Towns. The principal town is Bugdulla, containing about 1,500 inhabitants; there is a very good bazaar in this town, and a market every Thursday; much business is done in the several hauts throughout the Pergunnah; there is also a great traffic in rice and other grain at Bamun Gola, which is close to the Thannah-chowkie of that name, and situated in the village of Munaul Arazee; this Gola is a noted place on the Tanggan and large quantities of rice are exported from thence to Maldah, Rahimpoor and Nuwabgunge, from whence the up-country boats supply themselves.

Soil. The soils of this Pergunnah are Muteears, Dorus and Baloo; they are very rich and produce in abundance rice, mustard-seed, pulse of various kinds, koorthee gram; barley and wheat are also cultivated, but not in very large quantities.

Harvests.The harvests are Bhudooe, Khureef and Rubbee.

Climate. The climate is damp, but not so very unhealthy as that of Rajnuggur and Bhalasuree. This is the natural consequence of the country being highly cultivated and comparatively free from noisome swamps.

Thannah.-The jurisdiction of Thannah Jugdullah prevails here; a Chowkie of which, is placed in the village of Manaul Arazee.

Luttah 4 haths of 18 inches each = 1,600 square yards per beegah.

Assessment. The rate of assessment appears in the General Statistical Return.

SHIKARPOOR.

No. 10, or Pegunnah Shikarpoor of Maldah and Dinajpoor; the lands of these two Pergunnahs are so intimately intermixed with each other and also with other Pergunnahs, that in giving a description of them it would be next to impossibe to do so separately: these Pergunnahs belong to three Zumeendars; Kumlakunt Raie who resides at the small village of Telasun, within the Pergunnah, Golam Mahummed Shah who resides at Dínajpoor, and Alum Chuna Shah who resides at Angraisbad, there are other petty landholders who reside within the Pergunnahs. They are bounded on the North by Rajnuggur and Ajhaur, on the East by the District of Dinajpoor and Basdaul Pultapoor of Malda, on the South by Sheershahabad, and on the West by Rookunpoor of Maldah and Dinajpoor.

Roads.-There are no roads whatever in this Pergunnah, not even for carts, for they are unknown, except near Bungabaree.

Towns.-The only town is Bungabaree to which the Mahanunda forms a natural Southern boundary. There is an Indigo Factory in this Mouzah, the property of Mr. Peter MacArthur.

Soil. The soils are Muteear, Dorus, Balooa and Oosur; tillage is not much practised, the Jera being simply broad-cast and there harrowed, even this is not always done. Boro Dhan is much cultivated, it is sown in the dampest places and very commonly; when there is a foot or two of water, in such cases when the grain is ripe, the ears are cut off by the ryots from Canoes, the straw is left to rot in the water and increases malaria tenfold in the hot weather. The grain of the Boro rice is large and coarse, but nutritious; foreigners, however, unmixed with other food cannot eat it for any length of time, as it is of a very heating nature. Mustard-seed is also partially cultivated; a little wheat is here and there sown, and patches of very good Indigo are to be seen in the vicinity of Bangabaree ; but the chief supply of the plant for the use of the Factory, is brought from the opposite side of the river.

Harvests.-The Harvests are Khureef and Rubbee.

Climate. The climate is excessively damp and very unhealthy. During the time of Survey my Establishment suffered very severely in this Pergunnah; party after party were completely broken up; one in particular consisting of a Native Surveyor and eleven Kalassees, were to a man so completely prostrated in 18 days, that I was obliged to have them brought on a boat down the Tanggan to my Camp on the banks of the Mahanunda; three of this party died; one poor fellow in the delirium of fever jumped into the river and was drowned. It is worthy of remark that, when an Easterly or South-easterly wind prevails in this part of the District, that sickness invariably attends it; but that the contrary is the case, when a Westerly wind blows, that is the people rapidly recover from the effects of the Easterly breeze.

Rivers. The rivers are the Mahanunda, the Tanggan and the Poornababa.

The Mahanunda forms the natural Southern boundary, and the Tanggan the natural Western boundary of this Pergunnah; the former shall be adverted to hereafter, the latter as the crow flies, bounds the Pergunnah for about fourteen miles to the village of Kendooa Istumrur, excepting on a part of the village of Pathar Oojrung, round the Western boundary of which, however, it throws off a small rivulet-the main channel passing through the above named village.

