Burnes, Alexander: Travels into Bokhara: containing the narrative of a voyage on the Indus from the sea to Lahore, ... and an account of a journey from India to Cabool, Tartary and Persia ; performed by order of the supreme government of India, in the years 1831, 32, and 33 (Band 1) (London, 1835)

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memoir of the indus.

CHAP. IX.

CHAP. IX.

the indus from bukkur, till joined by the
punjab rivers.

The waters of the Punjab, united in one stream,
fall into the Indus at Mittun, in the latitude of
28° 55' north. From this point to Bukkur, the
river pursues a south-westerly course, is direct in
its channel, but frequently divided by sand-banks.
Various narrow, crooked branches also diverge from
the parent stream, retaining a depth from eight to
fifteen feet of water, which are navigated by boats
ascending the Indus, in preference to the great river
itself. They extend throughout the whole inter-
vening space which I have now under review.

The Indus is widely spread in many parts of its
course above Bukkur. It often exceeds a thousand
yards in breadth, and at Mittun was found to be
even double that width. The depth was not pro-
portionally diminished : in some places it exceeded
sixteen fathoms, and four fathoms were to be found
every where; which, it is to be recollected, was at
a season when the waters are lowest. There was
no greater acceleration of current than in the lower
parts of the river, and the serpentine course of the
narrows just mentioned proves the great flatness of
this country.