Indus River

the most westerly of the great rivers of India. It rises in the unexplored regions of the Himalayas and flows in a general southwesterly direction into the Arabian Sea. Its upper waters are swift and pass in places through narrow, precipitous defiles. The walls of one gap in Cashmere are 2,000 feet in height. The lower valley of the Indus is not far from the boundaries of Afghanistan and Baluchistan. In portions of its course the Indus is much diminished in volume by loss of water through evaporation and sinking in the sand. Much more is drawn away for purposes of irrigation. The delta is a sandy waste of little value. The Indus was reached, it may be remembered, by the forces of Alexander. On the whole its valley is not fertile. It does not compare favorably with that of the Ganges. The Indus has a total length of about 1,900 miles and drains an area of 360,000 square miles. It is considered one of the great rivers of the world, but it does not rank in size with the Ganges. In one part of its course it is twenty feet in depth and has a generous breadth; but in general, especially in seasons of drouth, it may be said to be a shallow river. The lower part of its course is navigable for steamers having a draft not to exceed seven feet. See India; Ganges; Rain