Hooghly

Hooghly, or HÜGLÍ, a river of Bengal Proper, the most westerly of the channels by which the Ganges reaches the sea, and commercially the most important. Taking its distinctive name near the town of Santipur, it has a southerly course of 64 miles to Calcutta, and a further course of 81 miles in the same direction to the Bay of Bengal. Being a deltaic river, the Hooghly is much subject to being silted up, and is only kept open to navigation by the vigilant exertions of a special staff of river engineers. Even with all their care the stream is frequently dangerous, owing to shifting quicksands and moving banks and channels. In spite of these drawbacks vessels drawing 26 feet of water are safely taken up to Calcutta by the Calcutta pilots. At its mouth the Hooghly has a width of 15 miles. The Bore (q.v.) of the river frequently attains a height of 7 vertical feet. See map at CALCUTTA.