,146 



STATISTICAL SKETCH 



a petty prince. With the exception of these four places, there is not a single 

 place that can boast of a permanent bazar, or that contains 120 houses. 



Almora, situated in latitude 29* 24', longitude 79° 39', is built on the top 

 of a ridges running east and west, and elevated 5400 feet above the sea : it was 

 founded about three centuries and a quarter ago, by a Raja of the last dynasty, 

 who, at that period, having extended his dominion over the western districts, 

 removed his court from Champdwat to Almora, as a centrical point of his king- 

 dom. From the nature of its situation, it is confined to a single street, nearly 

 three quarters of a mile in length, paved with stone, and consisting of two ba- 

 zars, divided from each other by Fort Almora, and the ancient palace of the 

 Kajas. Detached houses, chiefly inhabited by Brahmins, are scattered along 

 each face of the mountain below the town. At the western extremity, and 

 immediately joining on the town, are the lines of the regular troops, in the 

 rear of which is the fortification now termed Fort Moira : at the eastern ex- 

 tremity is a small martello tower, called St. Mark's. The palace of the 

 Rajas consisted of a confused pile thrown together in an irregular style, and 

 as the whole was in a state of considerable decay, it was in consequence knocked 

 down, and the materials appropriated to the public works: the principal 

 part of the ground on which it stood, is now occupied by the jail. There are 

 several temples in Almora, but none requiring any particular mention. 

 By an enumeration in 1821, the number of houses in the town and suburbs was 

 found to be 742, divided among the different classes and castes as follows :— 



Hindus, 228 



Eralimins, ...........228 



Merchants and Bankers,.. 1 84 

 Goldsmiths, ,...., ....,«,., 40 



Petty Traders, 53 



Dancing Girls, 53 



Kot engaged in trade, ,,, 19 



Donis, 127 



Stone Cutters, 51 



Masons and Carpenters, 33 



Blacksmiths, 27 



Coj';)er Smiths, 8 



C 



UmeZ'Sj eeetitfttaciitt^fft O 



Mohammedans, 75 



Tradesmen, 5T 



Not engaged in trade,., it.. 18 



