afloat, separating a sufficiency to cover the surface of the sieve, this forms a strong and durable sheet of paper. All fences where bamboo is plentiful are made of it, those surrounding the better kind of Bengali houses are made very neatly. Shola or Solah.-Shola or Solah is found in large quantities, on the marshy plains, diameter from 1 inch to 24 inches, used for making hats, toys, artificial flowers, floats for fishing nets, and various other purposes; I have seen the pannels of a palanquin made of it. Lime.-Lime made from shells is very common, a few families gain a livelihood by collecting shells, they are generally of the species called Ampularis, Paludena, Unio and Cyreence, and are to be found in large quantities, as the waters dry up from the jheels, the finest stacco is made from this lime, and when carefully applied to pillars, &c. it has a very pretty and polished appearance. Domestic Animals.-The elephant may be called so, Indian bull and cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, a mixture of the Patna and Bengali, pure Bengali, ass, tattoo, pig, dog and cat; the cattle are very wretched looking, there being very little pasture ground, except in the jungles. Wild Animals.-The rhinoceros has been seen in Pergunnah Shikarpoor, tiger, leopard, tiger cat, inchneumon, otter, monkey, jackal, porcupine, hare, sambur, bara singha deer, spotted deer, antelope, hog deer, hogs innumerable, wild buffalo, fox, wolf (very scarce) pole cat, civet cat, wild cat, kutass, squirrel, &c. &c. Domestic Birds.-Goose, duck, common cock and hen, guinea fowl, turkey, pigeon. Wild Birds.-Wild goose, forty varieties of the wild duck tribe, florican, snipe, cormorant, heran, sparrow, peacock, golden oriel, common green parrot, pelican, partridge, (black and gray,) jungle cock and hen, tern of various kinds, ring-necked paroquets, kite, goshawk, falcon, adjutant, swallow, bulbul, cerleu, gray and black, peewit, koel, blue and green pigeon, rock pigeon, ring dove, king fisher, woodpecker, rook, jackdaw, minah, plover, ortalan, hoopoo, robin, sand martin, jay, quail, button quail, golden plover, widgean, horned owl, white owl, common owl, kyrah, main water crow, night crow, paddy bird (four kinds), brahminee duck, sirus, ground dove, common dove, hornbill, spoonbill, a variety of honey birds, tailor bird, starling, gull, water wagtail, sand lark, byer, and a variety of small birds. Fish.-Ruhoo, hilsah, katal, kutlah, tingra, mhooa, cowee, mullet (the finest in India are found in the Mahanunda River,) papta, chulwa, crab (kekra, or kamkura) prawn or chingree, seolee, eel or bam, and a variety of others whose names are unknown. Reptiles. Boa constrictor, gohsaup sometimes five and half feet long, cobra de capella (brown and black), gorait, dhamna, water snakes of kinds, tree snake, bishkopra, bloodsucker, chameleon and lizards of various kinds, gheekorain (resembles a snake in its motion, but has two short legs in front,) alligator, crocodile. Rainy Season. The rainy season usually lasts from the middle of June to the 20th of October, but frequently, especially in the Northern part of the District, heavy showers fall during the month of May. Winds.-The North wind prevails in winter, and the South during the rainy season; from the middle of March to the middle of June Westerly winds prevail, and from August to November Easterly. с Poppy and Indigo.-No poppy is cultivated in this District, but there is a vast quantity of land under indigo and mulberry cultivation. Khusruh Measurement.-228 villages, comprising an area of 139,545 acres or 218.03 square miles, have been measured by khusruh, a variety of luttahs existed, the several lengths of which are noted in returns of the Pergunnahs to which they are proper. The measurements were made by contract ameens, who were paid at the rate of 1-12 per 100 acres of cultivation and Juddeed, and 0-14 per 100 acres of kuddeem and waste, the cost of the whole, exclusive of European superintendence amounts to Co.'s Rs. 1,855-1-5. Area, Population, &c. &c.-The District of Maldah contains 2,335 uslee mouzahs comprised as above stated in thirty-nine Pergunnahs, the villages of nearly all the Pergunnahs are very much intermixed with each other, as well as with those of the neighbouring Districts, the latter difficulty was much obviated, by including the adjoining Pergunnahs of Dinajpoor, in which are the most interlaced lands, in this survey. The total area of the Maldah District is 8,24,647-2-27 British acres, or 1,288-51 square miles; the government jumma or land rent is company's rupees 2,53,438-2-1; the average rate of this jumma per acre on the total area excluding lakhiraj lands 4·11, on cultivation and culturable 0.60, and on cultivation alone 0·9.6. The number of houses after a careful investigation is 62,379, allowing the average of five persons to each house, gives a population of 3,11,895 or 24206 souls per square mile. A little more than half the population are mussulmans, divided into the sects of Sheikh and Seyud. The different castes of Hindoos found in this District, are the Brahmin, Kyet, Rajpoot, Chaitree, Khaitree, Kabureest, Charal, Ch'haie, Jailae, Poora, Tailee, Gharal, Sooree or Kulwar, Malee, Dhopa and the Napeet or Hujam. The Regular Survey of this District was commenced in season 1847-48, and finished in season 1848-49.