Subansiri
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Subansiri
A great river in the north-east of Assam, which con- tributes to form the main stream of the Brahmaputra. Its source has never been explored ; but it is supposed to rise far up among the mountains of Tibet, and to flow for a long distance in an easterly direction before it turns south to break through the northern mountain barrier of the Assam Valley. It enters Lakhimpur District from the Miri Hills through a gorge of great beauty, and, still flowing south, divides the subdivision of North Lakhimpur into two almost equal portions. Before it reaches the Brahmaputra, it forms, together with the channel of the Luhit, the large island known as the Majuli char, and finally empties itself into the main stream, at the western end of Sibsagar District. In the hills the bed of the river is greatly broken up by rocks and rapids ; but it is navigable by small steamers in the plains. Boats of 4 tons burden can proceed to the frontier of Lakhim- pur at all seasons of the year, and small steamers ply twice a week to Badati in the cold season, and twice a month to Bordeobam during the rains. Tea, rubber, mustard, potatoes, pulse, rice, canes, and timber are brought down the river, and gold can be washed from its sands, though all attempts to find the matrix of these deposits have hitherto proved fruitless. The river is too wide to bridge, except at an enormous cost, but it is crossed by eleven ferries.
