tufted, and cinnamon colored, with a line of the fame color
reaching from each to the throat; backfide and much of the
tail a rich purpliih cinnamon, the reft of the tail yellow.
G a n g e t i c H i n d o o s t a n .,
T he G anges. T he extremity of the bay o f Bengal, the antient Sinus
Gangeticus, appears filled with the trait through which once
flowed its feven celebrated difcharges of the Ganges, of them
two only remain undofed.
T he Hoogly. Hoogly river (the greateft and molt ufeful difcharge) opens
with its vaft mouth fome leagues to the north-eaft o f the
Subanreeka river. It retains its name at left as high as the town
o f Hoogly. The part which opens into the bay of Bengal is
properly an eftuary, and continues fo till it winds half round the
ifle o f Culpy; that done, its channel is nearly due north, bending
eafteily as it approaches Calcutta. Tor a great extent
before the entrance are numbers o f longitudinal banks, formed
hy the mud or fand brought down by the waters of the river, of
the fame form as thofe which lie before the mouth of the
Thames, and effeited by the fame means. They are infamous
for frequent wrecks, either o f adventurers returning with the
wealth o f years to infult with eaftern luxuries our contented
'countrymen at home, or of India - bound youths filled with
pailolian dreams, each thoughtlefs o f the inevitable fate Which
awaits them in the gilded-deeps of Hindaojlan.
a I S H A L L ,
I s h a l l , in my account of this celebrated river, give firft a
defcription o f its mouths, o f the appearance of the country between
them facing the fea; the knowlege the antients had of
that part, and then begin the detail o f this river, and its twin
the Burrampooter, from their fources to their difcharge into the
bay o f Bengal.
T h e Indian name o f this river is Pudda or Padda, and Burra
Gonga, the Great River, or by way o f eminence Gonga, or the
River. There may be a third origin of the name, that o f
Ganges, from Ganga, one o f the three goddefles o f the waters
venerated by the Hindoos. The learned prefident o f the Afiatic
fociety joins her with Temana and Serefwata*. Ganga is re-
prefented lightly treading on the furface of the ftream, with a
flower o f the Nelumbo, or water lily, irr each hand; we meet
with other Gongas and Ganges in India, as we do with our Dee
or Divona, rivers in Britain; the Mavilagonga in Ceylon, and
others of the name of Ganges, may be brought as inftances in
this great peninfula. Many o f the rivers of India are held to
be facred, this, fuper-eminently f o : it is called the Heavenly
River, and fuppofed to be the great purifier of all the fins of
mortality. The natives o f Bengal are carried by their friends,
when at the point of death, to its ihores, and are placed up to
their middle in water; if they chance to die with the additional
advantage o f holding a cow by its tail, in the important moment,
that circumftance is no fmall confolation to their fur-
rounding friends. Thofe who have neither means or ftrength
to be brought there, think upon the river, and fay, “ O Ganges,
N ames of the
G anges.
* Afiatic Rcfcarches, i. * j6 . The figure of Gang« is oppofite t® that page.
U 2 purify