the Jhelum or the Sutlej, as in Rajpootana or in the Bhurtpoor territory. In fact, the Jauts of Bhurtpoor have emigrated from Moultan, and though some are now Seikhs, some Moslems, they readily acknowledge their common stock; on the other hand the converted Mahommedans of the Rajput tribes have come from the opposite direction, from Delhi and Northern Rajputanah. We have often been amused at hearing the Wild Goojurs, Dogurs (not the Jumboo Dogras, who are Hindoos) and Rangurs tell tales of their Chouhan and Rhatore ancestors; to this day there are many villages on the North West frontier having Mahommedan and Hindoo families claiming kindred, sometimes even intermarrying and at particular festivals eating together, though not at the same dish. It is well known that there are times and places when even Hindoos are reduced to reason, as to food; that at Juggernath, the Pariar cannot pollute the Brahmin; and in our own person we have found that, near the source of the Ganges, a Christian may be permitted to drink from a Brahmin's lotah, (vessel) without offence; so is it with the Seikhs, that at the Gooror Matta or Council of the Nation, all howsoever sprung, (and some of them were low enough) freely partook in common, dipping their hands in the same vessels.

We may not inappropriately here offer a detailed account of the characteristics of the Sutlej as a specimen of the Punjabee rivers. Though they all vary, more or less, according to the soils and localities, through which they run, they nevertheless have much in common. The Sinde or main Indus may be considered the most rapid, the Ravee the most tortuous, and the Sutlej the most shifting of the six Rivers, that bound and intersect the country.

Burnes, at page 183, vol. iii. of his Travels, tells us the Sutlej is "called Shittoodur, or the hundred rivers by the natives, from the number of channels in which it divides itself." Burnes evidently owes his derivation to Rennell or Abulfazel, and the geographer (Rennell) allows he took it from the latter, telling us at p. 102 of his " Memoir of a map," that "Ptolemy names the last river of the Punjab (going eastward) the Zaradrus; Pliny, the Hesudrus. Arrian has the name of Saranges among his Punjab rivers; and says that it joins the Hyphasis (or Beyah.) The Ayin Acbaree (Aboolfazil) says that its ancient name was Shetooder, from whence we may easily trace Sutlege, or Suttuluz." Aboolfazel's words as translated by Gladwin, page 107, vol. ii. are" The Seteluj, formerly called Sheetooder, whose source is in the mountains of Ghahlore," meaning Keehlore.

It is true that immediately after rounding the Nainee Debee ridge and emerging from the hills, the river becomes and conti

nues for a few miles above Roopur, a complete network of streams but neither Rennell nor Aboolfazel gives the orgin of the name ; and as we know no language in which Shittooder means hundred Rivers, we offer what we consider a more accurate derivation-considering Shittooder and Sutlej to be each corruptions of Satrudra, and all Indian rivers to be connected with Hindoo mythology, we would explain the words as Sat, holy, true, best; and Rudra, a name of the god Síva; the compound making Satrudra.

Moorcroft and

The source of the Sutlez has never been visited. Gerrard have, of all travellers, explored nearest its source; the former having fallen in with the River at about latitude 31° and longitude 80° 40', Thornton's Gazetteer at page 258 vol. ii. quotes Lloyd and Gerard as follows: "The most remote source of the "Sutlej is said by my informants to be at a place named Chomik "Tongdol, where a small stream gushes out of the ground and "runs into Goongeoo Lake. This place must be very much elevated, for, allowing a moderate fall for the river, it will come "out 19,000 or 20,000 feet more than Lake Man Sarowar, which "I think I have pretty good data for estimating at 17,000 above "the sea." (Page 258, vol. ii., Thornton's Gazetteer.)

There is so obvious an error in these numbers, that we wonder it escaped the observation of the corrector of the press. The words in the volume, misquoted by Mr. Thornton, are "This "place must be very elevated for allowing a moderate fall for "the river, it will come out 19,000 feet or 2,000 feet "more then Mansarowur, &c. &c." There is a little difference between this and Mr. Thornton's account of the passage.