From Kendooa Istumrur, some years ago, the river formed a new channel for itself, cutting its way through the South-eastern portion of Pergunnah Rookunpoor of Maldah and Dinajpoor to the Mahanunda distant from Kendooa about 14 miles; a small nullah formerly bounded the village of Mocheea to the East and South, into which the river made an inroad, and as the soil is loose and sandy, it very soon forced a passage for itself to the Mahanunda; from the contrary reports I received respecting the occurrence, I am unable to state correctly when this event took place. The Murra Tanggan forms the natural Western boundary from Kendooa to Bangabarree on the Mahanunda. After the rains when the river has retired to its channel, it averages from sixty to eighty yards wide, the

channel is very deep and the stream sluggish. From its banks being low, the lands in its neighbourhood are very subject to inundation, and when the rains are unusually heavy, the waters spread out into an immense lake, from fifteen to twenty miles long and from four to six miles wide. Boats of the largest burden can ascend the Tanggan considerably higher than Dinajpoor during the rains, and of 200 maunds burden to within six miles West of Dinajpoor, at any time during the year; but its channel is not much frequented by boats higher than Rajnuggur of Dinajpoor, where a channel of the Poornababa, called the Bruhmanee, flows into it; boats of from 300 to 400 maunds can pass through this any time during the year and can approach close to Dinajpoor, thus saving an expensive land-carriage from the grain golas of the capital. This river abounds with fish and is farmed out by the proprietors to muchwas or fishermen, 100 families of whom locate themselves on its banks during the fishing season, between Gobeenuggur of Dinajpoor and the confluence of the river with the Mahanunda. Aligators abound, and frequently cause much damage to the fishermen's nets, the porpois is frequently seen even higher than Dinajpoor, and turtle are almost innumerable. The water is unwholesome, owing in a great measure, to its receiving many tributaries from jheels, overgrown with weeds.

The Poornababa.-This is a very tortuous stream and forms in several places the natural Eastern boundary of the Pergunnah; in its character it much resembles the Tanggan, although it is not such a considerable stream; and I have my doubts, whether it would be of any consequence from where it throws off the Bruhmanee, did it not receive large supplies of water from the Dheepa or Patrod and a small branch of the Altree, which flows into it, some distance above Dinajpoor; boats, however, of 1,000 maunds, can ascend it during the rains to Dinajpoor; and I am informed, that rice boats of 300 or 400 maunds with some little difficulty, can pass up and down, during any time of the year. Where the stream enters the Pergunnah, the bed of the river is exceedingly muddy and the water shallow; so that when a boat happens to lodge on the mud, which is almost unfathomable to the boatmen's luggees, it is with difficulty got off again. The river separates into two channels from the village of Noonchoocha; the intermediate space, between these streams is entirely flooded during the rains, and forms an expanse of water from one to three miles wide, which leaves behind it, as the water subsides, horrible swamps and marshes, the fostering parents of every thing unwholesome and disgusting. I passed a night among these, and was nearly devoured by insects. There is no mart on the river higher up than Rohunpoor where the great rice golah is situated.

Jungle.-Two-thirds of the Pergunnah is covered with jungle, to the East of Telasun, the residence of one of the Zumeendars, there is only grass, cane and bamboo jungle; but to the North and West of this village, forest trees of various kinds, are thickly intermixed with the other jungle, there is also much brushwood, and several sorts of gigantic reeds; in many places the jungle is absolutely impenetrable, every kind of wild animal abounds, from the fierce tiger to the timid hare, and the sportsman is well rewarded, should he only have perseverence sufficient to trace them to their lairs.

Several noted sportsmen from Calcutta and the neighbouring Stations are well acquainted with this splendid ground; and many are the savage denizens of the forest, that have fallen victims to their prowess, between the Tanggan and Poornababa rivers. The three Zumeendars make a very considerable profit, from the sale of the cane, reed, and grass jungle, especially from the two latter; the grass jungle is cut in immense

F

quantities and carried to the mouth of the Tanggan, Poornababa, and Mahanunda, especially to the latter, where whole fleets of boats of all sizes, come to renew the chuppurs or roofs of their boats.

Reed Charcoal. The large reed grass is disposed of in large quantities to the blacksmiths of Maldah and its vicinity, and to those of Nuwabgunge and Gomastapoor, for the purpose of making charcoal; the method of preparing it is as follows, and the people state that, the heat emitted from this charcoal is much more fervent than that of wood. The reeds are cut down when the stems assume a bright yellow color, and the tops have withered ; they are then tied in bundles as large as a man can carry, and boated off by the purchaser to his abode on the river banks; as required for use the bundles are steeped in the river until the reed becomes in some measure decomposed; they are then removed from the river and placed in an upright position for the water to drain off; when they become nearly dry, they are half-burned and in this state are used as charcoal. I have been thus particular in stating the uses to which this reed and grass jungle is applied, as the Zumeendars of Shikarpoor, pay a large part of their malguzari from the profits arising from the sale. During the time of survey, viz., March and April 1848, where the jungle was very dense, it was deemed necessary to issue orders to burn it down; but I shortly after received urzees and personal visits from the Zumeendars and Mustajies, who deprecated the measure, stating how ruinous it would be to them were my orders carried into effect; of course these orders were at once cancelled and an arrangement made with the proprietors, that they were to clear the way for my parties.

