﻿HINDUSTAK. 



UINDUSfAW. 



Tb* whola of the Pk^jkb, inoluding Lahore, Moultan, and the JulUndar 

 Doab, and also Sinda and oertain of the Hill State* north uf Delhi, is 

 ■ubieot to the Britieh goTerament. 



The oountrr aouth of the Panjab ia occupied by the great aandy 

 deaert of Hindostan, which extenda louthward to the Ararulli range 

 and the salt-moraaa of the Ronn. Ita weatem border approaches the 

 banks of the Indus, from which it is separated onl; by a fertile tract of 

 Uod, from 10 to 15 miles in width. But as the Indus, in this part 

 of its course, is almost always divided into several channels, of 

 which some penetrate farther into the country east of it, the cultivated 

 tracts extend in some plaees to 20 miles and more from its principal 

 ohanneL 



The Deaert of Sinde, or the Thurr, which on the north-east is con- 

 nected with the sterile country which separates the plain of the 

 Qangei from that of the Indus, is covered with ridges of sand-bills. 

 In soma places these bills are overgrown with coarse grass or low 

 bttahes for about two months in the year ; during the remainder of 

 the year their surface ia bare, and exposed to great changes Trom the 

 winds. Between these ridges occur some lower tracts, which have a 

 hard, loamy, or stony soil, and on these the yegetation lasts much 

 longer. They are generally of very small extent, and are used as 

 pasture-ground for camels and sheep, and for a small race of cattle, 

 the only domestic animals which are kept here. The small oases ai-e 

 not numerous in the neighbourhood of the Indus, but increase in 

 number and extent as we appro.ich the AravuUi Mountains. 



VL Situie, or Scinde, extends on both sides of the Indus from the 

 sea to near the place where the river is joined by the Chenaub. It 

 lies between 23° 30' and 29° N. lat, and 67° and 71° E. long. It 

 extends in length from south to north more than 360 miles, and its 

 average width may be 200 miles. On the south and south-west it 

 borders ou the Indian Ocean, and its eastern districts are separated 

 from the province of Cutch by the Runn. To the east of it, and chiefly 

 within its boundary, is the Indian Desert or Thurr, where it borders 

 on the Ri^poot States of Marwar aud Jessulmeer. On the north-east 

 are the territories of the Khan of Bhawulpoor, and north those of 

 the I'anjab. The north-western comer of Suide reaches the Boogtee 

 HilU, which belong to Afghanistan, but the other parts of the western 

 borders are Beloochistan or the territories of Khelat, from which 

 Sinde is mostly separated by the Hala Mountains. 



The sea-coast of Sinde extends about 160 miles. Sinde is indebted 

 for its fertility to the inundations of the Indus. As far as these inun- 

 dations extend, the country yields abundant crops. These inundations 

 are caused by the melting of the snow in the upper course of the 

 Indus and its tributaries. As in the higher parts the difference of 

 the snow-line in summer and winter amounts to 3000 feet, an immense 

 volume of snow is annually dissolved, and the water thus produced 

 greatly raises ^e level of the river. In many places the waters spread 

 over the adjacent levels, and fertilise the soil. Artificial means ore 

 employed to increase these odvantagea, especially canals and dams. 

 The conab are only full during the height of the inundation, and are 

 dry in the winter moutha The dams are made across the bed of the 

 river, and are called ' bunds.' The river begins to rise in April. Early 

 in May the swell of the waters begins to point out the necessity of 

 deepening and cleaning out the various canals. Towards the middle 

 of June there is sufficient water for sowing the crops, which ripen and 

 are cut down in October. At the end of September the waters are 

 confined to the bed of the river. 



The Delta, or that part of Sinde which is below the town of Tatta, 

 baa an alluvial soil, conaiating of successive layers of earth, clay, and 

 sand. As the great branches of the river are here very numerous, 

 and throw off many arms, the inundation of this tract is general ; and 

 in those places which have not this advantage, artificial drains, about 

 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep, conduct the waters through the fields. 

 Close upon the sea there is abundance of green forage, which fur- 

 nishe* pasture for large herds of buffidoea. At the back of it extends 

 a belt 10 miles in width, where the country is so thickly covered 

 with furze and bushes that it is incapable of being brought under 

 tillage. Agriculture is only carried on in districts more distant from the 

 ahorea. If we except a few small towns sod villages, the inhabitants 

 rsside in temporary village*, which they remove according as they arc 

 oompelled by the iitoraase of the inundation or other circumstaucea. 



The extensive tract of country which lies west of the Indus, and 

 extends from the sea-shore to the town of Sehwun (26° 22' N. lat.) has 

 a different character. It is only along the banks of the river that there 

 is a low alluvial tract, a few miles wide, which can be cultivated, as it 

 has the advantage of being irrigated by short cuts from the river. 

 Beyond its limit* the country rises higher, and the soil is gravelly 

 and intermixed with pebbles, and soon passes into low hills composed 

 of sandstone. The Hala Mountains separata this tract from Beloo- 

 efaistan. On the same side of the Indus, north of the town of Sehwun, 

 is one of the most fertile districts of Sindo, which extends some miles 

 north of Shikarpoor. The country is level, and the means of irrigating 

 the land are abundant ; for beside* the main channel of the In<lua, 

 which is used for irrigating the adjacent lands, the intt-rior of this 

 region for the greater part of its extent is traversed by the Western 

 Karra, which partakes of the inundations of the principal river, and 

 «t some places is connected with it by transverse canals. 



