264 



Statistical Report on the 



[No. 85, 



istence in furnishing rice — a grain wholesome in itself but not to be 

 Compared as a food grain with maize or wheat. Tanks therefore, in a 



certain degree, may be looked on as a great national lottery — for in 

 ordinary seasons, once every three years they are bvit half filled — 

 and once every twelve years they are completely filled — but being 

 regarded as the great source of revenue, every foot of land which is 

 irrigated by their w^aters.is cultivated, while thousands and thousands 

 of acres of the finest black soil are allowed to remain uncropped by 

 grains far better fitted to support life than rice. 



^ ^ There are four kinds of wells — the stone well, 



the pot well, the basket well, and the mere hole 

 dug in the ground for the purposes of irrigation. 



There are but few stone wells now constructed, and those that 

 remain are, in a majority of instances, ruinous or in a state ap- 

 proaching to it. 



The pot well, worrah by name, is built up with cylinders of pot- 

 tery, each one of the depth of half a foot, which are sold from eight 

 to twelve annas a piece. These wells may last for thirty years, but 

 much depends on the care that is taken of them, and the goodness of 

 the material with which they are originally constructed. Drinking 

 water is most commonly furnished by these wells. Basket wells are 

 constructed by digging in the bed of a nullah, and placing in the ca- 

 vity a cylinder of wicker work to prevent the sand from choking the 

 well — they are common in the southern pergunnars. 



Wells in the mohrum are dug at the following rates — for the first 

 cubic kola 6 annas, for the 2d 8 annas, for the 3d 12 annas, for the 

 4th 1 rupee 4 annas, for the 5tli 2 rupees and so on — but water is 

 in many places found at the depth of thirty feet. When granite is 

 to be blasted rupees 4 a square kola is charged. The moat consists of 

 an iron dhole which may contain four or five pucka maunds of water 

 — but it seldom delivers more than two-thirds of its contents — the iron 

 of the moat costs rupees 7 — the leather 8 annas, and the wood work 

 rupees 2J, in all ten rupees — but the Coonbee may have the wood 

 work much cheaper if they supply the material and employ the vil- 

 lage carpenter. To work a good moat six bullocks are required, — 

 for the labor is very severe — two men are employed in working it. 

 The assistant is the Choomar, if he can be procured, and a very neces- 

 sary one he is as the tackle is always needing repairs. The moat 

 may be drawn thrice in a couple of minutes — but this is too much 



