124 REVENUE SURVEYS. 



descriptive report of the Deecan, its appearance, physical geography- 

 geological structure, chief towns, ports, manufactures, &c, is 

 attached to the Surveyor-General's Report for 1877-78.* 



The area allotted to this party having been nearly completed, the 

 survey of the Konkan or country between the Western Ghats and the 

 sea was assigned to them in January 1879. The system and scale of 

 survey (2-inch) were the same as those adopted for the Deecan 

 topographical survey, and the triangulation was based on the South 

 Konkan Meridional Series of the Great Trigonometrical Survey. 

 Triangulation was carried on under great difficulties, as the agri- 

 culturists burn the village refuse to supply ashes for the rice 

 fields. The smoke of the fires added to the dense atmosphere near 

 the sea coast covered the tops of the hills with a dense haze, and 

 after 10 in the morning even the luminous signals were not visible 

 for over six or eight miles. The Deecan dacoits too roamed about 

 the country cutting down signals and destroying marks. 



Captain E. "W". Samuells was in charge of this party up to the 

 11th September 1878, when he availed himself of two months' 

 privilege leave to recruit his health. Before the termination of his 

 leave the Afghan war had commenced, and he and Major Tanner 

 had to accompany the Khaibar column. Captain Samuells, after 

 narrowly escaping from the enemy's artillery fire while surveying 

 during the battle of AH Musjid, fell a victim to fever on the 

 21st December 1878. He had entered the Department in December 

 1863, and had held charge of different parties for about six years 

 altogether. He had served in Bengal, Assam, the Deecan, and on a 

 special boundary survey of the Oudh and Nepal frontier, and was 

 an energetic and zealous officer. 



In 1879-80 the North Deecan party was divided into two sections, 

 one being engaged in completing the portion of the Deecan allotted 

 to the party, with which was included the Ashti taluk of the 

 Nizam's dominions, as it is surrounded by Deecan country. The 

 second section commenced the topographical survey of the Konkan, 

 where preliminary triangulation had been done during the previous 

 season. The 2-inch scale was continued as in the Deecan, but the 

 village boundaries were obtained by direct survey, as it was found 

 that the transfer of the boundaries in such hilly country from the 

 Bombay Revenue Survey maps would not have been satisfactory. 



* Appendix, p. 129. 



