12 
P. A. Shillingford —On the Kusi Biver. 
[No. 1, 
Channel of the Kusi 
at the foot of the hills. 
flowing into it within the limits of Purneah District has previously 
passed through the Kusi. It seems extremely probable that all the 
rivers in both the above districts having their sources in the Kusi slopes 
have at one time or another formed the main stream of that river. 
We have seen that it has occupied all the Purneah rivers as above 
restricted, save the easternmost, i.e., the Panar or Parwan, as it is 
called in the north and it is significant that this river also in its short 
course in Nepalese territory is called the Burlii Kusi i. e., the old or 
mother Kusi, and it is through this channel that Dr. Buchanan Hamilton 
conjectures that the Kusi broke away eastwards towards the Brahma- 
pntra; but he also mentions, as being told by a gentleman, who had 
A possible Eastern repeatedly visited the spot, that a dry stony - 
bedded stream flowed away eastward from 
below the third Cataract at Catra, and 
4t alleged by the people of the vicinity to be the original channel of the 
river.” This stream might be the one referred to by Dr. W, Hunter as 
entering the District where the Bakia now does break away eastwards. 
If such a former channel still exists it may possibly be found, if search 
were made, in the sandy plains containing antelope (antelope cervicapra) 
occurring to the North-east of Simraha, in Nepal, or the channel might 
be only a partial deflection of the stream as, indeed, Dr. Hamilton’s 
description would lead one to infer that the “ original channel ” al¬ 
luded to, had, in his opinion, its exit from Nepalese territory through 
the Burlii or Panar river. The bed of the Kusi, from its high bank to 
high bank near the Belkar Hills, is some 8 miles wide, containing nu¬ 
merous islands which have been formed by running and abandoned 
streams intersecting one another, and the maximum rise of the river 
Width and maxi- in these P arts ia onI 7 about 8 feet dnriu £ 
mum rise of Kusi rains ; whilst the Ganges rises 30 feet where 
near Nepal fiontier. the Kusi joins it. The distance from the 
Belkar Hills to the Ganges in a straight line is about 100 miles, and the 
fall in level along the river (Kusi) about 200 feet in this distance. 
Here then, I think, we have a probable solu- 
'W^'Stwuvci advDnice Ii° n to the problem of this westward advance 
of the Kusi. Rivers do not originate along 
“ ridges of high ground ” but by annual deposits on their shores during 
flood-time, and blown sand, raise their banks, and their beds keep rising- 
in unison, the accumulations of sand in their beds first beginning in 
their lower reaches where, owing to distribution, their currents get 
slack. The Kusi in its most eastward course would be controlled by 
the detrital slope along the foot of the Himalayas which would give 
the initial direction to the course of the river in its endeavour to reach 
