344 
ASIATIC RIVEE.5. 
. . , tl.e 
aiirient Christians bdiayed this nvcr to he uic 
nstiaus hQ'ifivea tms nvcr lu uw 
of the four mentioned in Scripture as the bouu ^ 
terrestrial paradist'. _ , 
rrestnai paraaise. „ jj- # 
The length of the Ganges exceeds Fourth ‘ j. |if j 
lue jcngui oi .lie „ jj,. 
nfiles. The Burnampooter, its proudest auxiW 
:if the same length ; and tlic opinion genorattv a.-^, 
s that the sources of ihese mighty rivers are i If' j 
’ . , T' I ..1 ..,,,-.0 hr 
Tt- 
from each otlier. Each of them runs, 
a thousand miles, before they unite and <- 
common stream, falling into the bay of 1 en^ ^ 
, 1 '“ 
comiiiou sueaiij, ........f, — - - j i, <feD*'*^ne 
mouths. Gauga is, in the Hindostan li'hguap, ‘ ^is 
for a river ; but it is particularly apidied to Il> ^ 
account of its unrivalled magnificence. ...„r 3 4 
account oi its unnvaucu i 
have a superstitious veneration for all the gre. , 
foi-tilize their country: but the waters ot ,.56^ J 
I'AX C> . 
fertilize their country; but the waters ot .^git 
to them pcculia'rly sacred. In its impetuous cod|S 
■j passage thiough Mount Hirnmeleh, an » ^ 
^n'.idst impending rocks, which resemb iho’jjy eS j 
mense scale, the head of a cow, an ainma 4 ^ ^ 
Cllti 
by 
the Hindoos, as was the apis, or sacK gc< 
_ - , . V . • +hP, 14 
the Egyptians, their religious awe for^ 
that account, enhanced. Not any river ^jcli 
(Treater benefits to the countries --a- 
by annually overflowing its banks ,1 
•aters and manures the 
river in ^ 
thvougli jf^* 
for, 
and manures tlie couiitiy m an y-'-j .^ed 
in breadth. The Hindoos having de> 
miles in breadth. The Hindoos navmg a agr 
make it an act of their religion to Perf°^™ ''' 
it, supposing its waters to punfy from dei , 
k? 
waters to punry num ti>'- h‘% 
bathe^in tlreln. On its slimy shore they d*-*-!! 
and also' remove those who are at the pom , _ ,.,,1 • , 
and also remove those who are at u.e p.... - v j 
banks, or to those of some one of the ere ^ ^ 
into it. r 
On certain festivals, a concourse of dp' 0^'%} 
VAU eeiuuu icu...'.', — ■ the 
dred thousand persons assemble to bathe m • ji. j 
» i • U « rri-anf nniTlbC^ 
file bmik^' of which , are a great nu«^^.j,cip 3 ' 
immensely rich pagodas, 
guishes this river, besides 
But what 
its greatness 
aii‘^ 
rtf.‘ cf 
mV’ . 
guisiies u.i.. 1..W, i, , tlll'^’J .p'\ 
Die gold it brings down in its sands, and 
banks - and the precious stones and pearls J 
, KnV in the Onlf of BeDga'’. ' heiO:.;/ 
hanks * prcrcioub SLUiiGb 
I”, i.; but i» lb. oy of 
<lis4.ages its waters, and which abounds^^,_^ ], 
{Usuinges 
Cliun or Jcnima, the Guderasu, the A 
1 
