and on the 14th December the Government could inform the Court of Directors that the famine had entirely ceased.

The measures adopted to relieve the starving population in the city of Murshidábád appear very inadequate when judged by the modern standard. The account of the Bákarganj rice received shows only Rs. 124,506 expended on this purchase. A further sum of Rs. 87,000 was sanctioned for the gratuitous distribution of rice ; but of this sum the Company was to pay only Rs. 40,000, or less than half, the remaining portion being defrayed by the Nawab and his ministers. This sum was, however, far exceeded; and Mr. Becher writes pathetically to beg the Council to believe that neither humanity nor policy would admit of a stop being put to the distribution earlier than was done.' He continues, 'I have only to observe that these gentlemen (Muhammad Rezá Khán and his officers), independent of this distribution, helped to preserve the lives of many by their charitable donations, as, I believe, did every man of property in these parts. Indeed, a man must have had a heart of stone that had the ability and would have refused his mite for the relief of such miserable objects as constantly presented themselves to our view. I understand it to be esteemed good policy in all Governments to preserve the lives of the people; on this principle of humanity the distribution of rice took place.'

IN THE FAMINE YEAR OF 1866 the District of Murshidábád lay just outside the limits of extreme suffering. The neighbouring Districts to the south, Nadiyá and Bardwán, experienced all the severity of the dearth; but in Murshidábád itself no lives were lost from starvation, and the intervention of Government relief was never required. The following paragraphs are taken from the Report of the Famine-Commissioners, vol. i. pp. 119-120:

"The pressure of high prices was much felt in this District, rice selling at from 7 to 9 sers per rupee in part of June, July, and part of August; but very great relief was afforded by native liberality. The rich Hindustání merchants settled in the neighbourhood of Murshidábád (Rái Dhanpat Sinh and others), and several of the wealthier residents of that city and of the sister town of Barhampur, distributed food largely to the poor; and a rich and benevolent widow, the Rání Swarnamayi, distinguished herself by great liberality at several different places. Up to a certain date it was hoped that there would be no actual famine; but in the course of July it was found that much local distress was beginning to appear in the

south-eastern corner of the District adjacent to Nadiya. The local committee, presided over by the Commissioner, immediately sent out food, and an active native officer was specially deputed to ascertain the facts and superintend the operations. The distress was for a short time very considerable, but it was relieved by an ample distribution of food. Eight feeding centres were established, and at one of these the number receiving rations was at one time as high as 1800 persons, mostly women and children. The plan was adopted of giving to each three days' uncooked food at a time, and thus much of the inconvenience of the feeding centres was avoided; but, of course, this required fuller supplies and better superintendence than was available in the Districts where the famine was most severe. The indulgence does not seem to have been abused, for as soon as the early rice crop was cut, the distress ceased, and the relief operations were discontinued. The relief in this District was entirely supplied from private funds, without any aid from the North-West fund, the Government, or any other external source.'

THE SCARCITY OF 1874 was also felt only to a slight extent in the District of Murshidábád, which again lay on the border-land of the distressed area. The price of rice undoubtedly rose very high, and the export of this grain from the river marts of the District towards the North-West entirely ceased; but the crisis was tided over without recourse to relief operations on a grand scale. The interference of Government was limited to the grant of an extraordinary sum of £7500 to the District Road Cess Committee. This money was devoted to constructive works wherever a demand for labour arose, and in its allotment the chief consideration was to spend the money in the most beneficial manner. Charitable relief was only given indirectly from this source, and no further operations were required to mitigate the distress. The application of the above-mentioned special fund will be given in detail on a subsequent page under the heading Roads (p. 142), to which subject it more properly belongs.

FOREIGN AND Absentee PropriETORS.—In 1871 the Collector reported that there were 12 European proprietors on the rent-roll of the District, paying a Government Revenue of £12,406. With these there were 21 Hindu co-sharers holding land in common; but there is no record to show the proportion of revenue paid by each. At the same date there were 1299 Muhammadan proprietors, who paid £12,779; with whom there were 144 Hindu co-sharers.

There were 13 Jain proprietors, paying £2095, with whom there were 25 Hindu co-sharers. The number of Hindu proprietors was 3716, paying a total revenue of £106,050. The Collector is of opinion that there are altogether about 100 absentee landlords on the rent-roll of the District.

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION: ROADS.-The Collector in 1871 made the following return of the 13 principal lines of road in the District under local management, together with their annual cost of repair :-Metalled roads―(1) Barhampur and Murshidábád road; length, 10 miles; cost, £500. (2) Azímganj road; length, 7 miles; cost, £400; petty repairs, £100. Unmetalled roads-(3) Jalangí road; length, 27 miles; cost, £190. (4) Mírganj road; length, 161⁄2 miles; cost, £80. (5) Beauleah road; length, 20 miles; cost, £120. (6) Kándí road; length, 21 miles; cost, £60. (7) Mankará road; length, 31⁄2 miles; cost, £20. (8) Sútí-Rájmahál road; length, 29 miles; cost, £90. (9) Bhagwángolá-Murcha road; length, 11 miles; cost, £100. (10) Jangipur - Kamra road; length, 5 miles; cost, £100. (11) Murarái road; length, 14 miles; cost, £250. (12) Pakaur - Dhulián road; length, 15 miles; cost, £500: total length, 182 miles; total cost, £2410. The preceding are local roads. There are besides two roads in the District under the Department of Public Works :—(1) the road from Krishnagar to Barhampur, of which about 22 miles lie within Murshidábád District; and (2) the road from Barhampur to Bhagwángolá, which passes through Murshidábád city and Jiáganj, 22 miles in length. For these two roads no details of expenditure can be ascertained. No large markets have lately sprung up on any of these means of communication.