Mr. Thornton, using Moorcroft, Herbert, Gerard, Hutton and Rennell, goes on to say:

This spot is, in the map of the authors just quoted, placed in lat. 31. 5', long 81 6', and appears to be on the south side of the Kailas, or "Peaked Mountain," on the north of which the Indus is thought to have its source. From this point it takes its course to Rawan Hrad, or Goongeoo Lake, situate close to that of Manas Sarovara, and supposed by some to receive its waters. It subsequently issues from the north western extremity of this lake, being there in the dry season thirty feet broad, and takes a north westerly course of about one hundred and fifty miles, through a country of awful and even terrific sublimity, as far as Nako, in lat. 31 50, long 78 36. Close to this it receives the river of Spiti from the north west. Above the confluence, the Sutlej is seventy-five feet wide; its bed 8,600 feet above the level of the sea. Gerrard observes, It is not easy to form an estimate of the water contained in the Sutlej, for although the breadth can be determined, yet within the mountains there is scarcely a possibility of sounding it, on account of its great rapidity.-The depth at this spot must be very great, as the volume of water is considerable even eighty miles further up, where, at Ling, the river is too broad to admit of a rope-bridge, and is crossed by one of iron chains : the breadth thereabouts being one hundred and twenty yards; depth, at the

the lowest season, one foot and a half; the rapidity seven or eight miles an hour; the impetus of the stream such as that it can be forded by yaks or Tartarian kine if the depth exceed two feet. The bed of the river, a short distance below this in lat. 32. 38', long. 70′ 4', is 10,792 feet above the sea. Here the river is by the natives called Langzhing Khampa, or the river of Langzhing; lower down, Muksong, then, Sanpoo; lower still, Zeung-tee; lower down, Sumeedrung; in Buschar, Sutoodra, or "hundred-channeled," whence the name Zadadrus and Hesudrus of the classical writers; lower down, it is generally called Sutlej, by which name it is also known up to its source."-(Vol. 2, page 259.)

Here is a fair specimen of the growth of error-Rennell, page 83, (in qur edition it is page 102) is given in the margin as authority for Sutoodra, or "hundred-channeled" but the fact, as we have already shewn is, that it is not Rennell, but Burnes who erroneously translates the word. The quotation above given from Thornton is very indistinct; we read the passage half a dozen times, before we could understand that the Sutlej was not made to run up from 8,600 feet to 10,792.

Again using Gerard as authority, Mr. Thornton observes—

Though the river is in the upper part of its course a raging torrent, falling in several places a hundred or a hundred and fifty feet per mile, with a clamorous noise, and displaying heaps of white foam, yet so severe is the climate that for two hundred miles it is completely frozen for two months every winter. Where not fordable, it is crossed either by a Sango or wooden bridge; by a Jhoola or rope-bridge which the traveller passes on a seat suspended by a loop made to slide along the rope, by means of a long string, pulled by men stationed on the further bank; or by means of a suzum, or foot-bridge, formed of cables, stretched parallel to each other. These frail suspension-bridges frequently give way, and the passengers are dashed to pieces. There are also a few chain bridges. At the confluence of the Spiti and Sutluj, the bed of the river is 8,494 feet above the sea. The scene is described as awfully sublime."-(Vol. 2, page 259.)

Gerard says that he "never saw any" chain bridges; but that there is "one over the Sutlej, near Thooling;" we know of only two on the western hill: one in Kamaon, over the Kali-another over the Jumna beyond Mussourie. Would that there were "a few" more. Continuing to condense Gerard and Moorcroft and adding to them the authorities of Von Hugel and Vigne, it is stated:

"From Rampoor to Bilaspoor in lat. 31° 21, long. 76° 41, its course is generally west-south-west. Forster who crossed it here, describes it as a very rapid stream, about one hundred yards broad. Hence it holds a very tortuous course, but in general west-south-west to Ropoor, lat. 30° 58, long. 76° 29, where it makes its way through the low sandstone range of Jhejwan, and enters the plain of the Punjab. It is here thirty feet deep and more than five hundred yards wide in its season of greatest fulness, and is crossed either in loats or boats of inflated buffalo-hides. As is the case with all the rivers descending from the Himalaya, it is far fullest in June, July and August. At the ferry of Filor, or Faloor, in lat. 31° long. 75° 51' it was

found, in the season when lowest to be two hundred and fifty yards wide, seven feet deep, and moderately rapid. Burnes, who crossed it here in August, when fullest, found it seven hundred yards wide, with a depth, where greatest, of eighteen feet, but on an average of only twelve. Up to this point it is navigable at all seasons for vessels of ten or twelve tons burthen. Its confluence with the Beas is a little above Hurekee, and in lat. 31° 11' long. 74° 54"-(Vol. 2, page 260.)

