88 Mr . rennell’s Account of the 
food confumed by ten millions of people are conveyed by water 
within the kingdom of Bengal and its dependencies. To thefe 
muft be added, the tranfport of the commercial exports and im- 
ports, probably to the amount of two millions fterling per 
annum ; the interchange of manufactures and products through- 
out the whole country ; the fifheries ; and the article of tra- 
velling 
Thefe rivers, which a late ingenious gentleman aptly termed 
lifters and rivals (he might have faid twin filters, from the con- 
tiguity of their fprings), exactly refemble each other in length 
of courfe ; in bulk, until they approach the fea ; in the fmooth- 
nefs- and colour of their waters ; in the appearance of their 
borders and iflands ; and, finally, in the height to which their 
floods rife with the periodical rains. Of the two, the Burram- 
poo ter is the largeft ; but the difference is not obvious to the 
eye. They are now well known to derive their fources from 
the vaft mountains of Thibet t ; from whence they proceed in 
oppofite directions; the Ganges feeking the plains of Hin- 
dooftan (or Indoftan) by the weft ; and the Burrampooter by 
the eaft ; both purfuing the early part of their courfe through 
rugged vallies and defiles, and feldom vifiting the habitations of 
men. The Ganges, after wandering about 750 miles through 
thefe mountainous regions, iffues forth a deity to the fuperfti- 
* The embarkations made nfe of vary in bulk from 180 tons down to the lize 
©f a wherry. Thofe from 30 to 30 tons are reckoned the moft eligible for 
tranfporting merchandize. 
f Thefe are amongft the higheft of the mountains of the old hemifphere. I 
was not able to determine their height; but it may in fome meafure be gueffed, 
by the circumftance of their rifing conhderably above the horizon, when viewed 
from the plains cf Bengal, at the diflance of 150 miles. 
7 tious. 