-One or two Pergunnahs were surveyed so far back as 1840. The Calcutta Meridianal Series of the Grand Trigonometrical Survey of India traverses this District from South to North, crossing the Ganges River in the vicinity of the Burgachea Dawk Bungalow, and passing in a due Northerly direction a little to the Westward of the Town of Dinagepore, joins the Sonakhoda Base line in the Purneah District near Titalya. The Revenue Survey operations are completely identified with the several stations of the Grand Trigonometrical Survey. The entire cost of the Revenue Survey amounts to Rs. 37,469-6-4, and the average rate per square mile to Rs. 26-15-3 including khusruh. PERGUNNAH AKBURPOOR. No. 1, or Pergunnah Akburpoor, is situated at the North-western extremity of the District of Maldah, and is bounded on the North by Pergunnah Barour of Purneah, on the East by Pergunnah Hutundah of Purneah, and also by Pergunnah Hutundah, Gorhund and Mukraen of Maldah, on the South by Pergunnah Kankjole of Purneah and Kankjole of Maldah, and on the West by Pergunnah Kankjole of Purneah. Rivers. This Pergunnah is well watered; its principal rivers are the Ganges, the Kunkur, the Gobra Gorayeea, the Kalindry, the Dhurumdowla, the Kalkas and the Kap; there are also numerous small streams, but all these, and even some of those named, dry up during the hot season. The Kunkur abuts on this Per gunnah, from Kankjole of Purneah at the Western boundary, at the village of Joth Muhesh Kasimpoor, to which it forms a natural boundary for nearly a mile; it then leaves the boundary, and flows for a short distance in an Easterly direction through Kankjole, and again enters Akburpoor, 14 miles above the village of Belgachee, and runs in a South-easterly direction for 4 miles, to the confluence of the Gobra Gorayeea with the Kalindry; here these rivers assume the name of Kalindry, which forms the natural Western boundary for 4 miles, it then enters a detached portion of Pergunnah Kankjole of Maldah, near the large town of Bazeedpoor, after flowing through which it again enters the Akburpoor Pergunnah near the town of Khidurgunge, runs South-easterly towards the boundary, on which it abuts near Debeepoor Arazee, and flows on, forming for some distance the natural Western boundary of Pergunnah Mukraen, towards its confluence at Nema Suraie with the Muhanuda. This river during the rainy season is rapid, but during the dry weather the stream is very sluggish, and where the water is deep, scarcely perceptible; it is known by several names, viz. the Reega, Punar, Kunkur, &c.; boats of 400 maunds can easily pass up, as far as Ekamba, about 12 miles North of the town of Purneah, during the hot weather; much timber is floated down this river, and it is navigable throughout the Purneah District during the rains. The Gobra Gorayeea is an insignificant stream, and forms for a short distance, the natural Western boundary of this Pergunnah. The Dhurumdowla is merely a branch of the Kalindry, from which it disengages itself a little to the West of Thannah Gorgureebah, which is situated in a detached portion of Kankjole of Maldah. Roads.-There are no good roads, that excepted from Purneah to Maldah, which passes through the towns of Khidurgunge and Debeepoor. Towns.-The capital is Hyatpoor, in which is a thannah and a Moonsiff's kutcherry. The principal towns are Sooltangunge, Hurischunderpoor, Bhegaul, Bhulookarae, Khidurgunge, (from this latter there is a line of thickly populated villages to Hyatpoor Thannah,) Debeepoor and Kumulpoor; in all these towns, weekly markets are held, as well as in the villages of Talgaon, Mulewur, Kasimpoor and Narotumpoor. Soils, &c.-The soils are Muteear, Dorus and Baloo; the harvests are Bhuddooee, Khureef and Rubbee; and the principal crops, barley, pease, gram, pulse of various kinds, teesee, mustard-seed and juneera, cut in April. Paddy, kullye, jawara, mukaie, bajra, murooa, moong dal, khodo, mutanee cut in September. Paddy, koorthee, moong, tel, kullye, cotton (very partial,) sugar-cane, cut in the cold weather; tobacco is not generally cultivated, but almost every village or rather havellee has its little plot for home consumption. Vegetables. All the village gardens produce vegetables in abundance, the most common are toraie, pulbul, kuddoo, a kind of pumpkin, kuraila, gooea, kukree or cucumber, khonda (a pumpkin), saag of many kinds, brinjall, sem or flat bean, shukur-qund or sweet potato, ram toraie, cumhurwa, rut alloo or yam, kukoree, gajur or carrot, udruk or ginger, &c. These are common to all the gardens of Maldah. Irrigation.-Irrigation is not resorted to in the Southern part of the Pergunnah, but the most simple process is observed in the Northern part. Indigo Factories.-There are three indigo factories, Koondy, Ajgura, and Sheebpoor; part of Koondy, subsequent to the Survey, has fallen into the river. Climate. The climate is very damp and insalubrious. August, September and October are considered the most unhealthy; the people suffer dreadfully from fever during these months. Thannah.-The Police jurisdiction of Thannah Gorgureebah prevails in this Per gunnah. Inhabitants.