The following later information concerning the roads in Murshidábád District is taken from the Report of the District Road Cess Committee for the year ending 30th September 1874. The committee consists of 49 members; eight meetings were held during the year, at which an average of 13 members attended. The year was of an exceptional character, as the operations undertaken were intended to be partly of the nature of relief works, and were supported by an extraordinary grant from Government for that object. It is true that the scarcity of 1874 was not severely felt in Murshidábád. No special staff of relief officers was required. But yet the heavy expenditure for the year served the desirable purpose of finding work where it was most required, and moderating the

high price of food grains that undoubtedly prevailed in the District. The total receipts of the road fund for the year ending 30th September 1874 amounted to £13,771; of which £3993 was derived from cesses levied under Act x. (B.C.) of 1871, and £1705 from various tolls, while £7500 was a special grant-in-aid from the provincial reserve fund. The total expenditure was £13,757, of which £6528 was devoted to original work, and £5817 to repairs. The estimates for the ensuing year may also be given, as showing the normal financial condition of the road fund. They reveal a total of about £9400 on each side of the balance sheet.

Concerning the application of the Government grant of £7500, the following remarks are made :- The Committee devoted this money to works wherever a demand for labour arose. Much of it might have been more profitably expended on the completion of special works; but the Committee considered that the money had been given by Government for the purpose of assisting the distressed, and that the chief consideration was to supply work where most required, and to allot the funds in the most beneficial way. The services of many of the planters and silk factors in the District were freely given, and were of great assistance in the execution of works in the vicinity of their residences.'

The following extracts from the list of the most important works executed during the year will give a fair conception of the difficulties which must be encountered in road-making in Lower Bengal:

'Barhampur and Bhagwángolá Road.-Metalled; twenty miles in length. This road was repaired and put in good order from Barhampur to Jiáganj, a distance of fourteen miles. From Jiáganj to Bhagwángolá, a distance of six miles, the road is in a wretched state, as sufficient funds have never been obtained to repair the great damage caused by the breach of the Naltakuri embankment in the year 1871. During the year under report, two miles were re-metalled. Unfortunately, a breach of the embankment occurred again this year. As in 1871, the bridge at Kálukhálí has been destroyed, and a breach of over 200 feet made in the road. It is an important and much frequented thoroughfare, connecting the Bhagirathí with the Ganges during the rainy season; and the Committee regret that they are unable, in justice to the other numerous roads under their charge, to allot as much money to this road as would be necessary to keep it in first-class order.

'Barhampur and Patkabári Road. This is a new road, thirty

miles in length. From Chaltiá bíl, near the kacharis, to Rájdharpárá, a distance of three miles, the road was undertaken, together with the Gorá-bázár drainage scheme, as one work, the excavated earth having been so thrown up as eventually to form a roadway. This portion still remains unfinished, but a great deal of earthwork has been done. From Harispur to Maimudpur on the Bhairab river, a distance of nine miles, the road was completed. From Rájdharpárá to Harispur, a distance of five miles, the road was partially undertaken; it will be completed in the ensuing year. From Maimudpur to Patkabárí, the road has been partially repaired in places that were bad; and it will be forthwith completed, as far as funds are available. This is one of the most useful and important works that has been undertaken, as it brings the Headquarters of the District into communication with the productive thánás of Hariharpárá and Nawádá in the east and south-east.

'Murshidábád and Panchgáon Road. - Newly opened out from Dahapárá, opposite Murshidábád, to Panchgáon on the bádsháhí road, seventeen miles in length. This road has been completed from Panchgáon to the Jibanti bridge, a distance of ten miles. An embankment has been thrown across the Básiá bíl, between Panchgáon and Nabagrám, without the difficulty that used to be experienced. An opening of some 500 or 600 feet has been left in the middle of the bil, at which there will be a public ferry during the rainy season, while during the cold and hot weather a temporary bridge is constructed at the expense of the Road Fund. The embankment stood the high floods of last year, but will require raising another three feet. From Jibanti to Dahapárá, a distance of seven miles, the road has been partially constructed;—it will be completed during the current year. This is a most useful work, it being, in fact, the great western road of the District, connecting the bádsháhí road (which runs nearly north and south in the western part of the District), and I hope eventually Rámpur Hát and the railway, with the western part of the city of Murshidábád, and thence, by roads north and south, with Azimganj and the suburbs of Barhampur, on the opposite side of the river. The bridging of the Básiá bíl would be most desirable, but it would be a very expensive work, and far beyond the means of the Committee.

‘Bádsháhí Road.—This road, as now diverted, runs from Jorur, near Jangipur, on the Murárai road, due south through the District, for a length of about thirty-five miles. From Jorur to Nawádá Station