Ganges and Burrampooter Rivers, p t 
war, to the conflux of the Jumnah (the firft river of note that 
joins it) its bed is generally from a mile to a mile and a quarter 
wide; and, compared with the latter part of its courfe, tole- 
rably ftraight. From hence, downward, its courfe becomes 
more winding, and its bed confequently wider till, having 
alternately received the waters of the Gogra, Soane, and Gun- 
duck, belides many fmalier ftreams, its bed has attained its 
full width ; although, during the remaining 600 miles of its 
courfe it receives many other principal ftreams. Within this 
fpace it is, in the narroweft parts of its bed, half a mile wide, 
and in the wideft, three miles ; and that, in places where no 
iflands intervene. The ftream within this bed is always either 
increafing or decreafing, according to the feafon. When at its 
loweft (which happens in April) the principal channel varies 
from 400 yards to a mile and a quarter ; but is commonly about 
three quarters of a mile. 
The Ganges is fordable in fome places above the conflux of 
the Jumnah, but the navigation is never interrupted. Below 
that, the channel is of confiderable depth, for the additional 
ftreams bring a greater acceffion of depth than width. At .500 
miles from the fea, the channel is thirty feet deep when the 
river is at its loweft ; and it continues at leaft this depth to the 
fea, where the fudden expanfion of the ftream deprives it of the 
force neceffary to fweep away the bars of fand and mud thrown 
acrofs it by the ftrong foutherly winds ; fo that the principal 
branch of the Ganges cannot be entered by large veflels. 
About 220 miles from the fea (but 300 reckoning the wind- 
ings of the river) commences the head of the Delta of the 
Ganges, which is confiderably more than twice the area of 
that of the Nile. The two wefternmoft branches, named the 
* This will be explained when the windings of the river are treated of. 
N 2 Coflimbuzar 