-The inhabitants appear to be simple in their manners, but in every respect there is a marked difference between them and the people of the North-west, or indeed of Behar, Patna or Shahabad; they appear to be quarrelsome among themselves, and extremely litigious; if you enter into conversation with any villager, he is almost sure to advert to some lawsuit he is or has been engaged in, for some very petty affair; these lawsuits are generally carried on with the greatest virulence. Houses. The village houses are neatly built, generally, the walls are made of reed tatties, and plastered over with a thick coat of mud, which is so composed as to be very adhesive; some of the houses are not plastered, and again the walls of others are built of mud, all very neatly thatched, and whatever materials they may be constructed of, all have the bowed ridge pole, which is peculiar to Bengal; almost every homestead has its little plot of ground, generally very neatly fenced in, in which tobacco, vegetables, &c. are cultivated; few of the villages are compactly built, for besides the gardens, the houses are intermixed with trees of various kinds, for the most part those that are useful, either as yielding fruit or affording shade-the most common are, mango, jack, tamarind, bamboo, banian, palm, pepul, byre, papaiya and plantain ; the whole site very often occupies many acres, and the villages from a distance have a very picturesque appearance, but all pleasurable feelings are quickly banished on a nearer approach or on entering them, for they are dirty to excess, and the squalid miserable appearance of the poor, is really pitiable. Cultivation, &c.-About one-third of this Pergunnah consists of grass and tree jungle, and unassessed waste; the remainder is highly cultivated. Area. The total area amounts to 94,129.1.21 British acres or 147.07 square miles; it has detached lands, which are included in the above area amounting to 13,074.1.27 British acres, and lands of other Pergunnahs situated within its limits, which have been deducted, amounting to 18,450.2.22 British acres. Local Beegah.-The beegahs in use at the time of survey, are as follows:- 1. Luttah of 4 haths or cubits of 18 inches each=1,600 square yards per beegah. This Pergunnah is decidedly in a very prosperous state; many of the land-holders acknowledge this. The rate of assessment appears in the General Statistical Return. HUTUNDAH. No. 4, or Pergunnah Hutundah.—Only two villages of this Pergunnah are compact, detached in Pergunnahs Hutundah and Barour of Purneah and The town of Dowlutpoor is its Capital, in which there are several highly cultivated and produce rice in great abundance; they are the remaining four are The total area is 3,239-1-23 B. Acres, or 5'06 square miles. The beegahs in use at the time of Survey, are as follows: 1. Luttah of 4 cubits of 18 inches each, = 1,600 square yards per beegah. Ditto = 2,025 Ditto Ditto. The rate of assessment is furnished in the General Statistical Return. MUKRAEN. No. 2, or Pergunnah Murkraen, is bounded on the North by Pergunnahs Akburpoor and Gorhund, on the West by Akburpoor and a detached portion of Kankjole of Purneah, and on the South and East by Sumulpoor of Purneah, Pergunnah Kasimpoor of Dinajpoor and Pergunnah Bhalasuree of Maldah. Rivers. The principal rivers are the Kalindry, the Murra Mahanunda and the Mahanunda, the latter enters the village of Burael Melik, at the Eastern extremity of the Pergunnah, from Pergunnah Maheenuggur of Purneah, and for about 1 miles, it runs through the village, and then forms its Western boundary for about another mile, after which it flows into Pergunnah Bhalasuree. The Kalindry abuts on the Western boundary from the village of Debeepoor of Akburpoor, forming the natural boundary for about a mile and a half, it then passes through the villages of Alpara, Hurgobindpoor, Russoolpoor and Jebnuggur, from the Southern extremity of which, it again becomes the natural boundary on the West, for 3 miles, entering the Pergunnah again at Shamdalpara, from whence it flows in a South-easterly direction, towards the boundary of Sumulpoor of Purneah, which it crosses near the village of Sumla; all this part of the river is deep, and the stream very sluggish; it abounds with fish of various kinds and tortoise. The Murra Mahanunda forms the natural Eastern boundary of this Pergunnah, until it turns off abruptly East to join the Mahanunda, this confluence takes place within a mile of the large village or rather town of Pokhureea, Pergunnah Bhalasuree; this arm of the Mahanunda is called murra or dead, not because its stream has dried up, but on account of boats having ceased to frequent its channel, for the wider and less tortuous modern stream. The channel of the ancient stream is very deep, and abounds with fish of many kinds, which are caught by the line, the net, and very frequently at night by torch-light. This method is very common on all these rivers, and is thus performed; a boat is paddled to the middle of the stream, a musshal or torch is then placed over the stern, so that its full glare alights on the surface of the water, the fish attracted thereby, without the smallest timidity, approach the treacherous flame; the larger ones are instantly speared by the practiced fishermen, while the smaller are caught in landing nets; ruhou and hilsah of enormous size are sometimes taken in this manner; at the confluence of the Mahanunda and Kalindry this method is Ꭰ |