Thannah. This Pergunnah is under the Police jurisdiction of Thannah Jugdullah; a Chowkee of which is placed in the town of Bangabaree.

Area of Shikarpoor of Maldah.-The total area by survey of Pergunnah Shikarpoor of Maldah is.....

Detached lands to be added,

Included lands to be deducted,

...

20,816 0 25 British acres.

Recorded area,

000

20,826 0 25 or 32·54 sqr. miles.

Area of Pergunnah Shikarpoor of Dinajpoor.-The total area by

Survey,....

Detached lands to be added,

Included lands to be deducted,

62,213 3 36

592 1 13 9,759 0 20

Recorded Area,

72,565 1 29 or 113:38 sqr. miles.

Beegahs. The beegahs in use at the time of survey are as follows:

1 Luttah, 4 haths of 18 inches each = 1,600 square yards per beegah.

Assessment. The rate of assessment will be found in the General Statistical Return.

WUZEERPOOR, BASDOUL-PULTAPOOR,

AND PULTAPOOR.

Nos. 13, 14 and 15, Pergunnahs Wuzeerpoor, Basdoul-Pultapoor, and Pultapoor. There are compact portions of these Pergunnahs, especially of those of Wuzeerpoor, Basdoul-Pultapoor; nevertheless the lands are very much intermixed, and as there are only two proprietors and they all belong to one Thannah, I have included them under one Statistical head.

These Pergunnahs are bounded on the North and East by the district of Dinajpoor and Pergunnah Bungaan of Rajshahee, on the South by Pergunnah Chundlaie, and on the West by Pergunnahs Sheershahabad and Shikurpoor.

Roads. There are two very good Kucha roads, viz., the Dâk road from Rampoor Bauleah to Dinajpoor, and Darjeeling; from Byrgachee Dâk bungalow and the Ganges to the Northern boundary of this District, this road maintains nearly a due Northerly direction; there are four exceedingly pretty well built and commodious Dâk bungalows on this road, between the Ganges and the Northern boundary, a distance of nearly forty miles, viz., Byrgachee, which is distant from Bauleah, a little more than 15 miles ; Digrynee from Byrgachee, 10 miles; Nizampoor from Digrynee, 10 miles; Parbatteepoor from Nizampoor, 12 miles, and from Parbatteepoor to the boundary, six miles, beyond which at about 2 miles distance, in the same direct line stands the Bameepoor Dâk bungalow; there are three other bungalows between the latter and the station of Dinajpoor. This road is a continuation of that from Calcutta to Darjeeling, and is passable at all seasons of the year for palkee travellers; but the public letter Dâk does not run along it; that proceeds from Moorshedabad, viá Kamra, crosses the Ganges near Toortupoor indigo factory, from thence to Maldah and Dinajpoor.

By the latter route, the distance is increased about twenty miles; but the road is always safe.

The second road alluded to, is a circuitous one, from Rampoor Bauleah via Nuwabgunge and Gomastapoor on the Mahanunda to Rohunpoor on the Poornababa, where there is a Dâk bungalow communicating by a cross country road with Parbutteepoor Dâk bungalow, on the direct line; in the fine weather this road is very good, and a buggy can be driven all the way from Gomastapoor to the Dâk bungalow.

Towns.-There are only two places of note in these Pergunnahs, viz., Gomastapoor of Pergunnah Wuzeerpoor, and Rohunpoor Maiegunge of Pergunnah Basdoul-Pultapoor. The former is a very fine village having a large bazaar; a haut also assembles here twice a week, viz., on Wednesdays, and Sundays; the haut extends into the village, but the principal business appears to be transacted under the shade of a splendid Banian tree in the immediate vicinity of the bazaar; the stems of this noble tree are about 20 in number, and average from 90 to 100 feet in height; and although not the greatest in diameter I have seen in this District, their great height, renders the appearance of the tree truly magnificent; Chuppai Thannah is also situated in this town, and there is a newly constructed rice gola in its vicinity. Many blacksmiths have located themselves here; I have counted no less than 40 pairs of bellows at work at the same time; all the smiths work under two immense chuppurs, and I was led to suppose from this, that the whole belonged