DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15172#0243
208
MEMOIR OF THE INDUS.
CHAP. III.
The land embraced by both these arms of the
delta extends, at the junction of the rivers with the
sea, to about seventy British miles ; and so much,
correctly speaking, is the existing delta of this river.
The direction of the sea-coast along this line of
rivers is north-north-west.
But the Indus covers with its waters a wider space
than that now described, and has two other mouths
still farther to the eastward than those thrown out
by the Sata, the Seer, and Khoree ; the latter the
boundary line between Cutch and Sinde, though the
rulers of the latter country have diverted the waters
of both these branches by canals for irrigation, so
that none of them reach the sea. With the addition
of these forsaken branches, the Indus presents a face
of about 125 British miles to the sea, which it may
be said to enter by eleven mouths. The latitude of
the most western embouchure is about 24° 40' N.,
that of the eastern below 23° SO', so that in actual
latitude there is an extent of about eighty statute
miles.*
* This limited extent of the delta of the Indus is quite
inconsistent with the dimensions assigned to it by the Greeks.
Arrian informs us that the two great branches below Pattala
are about 1800 stadia distant from each other, " and so much
" is the extent of the island Pattala along the sea coast."
The distance of 125 British miles, the face of the modern
delta, does not amount to 1125 stadia, or little more than
one half the assigned distance of Arrian. On this point the
Greeks had not personal observation to guide them, since
Nearchus sailed out of the western branch of the Indus, and
Alexander made but a three days' journey between the two
branches of the river, and could not have entered Cutch, as has
MEMOIR OF THE INDUS.
CHAP. III.
The land embraced by both these arms of the
delta extends, at the junction of the rivers with the
sea, to about seventy British miles ; and so much,
correctly speaking, is the existing delta of this river.
The direction of the sea-coast along this line of
rivers is north-north-west.
But the Indus covers with its waters a wider space
than that now described, and has two other mouths
still farther to the eastward than those thrown out
by the Sata, the Seer, and Khoree ; the latter the
boundary line between Cutch and Sinde, though the
rulers of the latter country have diverted the waters
of both these branches by canals for irrigation, so
that none of them reach the sea. With the addition
of these forsaken branches, the Indus presents a face
of about 125 British miles to the sea, which it may
be said to enter by eleven mouths. The latitude of
the most western embouchure is about 24° 40' N.,
that of the eastern below 23° SO', so that in actual
latitude there is an extent of about eighty statute
miles.*
* This limited extent of the delta of the Indus is quite
inconsistent with the dimensions assigned to it by the Greeks.
Arrian informs us that the two great branches below Pattala
are about 1800 stadia distant from each other, " and so much
" is the extent of the island Pattala along the sea coast."
The distance of 125 British miles, the face of the modern
delta, does not amount to 1125 stadia, or little more than
one half the assigned distance of Arrian. On this point the
Greeks had not personal observation to guide them, since
Nearchus sailed out of the western branch of the Indus, and
Alexander made but a three days' journey between the two
branches of the river, and could not have entered Cutch, as has