TIm ponnti/ on the east of the Indus, from the northern boundary- 



line to the parallel of Hyderabad and Omeroote, present* a different 

 aspect The banks of the river to the diatanoe of two or three mile* 

 inUnd are covered with tamarisk and acacia shrubs, and mostly unin- 

 habited, but fluently cut by canals, which carry the water of the 

 river to the back country. On the edge of this back country the 

 village* are built, and generally raised somewhat above the ordinary 

 leveC to avoid the inundations. Some of the oanals which carry the 

 water of the river to the back country are of ^reat extent. The bank* 

 of all the canals are fringed with a broad agricultural band, on which 

 numerous large villages are built, many of which contain fiOO house*. 

 Beside* fertilising the land, these canals afford the means of trans- 

 porting by boats the produce of the soil. 



The country south of a Une drawn from Hyderabad to Omeroote, 

 and included by the Sata and Pooruun branches of the Indus, gene- 

 rally resembles the region just noticed. 



The climate of Sinde differs greatly from that of other ports of 

 Hindustan. Though the south-west monsoons blow so hard along the 

 shores as to prevent vesseU approaching them from March to October, 

 they do not bring any periodical rains. Rain is far from being fre- 

 quent all over Sinde, nor doe* it occur as in other parts of Hindustan 

 at certain seasons, though storms may be expected at the end of Juue 

 or the middle of July. In Upper Siude, that is, north of Hyderabad, 

 the natives of the country divide the year into three seasons, the 

 spring, the hot season, and the cold season. The spring is of very 

 short duration. The cold of the winter continues to the end of 

 February. The temperate weather between the extremes of the cold 

 and hot seasons is very short. The hot season may bo said to com- 

 mence in the middle of March, and it continues generally without 

 intermission till the middle of September. The heat in Upper Sinda 

 is greater than in those parts of Hindustan which lie in the vicinity of 

 the equator, and the sun is singularly fatal in its effects, not only to 

 Europeans but to natives. At Sukkur the heat at 9 o'clock in the 

 evening is three or four degrees more intense than it is at noon, a 

 peculiarity which seems to bo owing to the southerly winds which 

 invariably continue to blow from the heated deserts till midnight. 

 During the cold season, from October till the end of February, the 

 climate of Upper Sinde is pleasant and salubrious. Frost and ico 

 occasionally occur. The setting in of the cold and violent north winds 

 of November stops all vegetation except a few stunted tamarisk and 

 babool bushes. 



Sinde is rich in agricultural products ; rice, wheat, maize, and the 

 other grains and pulse common to India ore grown. Indigo is largely 

 grown in the north-eastern districts. Opium is cultivated near Shikar- 

 poor, and in some other di-'tricts. The sugar-cane is pretty generally 

 grown. Cotton is generally cultivated ; the beat is that raised in the 

 northern district*. Tobacco is grown in the vicinity of Khyrpoor. 

 Hemp, cucumbers, water-melons, and musk-melons are extensively 

 cultivated. The gardens produce carrots, turnips, radishes, onions, 

 and several kinds of pumpkins. Among the fruits are the dati-, 

 mango, pomegranate, apple, grape, lime, citron, fig, and various 

 others. About Shikarpoor ond Bukkur dates are so plentiful as to 

 constitute the principal food of the lower classes. The tamarisk ia 

 the most abundant production of the uncultivated parts, and is useful 

 for many purposes to the inhabitants. 



Dromedaries and a°seB constitute the principal means of conveyance 

 by land. The horses of Sinde are small but hardy, and capable of 

 enduring great fatigue. Immense herds of buffaloes graze on the 

 banks of the Indus and its arms, and at other places common cattle. 

 Qhee and hides constitute important articles of export. Sheep aud 

 goat* are met with almost everywhere in Upper Siude, and wool is 

 exported from that tract which lies west of the Indus and north uf 

 Shikarpoor. Tigers, wolves, jackals, wild hogs, porcupines, deer, and 

 hares live in the woods. Among the amphibious animida are the 

 alligator, otter, and badger. 



Sinde is a thinly-peopled country. The whole population, as given 

 in the ' Trigonometrical Survey of ludia,' 1861, ia only 1,274,744. 

 Tbe greatest part is a desert on which only some nomadic tribes 

 wander about with their herds, and the bulk of the population is 

 settled on the banks of the Indus and on the canala which are fed by 

 I it. The population is divided into three distinct classes, the Sindee, 

 the Belooch, and the Hindoo. 



Sinde ia divided by the natives into two parts : Lar, which compre- 

 hends the southern portion as for north as Sehwun ; and Sirra, which 

 1 extends over the northeni districts. Lar contains the three sea-ports 

 of the country, Shah-Bnndcr, Vikkur, and Kurachce. Shah-Bunder, 

 built on the Mull mouth of the Indus, is a small place, accessible for 

 sea-boats of 25 tons burden. Yiklcur, situated on the Hujamreo 

 mouth, 26 miles from the sea, is laiver, the river being navigable to 

 that place for more than 86 mile* for sea-boats of 40 tons burden 

 I Ktmtchee, about 30 miles (h)m the most western mouth of the Indus 

 the Pittee, is built at the head of a creek, distant from the sea 4 miles. 

 A harbour at it* entrance protected by a high headland affords safe 

 anchorage at all seasons to vessels of 300 tons, whence large boats cau 

 pass close up to the town, which is built on a slightly rising ground 

 and surrounded by a mud wall. The bazaars are extensive, but the 

 street* are narrow and filthy. The inhabitants amount to 14,000, aud 

 carry on an extensive trade by sea with India, Arabia, and Persia, and 

 by land with Shikarpoor, 



