1851.] 



Statistics of the Sircar Yelgunthul. 



33 



is half a mile, the bed extremely rocky, and the banks very high, 

 particularly the right : towards the West it forms several islands, the 

 largest being five and three-quarter miles in length, and one broad, 

 and has two inhabited and one ruined village upon it, belonging to 

 the Nandair Sircar; the stream is swift and, at Dhurumpooree, rapid 

 succeeds rapid for the distance of a mile, the stream being broken 

 by the increased slope of its bed and masses of rock projecting 

 from it, these masses are not loose but part of the surface rock ; as 

 regards the navigability of the Godavery in its course through this 

 Sircar, during nine months in the year these rapids must effectually 

 prevent it, for any description of craft ; in June, July and August 

 the stream may be smooth, and there may be water sufficient, but 

 its rapidity must require a high power to stem ; the high banks 

 are an impediment to irrigation and with the exception of one 

 water-course, the river is not used as an adjuvant to cultivation. This 

 water-course commences near the town of Vamulcoortee and for 

 the three months the river is full, water flows abundantly, fills three 

 tanks in the Vamulcoortee Purgunnah and is then allowed to run 

 waste into a nullah. 



A list of Villages where ferries are established and money col- 

 lected is appended. 



The Munar river although flowing but three months in the year 

 is of much more value to the Sircar than the Godavery, as a great 

 number of tanks are filled from it, and lands irrigated by it directly, 

 without the intervention of tanks. 



On entering the Sircar from Maiduc it is 120 yards wide, at the 

 point it finally leaves it, 380 ; but when it first leaves it, to enter 

 Ramghere previous to its forming the Northern boundary of the 

 detached Purgunnah of Vejaghery and Velchal, it is half a mile ; 

 in this respect it is very variable, the bed is sandy and, throughout 

 its whole course, is characterised by the number of its islands, and 

 the lowness of its banks. It begins to fill at the setting in of the 

 S.W. monsoon and continues to flow until November ; in Decem- 

 ber water may still be obtained every where by digging, but the 

 river is broken up into a number of pools. In its course, it is 

 joined by several large nullahs which have their source in the first, 



VOL, XVII, NO. XXXIX. E 



