NADIYA 129 classed as 'high land,' bearing cold-weather crops as well as rice. The rivers have now ceased their work of landmaking, and are in their turn ining to silt up. Along the whole north-eastern boundary flows e streem of the Padma, which is here the main channel of the GANGES; and all the numerous waterways of the District are offshoots of that great river. The BHAGIRATHI on the eastern border, and the JALANGI and the MATABHAXGA nieandering through the centre of the District, are the chief of these offshoots, and are called distinctively the Nadiya Rivers.' But the whole surface of the country is interlaced with a network of minor streams, communicating with one another by side channels. The Jalangí flows past the civil station of Krishnagar, and falls into the Bhagirathí opposite the old town of Nadiya. Its chief offshoot is the BHAIRAB. The Mátábhángá, after throwing off the PANGASI, the KUMAR, and the KABADAK, bifurcates near Krishnaganj, into the Churxi and the ICHHAHATI, and thereafter loses its own name. All of these rivers are navigable in the rainy season for boats of the largest burtlen; but during the rest of the year they dwindle down to shallow streams, with dangerous sandbanks and bars. In foriner times, the Nadiyá Rivers' afforded the regular means of conimunication between the upper valley of the Ganges and the seaboard; and the keeping open of their channels still forms one of the most important duties of Government. The elaborate measures adapted for this object will be found fully described in the Statistical Account of Bengal (vol. ii. pp. 19-32). Tolls are levied at Jangipur, Hánskhali, and Swarupganj, to the amount of about £20,000 a year, and a considerable proportion of this revenue is expended on repairs, etc. by the engineering staff. But though much of the trade of the District still comes down to Calcutta by this route during the height of the rainy season, the lines of the East Indian and Eastern Bengal Railways, and also the ma stream of the Ganges and the Sundarbans route, now carry by far the larger portion of the traffic. In 1883-84, the number of boats plying on the Nadiya Rivers' was returned at 65,813, of a burden of 957,075 tons, and carrying cargo to the value of £2,896,191. The tolls levied amounted to £20,090, and the expenditure incurred in keeping the rivers open, in establishment and maintenance, was £12,527. Besides the larger rivers mentioned above, Nadiyá District contains a large number of minor channels (kháls), and of bíls or swamps. Reclamations of river or marsh lands have not been carried on in Nadiya District on any extensive or systematic plan; but the marshes are largely utilized for the cultivation of the long-stemmed varieties of rice, or as reed and cane producing grounds. River traffic, consisting chiefly of grain, oil-seeds, and molasses, is largely carried on at the following towns :-(1) On the Bhagirathi ; VOL. X.
