The length of the Inclus is reckoned at 1350 miles. Its source is near the eastern limits of the mountains of Thibet, on the opposite side of the same ridge from whence the Ganges proceeds. After traversing little Thibct, it crosses the chain of mountains named the Hindoo Cook or Kok ; after receiving- the river Cabul at Attock, it passes the salt range at Callabaugh. After passing Attock, its course, with great bendings, is a lit tle west of south to Nloultan, where it receives the Pun jab rivers ; thence its direction is still more west of south to Tatta, where it divides into several streams; and, ac cording to Major Rennel, the latitude of Lany Bundu, (which, during the last century, was the principal chan nel of the Indus,) is 24° 44' north ; that the Delta is 150 miles in length along the coast ; that about 115 miles from the sea, in a straight line, it divides into two branches, of which that to the west is the largest: that after proceeding about 50 miles in a South-west direction, this branch again divides into two, the smaller passing NV.S.W. to Lany Bundu and Darroway ; the larger taking the name of Ritchel, runs to a town of that name on the sea coast. The city of Tatta, the capital of Sincla, is within the inferior Delta, about five miles below its up per angle. 'f lie lower part of this Delta is much inter sected by creeks ; it has no trees, but is covered with brushwood, and consists chiefly of swamps and muddy lakes.
The tide being visible only 60 or 65 miles from the coast, indicates a considerable declivity. In the mouths of the rivers the bores are high : just above the tideway the Ritchel is said to he about a mile in width, at the city of Tatta half a mile. The velocity of the current is about four miles per hour in the dry season. The Indus and its branches afford a free navigation for vessels of 200 tons from Tatta to Maul= and Lahore : Maul= and Allahabad are about the same distance from the sea, that is, about 850 miles by the rivers. Captain Hamilton says, that boats come from Lahore to Tatta in 12 days.
Besides these extensive river navigations, it WaS in the district called the Punjab, or country of five rivers, that the only artificial canals of any extent in India were con structed, chiefly by Feroze Ill. about 1351, who perse vered in making these improvements for 37 years. The country between Delhi, upon the Jumna (a branch of the Ganges) and tke Punjab on the Indus, being frequently without water, this prince undertook to furnish a supply for the purposes of agriculture and inland navigation; he tberefote built the city of Hipai Ferozeh, about 100 miles west of Delhi, and caused two canals to be drawn to it. Ile had previously made a canal from the Jum nah, near the notthern hills, to Sufidoon, a royal hunt ing place ; this canal was full 60 miles in length; it passed by Canawl and loglickpoor ; it was about four yaids in breadth ; he afterwards extended it to Ilipai, his new city, when it was altogether 114 miles in length.
About 1626, Shah Ischan made clear out that part which teaches from the hills to Sufidoor, and made a new canal nom thence to Delhi, which is about 60 miles.
The other principal canal was from the river Sutlege to the city of Hipai Ferozeh, thus mentioned in Fe rushta, translated by Dowe. " He (Fcroze) drew a ca nal from the Cagger, passing the walls of Sirsutti, and joined it to the river Kera, upon which he built a city-, named after himself Ferozabad ; this city he watered with another canal from the Jumnah ; those public works were of prodigious advantage to the adjacent countries, by supplying water for their canals, and a commodious NNater-carriage from place to place.
Besides these principal canals, several branches were cut in different places ; and, on the banks of both, towns were placed ; as Juneed, Dhatarest, Honisi, and Ioglick poor. Feroze levied a tenth of the produce of the lands fertilized, which, with the revenue of the land lately cultivated, he applied to charitable purposes; and it is said that the lands of Ferozeh, which had formerly pro duced only a scanty harvest, now gave two that were abundant.
Besides these canals connected with Ferozabacl, there are similar works zdjacent to Lahore, on the S. E. bank of the river Hydroates of Alexander. This noble river has its source in the mountains near Nagerkote; it en ters the plains near Shapoor, or Rajapan ; and it is from this place the canal of Shah Nehr has been carried a dis tance of about 73 miles, to supply the city of Lahore with water. From the same place three other canals were taken for watering the country to the S E. of La hore, in dry seasons, when all the Indian rivers are front 20 to 30 feet below the level of their banks.
The meritorious exertions of this excellent prince, are an evidence of what may be accomplished in those fine countries, since, besides intersecting the adjacent plains, the branches of the Indus might be connected with those of the Ganges, and an inland navigation opened between tbe confines of Persia in the west, and those of China on the east.
The Ganges and Burrampooter are, in many respects, similar; the sources of both are in the mountains of Thibet ; they both, for some time, proceed through rug ged countries, in nearly opposite directions, until they are about 1200 miles apart ; they afterwards mutually approach, and finally unite, previous to discharging their mighty body of water into the Bay of Bengal. They have also a resemblance in their inundations, their co lour, smoothness, islands, and shores.