OF THE CITY OF BENARES. 473 



ascertain however the degree to which it might be trusted, a few mehalas, 

 in different parts of the town, were selected for a careful re-examination 

 by myself, and the opportunity was taken to insert separate returns of 

 the males and females of each family, and farther to distinguish the lodg- 

 ers from the proprietors. Into these points the Ldlas had not been per- 

 mitted to enquire, on account of the delicacy of the natives, particularly 

 the Muselmans, on the former subject. No reluctance, however, was 

 shewn in affording to myself such additional information, except among 

 Muselmans of rank, who sent me the details of their household in closed 

 letters rather than declare them viva voce in the street. 



In the re-examination I found the houses in almost every case faith- 

 fully described : the householders' names were also correct, unless where 

 death or sale had induced changes in the course of two years : the num- 

 ber of inmates fluctuated a good deal, but not more than could be explain- 

 ed from the continual change of guests and lodgers. To render the work 

 complete, a Census of the Civil Station and the Cantonment of Secrole was 

 afterwards added, as well as of sixteen villages in the vicinity which may be 

 considered as immediately dependent upon the European establishment. 



The Register is in the Ndgari character, and has been deposited in 

 the office of the Governor General's Agent at Benares : a copy in the 

 Devandgari character, is lodged in the Society's Library. The materials 

 are arranged in nine columns, in the following order : 



1. Number of the House. 



2. Name of Proprietor. 



3 and 4. Caste and profession of ditto. 



5, 6 and 7. Number and structure of ChouTcs. 



8. Height of the House in stories. 



9. Number of Inhabitants. 



a 4 



