_ I 
100 Mr. rennell’s Account of the 
lation of two fuch mighty ftreams probably fcooped out the 
prefent amazing bed of the Megna *. 
In tracing the fea coaft of the Delta, we find no lefs than 
eight openings ; each of which, without hefitation, one pro- 
nounces to have been in its time the principal mouth of the 
Ganges. Nor is the occafional deviation of the principal branch, 
probably, the only caufe of fluctuation in the dimenfions of the 
Delta. One obferves, that the Deltas of capital rivers (the 
tropical ones particularly) encroach upon the fea. Now, is 
not this owing to the mud and fand brought down by the rivers*' 
and gradually depofited, from the remoteft ages down to the 
prefent time ? The rivers, we know, are loaded with mud and 
fand at their entrance into the fea ; and we alfo know, that the 
fea recovers its tranlparency at the diftance of twenty leagues 
from the coaft ; which can only arife from the waters having 
precipitated their earthy particles within that fpace. The fand 
and mud banks at this time, extend twenty miles off fome of 
the iflands in the mouths of the Ganges and Burrampooter ; and 
in many places rife within a few feet of the furface. Some 
future generation will probably fee thefe banks rife above water, 
and fucceeding ones poflefs and cultivate them ! Next to earth- 
quakes, perhaps the floods of the tropical rivers produce the 
quickeft alterations in the face of our globe. Extenfive iflands 
are formed in the channel of the Ganges, during a period far 
fhort of that of a man’s life; fo that the whole proeefs lies 
* Megna and Burrampooter are names belonging to the fame river in different 
parts of its courfe. The Megna fails' into the Burrampooter ; and, though a much 
fmaller river, communicates its nam€> to the other during the reft of its 
Cotfffe, 
within 
