 
1 Sultan Shahadee. Marked on map No. XVII iii Rennell’s atlas, but not mentioned in the hist of Ancient 
Monuments. 
1 This tract of country is described in Hunter’s Statistical Account of Bengal (Vol. v, pp. iS, 19). The soil 
consists of red ferruginous clay. The whole tract is known as the Madhupur jungle or ‘ Garh Gazali,’ so called after 
the ‘ Sal (Shorea robusta), the principal timber tree ( see p. 60), and lies comparatively high, rising to 100 feet above 
flood level. It is still but little cultivated and infested by wild animals. 
[ D5] 
