aoe 
ON THE STATISTICS OF DUKHUN. 315 
The average of all the rates at many towns and villages in all 
parts of the country, derived from personal inspection of the 
village accounts, gives 3 rupees, 41 reas for a beegah of garden- 
land, or 8s, 33d. for an English statute acre. The average of 
\ field-land is 3 qr. 93% reas per beegah, or 2s. 73d. per Eng- 
lish acre. 
To determine an approximate average assessment per beegah 
in Khandesh, I may use elements, which although not just, may 
be expected to give results not very far from the truth; namely, 
the total number of beegahs of land under cultivation in the 
ep mation returns in 1826, and the land revenue in 1827-28: 
_ the former is 883,548 beegahs, and the revenue 1,664,904 ru- 
pees: the average rate per beegah is 1 rupee, 3 qr. 54 reas, a 
~ much higher rate than exists in the other collectorates. 
These assessments comparatively with those of all Kuropean 
countries, of most Asiatic countries, and relatively to the va- 
luable nature of the garden produce, comprising, independently 
of the ordinary fruits and vegetables, grapes, oranges, sugar- 
cane, cotton, two kinds of fine wheat, and aromatic and pungent 
seeds,—the field produce also embracing all the bread grains, 
gram, and other pulses,—are unquestionably very low; and were 
there no extra cesses even in the present depreciated value of 
_ agricultural produce, could not only be borne by the cultivater, 
but he might flourish under them even with the burthen of 25 
_ per cent. on his produce—fees paid to the Hukdars and Bul- 
 lootehdars. These rates, however, are considerably enhanced by 
| extra cesses called Puttees, many of which were levied for con- 
; tingencies and particular exigencies, or resulted from the con- 
1] version of voluntary offerings in kind into compulsory money 
| payments. 
Et These cesses are no less than 62 in number in the three. col- 
 lectorates of Poona, Ahmednuggur, and Khandesh, and the 
_ whole of them are for different objects; many of them result 
from local circumstances, and are therefore of a local bearing. 
The majority of these Puttees are not of uniform operation in 
_ the three collectorates, but one or more of them up to a score 
- may be found in every village. 
_ A few observations on the origin, character, and practical 
Bp rects of some of these Puttees may be necessary. Most of 
| them profess to bear directly on the land, such as those for 
) grain, forage, and ropes to government, grain to Ramooses, 
- Hayildar, Gosawees, and Meeras tax, tax for sugar, &c.: other 
_ taxes which originally fell upon tradespeople, such as_ those 
~ for skins, shoes, wool, blankets, and oil, are no longer derived 
from their legitimate sources, but fall upon the cultivator. 
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