36 



Statistics of the Sircar Yelgunthid. 



['No. 39, 



land. Moats are used to irrigate all gardens, from pits sunk near 

 them, and when tanks run low, irrigation is kept up by them from 

 the same, dug in the most convenient position for the purpose. 



Towns and Vil- The total of villages in the Sircar is 981, of which 

 lages. jgijr are deserted ; the number contained in each 



Purgunnah with the population of each is exhibited in the general 

 table. The kusba of each Purgunnah is the village selected for 

 the residence of the revenue officer and where he holds his cut- 

 chery, formerly the judicial head quarters was established in the 

 town from which the Purgunnah derived its name, but from neg- 

 lect in the Maramut Department, and other causes influencing an 

 agricultural population, some of these have fallen to ruin and others 

 nearly so. 



Yelgimthul. — The capital is still the largest town in the Sircar 

 and although other towns have decreased in population, that of this 

 one has doubled within the last 20 years ; it is situated on the left 

 bank of the Munar river, in North Latitude 18° 25' 21" East Lon- 

 gitude 79° 4' 56" contains 884 houses and 4,376 inhabitants ; the 

 houses are kucha with tiled roofs, and built with some degree of re- 

 gularity, the main street leads from the North to the South gate, these 

 give ingress and egress to the inhabitants ; portions of a mud wall 

 which once partially surrounded, and connected the town with the 

 fort remain, the greater part having been removed to make way for 

 houses. The fort is elliptical in shape, built of granite and sur- 

 rounded by a deep ditch which i 5 ! filled by a covered channel from 

 a tank, the wall is in good repair, and also the four square towers 

 erected at equal distances upon it. From the centre of this en- 

 closure rises an almost perpendicular granite rock 185 feet high, 

 it is fortified with a low wall mounted with 8 large wrought iron 

 guns, the only path to the top leads through several narrow arch- 

 ways, it is extremely steep and difficult of ascent. The buildings 

 at the top are in ruins. A Kiladar with 25 men is in charge, upon a 

 salary of 35 rupees a month ; the revenue of the jaghere amounting 

 to 3,705 rupees, granted for the purpose of keeping the fort in re- 

 pair, is collected by a Naib and remitted to the city. A weekly fair is 

 held on an open space between the fort and town when coarse cot- 



