an extensive and woody district of Bengal, situated at the mouth of the eastern or great branch of the river Ganges. It is a dreary region, consisting of a labyrinth of rivers and creeks, all of salt, except those that communicate immediately with the principal arm of the Ganges; these numerous natural canals being so disposed as to form a complete inland navigation. Bishop Heber describes the prospect on the banks of the river as a dismal unbroken line of black wood and thicket, apparently impenetrable and interminable, which, he adds, "one might easily imagine to be the habitation of everything monstrous, disgusting, and dangerous, from the tiger and the cobra de capello down to the scorpion and mosquito." The seamen," he continues, "spoke of the shore with horror, as the grave of all who were so unfortunate as to remain many days in its neighbourhood." On a nearer approach, the appearance of the Sunderbunds improved; the woods assumed a greater variety of green and shade; several round-topped trees and some low palms were seen among them; and a fresh vegetable fragrance was wafted from the shore.

In tracing the coast of this delta, eight openings are found, each of which appears to be the principal mouth of the Ganges. The navigation through the Sunderbands is effected chiefly by means of the tides, there being two distinct passages; the one named the Southern or Sunderland Passage, and the other the Ballaghaut Passage. The first is the longer of the two, and opens into the river about sixty-five miles below Calcutta. The latter opens into a lake on the east side of Calcutta; the navigation is intricate, extending more than 200 miles through a forest divided into numberless islands by various channels, and the prospects are romantic. At one time the masts of vessels are entangled among the branches of trees, and at other times they sail on a broadly-expanded river skirted with beautiful woods. The water is everywhere salt; and the whole tract is uninhabited except by tigers, and wild deer, their natural prey. During the dry season, the lower shores of these rivers are visited by salt-makers and woodcutters, who supply Calcutta with wood for fuel from these desolate tracts, and many of whom every year are devoured by tigers; these animals growing here to an enormous size, and so ferocious that they have been sometimes known to swim off and attack boats. In addition to these, the waters swarm with alligators. Some attempts have been made to bring parts of the Sunderbands into cultivation, but with little success, as the want of fresh water must always prove a great obstacle to improvement; nor is it desirable to settle such an unhealthy tract while so many healthy stations remain unoccupied. The Sunderbands are deemed of importance as a political barrier to Bengal on the south.