GANGES, a river prominent alike in the religion and in the geography of the east, divides, at least towards the sea, India in its largest sense into the two grand divisions of Hither and Farther. Its entire length is more than 1500 miles. Its general direction the first half of its course is s.e.; it then flows e. through the plain of Bengal, as far asRajmuhal, a distance of about 400 in., after which it again proceeds in a south eastern direction, and enters the sea through a multitudinous delta. For the purposes of detailed description, the stream, which exhibits such a great variety of phases in the different parts of its course may be conveniently broken down into five sections: (1) from its springs to Gangotri; (2) from Gangotri to Hurdwar; (3) from Hurdwar to Alla habad; (4) from Allahabad to Seebgunge, or the head of the Delta; (5) from Seebgunge, or the head of the Delta, to the bay o(Bengal.
From its Springs to Gangotri—The Bhageerettee, Bhagirathi, or Bhaghireti. gener ally regarded as the true G., rises in Gurhwal, near lat. 30° n., and long. 79° 7' e., from a saow-field imbedded between three mountains of about 22,000 ft. in height. The actual spot from which it is seen to issue is itself 13.800 ft. above the sea. After a course of 10 m., throughout which the torrent is all but inaccessible, it reaches the temple of Gangotri, the first work of man on its banks, at an elevation of 10,300 ft., so as to hay() descended about 350 ft. in a mile.—From.Gangotri to Hurdwar.--After a run of 7 m,, the stream is joined on the right by the Jahnuvi, considerably larger than itself, in lat. 61° 2' n., and long. 78° 54' c.; and the united waters, 13 m. further down, burst through the Himalaya proper, in let. 30° 59' n., and long, 78° 45' east. Still 90 m. lower, it receives the Aluknanda with a volume one half greater than its own, and here it first receives the name Ganges. A distance of 47 m. more carries the stilt rapid current down to Hurdwar, on the verge of the great plain of Hindustan, at an elevation of 1024 ft., showing a descent of 9,276 ft. in 157 m., or of nearly 60 ft. in a mile.—Frora Hurd 'ear to Allahabad.—This portion of the river, Measuring- 488 m., and averaging a fall of 23 in. in a mile, is beset almost throughout by shoals and rapids. It is navigable, how ever, for river-craft the whole way to Hurd War, for passenger-steamers to within 100 m. of the mountains, and for loaded barges up to Cawnpore, which is 140 m. above Alla
habad. This last-mentioned city stands at the confluence of the G. and the Jumna.— From Allahabad to Seebgunge, Or the head of the Delta.—This, the longest of the five divisions of the stream, measures 563 tn. in length, and has a fall of about 5 in. in a mile. Notwithstanding many shoals, it is practicable throughout, even in the driest season of the year, for vessels drawing fully 18 inches. About 270 in. below Allahabad, the G. is joined on the left by the Ghogra, having previously received the Gumti on the same side, and the Tons and the Kurumnassa on the right. About half-way between Allahabad and the Glx)gra is the city of Benares. Between the Ghogra and Seeb gunge, the principal affluents are the Sone on the right, and the Gunduk and the Coosy, or Sun Kosi, on the left. Along this entire section, the G. varies largely both in breadth and in depth, according to the season of the year and the state of the Seetunge, or the head of the Delta, Bay of Bengal.—Ilere the descent, along a line of 283 m., averages about 3 in. in a mile. Hitherto swollen by its feeders, the G. now begins to send off branches, parting at Seebgunge with the Bhagrutti, and next, 70 m. further down, with the Jellinghi, at the town of the same name, which, after separate ;Courses for about 120 m, each, unite to form the Hoogly of Calcutta. Below the point of departure of the Jellinghi, it throws out similar offsets, the Marabhanga, the Gorae, the Chundni, and the Kirtynassa. Meanwhile, this waste towards the right is in a great measure compensated by effluents on the left, more especially by various channels of the Brahmaputra—the two great net-works of waters intertwining themselves together in a manner too complex for delineation, and at last indenting a long line of coast with at least 20 estuaries. The mouth of the Hoogly, the most available of all the branches of the G. as the means of communicating with the outside world, is in lat. 21° 40' n., and long. 88° east. By it the largest ships reach Diamond harbor, while vessels of siderable burden ascend to Chaudernagore. Between the Hoogly and the G., above the Delta, there are two routes. When the water is high, the Bhagrutti and the Jellinghi afford the requisite facilities; but in the dry season, the intercourse is maintained by the Sunderbund or Sunderbans passage, a circuitous course to the n.e., which opens into the Chundni.