Throughout this last quotation we can say, from our own personal knowledge, that there is considerable inaccuracy; the fact being that shortly after leaving Bilaspoor the river makes a sweep North-West, for nearly twenty miles, then runs South-West for nearly half that distance, and then returns South-Eastward to Roopur, whence it flows nearly West to Loodiana, where it is so narrow, because there it divides itself into two branches-the smaller one under the cantonments being navigable for any boats during the rains. We have fathomed it in August and found seven foot water. To the above full description we may add from our own notes, that there are many rapids in the River during its course, through the hills; but the falls are not so deep as to prevent timber being floated down. The navigation is however difficult and not unattended with danger, as the River, often filling up the entire channel between the rocky sides, affords no landing place to the raftsmen who may have lost their footing on their timber floats. The speculation of wood-cutting would however be a profitable one.

We calculate the stream to average four and a half miles in the hills, and two in the plains during the cold weather; but when the snows begin to melt in the mountains the rate increases, until in the height of the rains, about July, the average is double or more than double the above. But the rises and falls of the river and strength of current are very arbitrary. It will often rise six feet in a single night. The passage across the Sutlej between Loodiana and Ferozepoor is usually made in a quarter of an hour, but we have been six hours effecting it backwards and forwards, owing to the strength of the stream; and the voyage, from Roopur to Ferozepoor usually occupying three to six days, we have known effected in twenty hours.

In the plains, the Sutlej runs through a line of country averaging six miles in breadth and from twenty to a hundred feet lower than the general surrounding level. This tract is on the Sutlej as almost on all Indian Rivers called the Khadir, as the high adjoining lands are called Bangur. Through any portion of this bed of six miles the River is liable to force a new channel, and every year it does more or less change its course. The Khadir is divided into two or more steps, formed by new depo

sits; and while the progress of destruction along the high banks of the River is very perceptible, the new formations can often be noted from day to day.

The river begins to rise in April, and is sensibly increased in May, and towards July comes down in so full a stream as often to inundate the villages on the adjoining bank. The rise of the river (called Rez, literally flowing) is hailed on the Sutlej banks as a good fall of rain is elsewhere, and the ploughings on the high lands are more or less extensive according to the distance that the first great flood of the season has extended. Much of the low (Khadir) lands are completely drowned; but the loss of a crop is compensated by their giving a fuller harvest in the cold season. Those lands, only flooded to the depth of two or three feet, are sown with rice. The general influence of these floods is beneficial, but occasionally not only are villages swept away; but large deposits of sand are left over what had been a rich soil.

The river water is seldom artificially raised for irrigation. When it is so raised, as in the Bahawulpoor territory, it is drawn up by Persian wheels worked by bullocks or camels-the machinery being placed over a kureez or cut in the river bank.

The Sutlej after rounding the Nainee Debee ridge, (there the outer Himalaya) spreads as it passes the village of Anundpoor Makowal into many (" a hundred") streams, but again closes into one channel as it approaches the Sewalie range, and quite loses its mountain character five miles below Roopur, and from a blue deep stream rolling over large pebbles and confined within narrow limits, it expands into a muddy river running through a low swampy country (the Khadir) and varying from an occasional deep channel to repeated shallow nullahs separated by large sand banks. Three miles above Hurekee it is joined by the Byas. The Sutlej is here in December about three hundred yards wide and the Byas two hundred. The depths are much the same. The volume, therefore, of the former is the greater, though on the authority of Macartney it is stated by Thornton to be otherwise. The stream of the Byas is comparatively clear, and the waters of the two rivers do not mix for nearly a mile below the junction.

In December there are several tolerable fords between Roopur and Ferozepore, and by taking a zig-zag course, a good guide could take an army over at many places, but all are more or less dangerous for the passage of troops. There are from twenty to thirty recognized ghats between those places, and among them about two hundred flat-bottomed boats could be mustered. These boats are perfectly flat, with a high projecting