The T'san-pu river rises close to the sources of the Indus and Sutlej at a height of 16,000 feet. Running eastward it falls to 14,200 feet at Tadum, 11,800 feet at Shigatze, and 11,300 feet near 1.hassa. It is almost certain that this river joins the Bralirnaputra in Assam under the name of the Dihang. This mighty river runs from the N.E. of India, from Brahmakund to Goalpara, for a mean length, exclusive of its numerous small curves, of more than 400 miles. The level of the Brahrnaputra Saddiya is 210 feet. A little to the south of the entrance of the Tista begins that part of the river where the stream branches off in the shape of a delta, and shortly joins with that of the Ganges. The ebb and flood of the tide extend, in the season when the river is low, upwards beyond, Dacca ; the fall from Saddiya to the delta consequently amounting to half a foot per mile. The Brahmakund is a very deep basin shaped enlargement of the river, just before it emerges from the mountains to descend into the plains of Assam. The velocity of the current, which both above and below the Bralimakund is very great, suffers a great diminution at this point. In this S.W. course, along the whole length of the left shore of the Brahmaputra, and nearly parallel to the broad valley through which it runs, WC meet with a longitudinal range of secondary hills, inhabited by the various scattered tribes of the Na.ga, Khassya, Jaintia, and Garo. It disembogues into the Bay of Bengal through , three mouths, after a length, in tho plains, of 933 miles. It receives in its long course tho rsan-pu, 1000 ; Dihang, 140 ; Noa Dihang, 100 ; Buri Dihing, 150 ; Subansiri, 180 ; Manas, 189 ; Bap,-ni, 150 ; Guddala, 160 ; Dharla, 148 ; Tista, 313 ; Barak, 200 ; Guinti, 140 miles.
The delta branches of the Bmhrnaputra. and Ganges intersect Lower Bengal in such a variety of directions as to form a complete system of inland navigation. The Brahmaputra begins to rise in April, owing to the melting of the snow at its alpine sources. About the 1st July it is at full flood, and all the level country is submerged, herds of buffaloes, deer, and hogs then swim for refuge to the hills. The Bmhmaputm drains Assam in every direction. It is known in Assam by the name Hiranya or golden. In the rainy season it rises 30 or 40 feet above its lowest level, overflows its banks, and inundates the country like an inland sea. In the dry season it is a labyrinth of half-filled channels, rendering the navigation intricate and fit only for steamers of light dnurght. It is not navigable higher than Dibrughar. As seen from Ogri Hill near Tezpur, the river is sweeping along in a bed of from ten to twelve miles in breadth, with muneroun islands covered with canea and shrubs. The chief towns on the banks of the river aro Bishnath, Durrung, Gowhatty, Goalpara, Naaseerabad. It is navi gated from the Bay of Bengal to Dibrugarh, near the herul of the Assam valley, within 500 miles of Pengshaw, on the Yang-tse-kiang river. Of these 500 miles 300 are known. Megna and Bralimaputra aro names of the same river in different parts of ita course ; the Megna fal's into the Brahmaputm, and though a much smaller river, communicates its name to the other during the rest of its course.
The Aryan Hindu and the non-Aryan races who occupy British India continue to worship springs and fountains and other natural objects. This has been a custorn with many races. The fountain of Egeria, the Fontinalia Romana, the Aqure Ferentime, and the sacred wood where tho Ferim Latium were celebrated, were under the especial protection of some divinity. Panranias says that at Phocis in Achaia, there was a foun tain called Hama, consecrated to Hermes, near which thirty enormous straight stones had been erected at a very remote period, when instead of images the Greeks adored blocks of stone. Such was also the religion of pagan Ireland.
And still the Ganges river by Hindus is es teemed sacred. Many persons, whose relations die at a distance from the Ganges, at the time of burning the body preserve a bone, and at some future time send or bring this bone and commit it to the river. The work called Kriya-yogasara contains the following curious story :--‘ A Brah man, who had been guilty of the greatest crimes, was devoured by wild beasts; his bones only remained. A crow took up one of these bones, and was carrying it over Ganga, when another bird darting upon it, the crow let the bone fall. As soon as the bone touched Gaup, the Brahman sprang to life, and was ascending to heaven, when the inessenger of Yama, the judge of the dead, seized him as a great sinner. At this time Nara yana's messengers interfered.' The confluence of rivers, called Sangam by Hindus, is held sacred by these religionists; the forks of the Ganges and Jumna Allahabad, of the Ganges and Gamktk at' Patna, may be men tioned, and pilgrims visit them in large numbers. The tongue of land where the Ganges unites with her great sister river the Jumna, is the true Prayag, the place of pilgrimage to which hun dreds of thousands of devout Hindus repair to wash away their sins in her sanctifying waters. A legend tells us that at Allahabad or Prayag the clear and undimmed glance of Hindu faith can discern a third stream, besides those visible to ordinary mortals, the Jumna and the Ganges, which there unite just below the forL But the Ganges at her estuary is not less sacred than her sonrce. Saugor Island, at her mouth, is annually visited by a vast concourse of pilgrims, in commemoration of her act of saving gmce, when, in order to cleanse the 60,000 damned ones of the house of Saugor, she divided herself into a hundred channels, thus making sure of reaching their remains, and 80 forming the delta of Bengal. Devout Hindus make a six years' pilgrimage from the source of the Ganges to the mouth and back again. It is known as a pradakshina, or a eircum ambulation, and is still performed by many ; and a few of the devotees may be seen wearily accomplishing the rneritorious penance of measur ing their length along certain parts of the route. To die and be buried on the river bank is the last wish of millions of Hindus. Even to exclaim Ganga I Ganga l at the distance of 100 leagues from the river, say her more enthusiastic devotees, may atone for the sins committed during three previous lives.