(66) SHERPUR: area, 54,677 acres, or 85'43 square miles; 298 villages; 77 estates; land revenue, £6696.

(67) SULTANUZIAL: area, 18,135 acres, or 28:34 square miles; 130 villages; 40 estates; land revenue, £1744, 4s. od.

(68) SWARUPSINH: area not given; I village; I estate; land revenue, £6, 14s. od.

(69) WAZIRABAD: area, 13,859 acres, or 21.65 square miles; 77 villages; 19 estates; land revenue, £1013, 10s. od.

The foregoing 69 Fiscal Divisions, according to the Statistics furnished by the Board of Revenue, contain a total area of 1,495,706 acres, or 233704 square miles, comprising 2850 estates, and pay a total Government land revenue of £134,390, 18s. od. In correction of these figures, it may be mentioned that the area of the District, as returned by the Boundary Commissioner in 1874, is 2462°44 square miles; that the number of estates in 1871 was returned at 2853, and the total amount of land revenue in the same year at £133,062, 10s. od. The total number of villages enumerated above is 11,481; the Census Report of 1872, adopting a different definition, returned the number of 'villages, mauzás, or townships' at 3753. In explanation of this discrepancy, it may be mentioned that the Revenue definition of a village includes spots which have ceased to be inhabited.

METEOROLOGY.-Barhampur is one of the 24 stations which have been chosen to return special data to the meteorological department. The following paragraphs have been condensed from the annual reports of the Meteorological Reporter to the Government of Bengal for the years 1871 and 1872. The elevation of Barhampur above the sea has been definitely determined by spirit level to be 65 feet. It is situated 170 miles from the sea, 30 miles below the point where the Bhagirathí leaves the Ganges. It is thus on the edge of the delta, for the ground rises from a short distance to the west of the river up to the foot of the Rájmahál hills, and the undulating country of Bírbhúm. The averages of the mean atmospheric pressures for the four years ending 1871 are as follow:-January, 29'948; February, 29.876; March, 29′790; April, 29.676; May, 29'568; June, 29'442; July, 29°467; August, 29'541; September, 29.624; October, 29'769; November, 29'908; December, 29.975; annual average, 29'715. The mean monthly temperatures for the same period of four years are:-January, 65°3°; February, 70.7°; March, 78'2°; April, 85'5°; May, 86·3°; June, 84·6°;

July, 840°; August, 841°; September, 83'4°; October, 81.7°; November, 73'5°; December, 66.2°; annual average, 78.6°. The highest maximum, lowest minimum, and mean monthly temperatures, by day, are thus returned for the two years 1871-72. In 1871-January, highest maximum, 850°; lowest minimum, 48.5°; mean, 659°. February, max., 94'5°; min., 55'5°; mean, 73.5°. March, max., 102'0°; min., 55'0°; mean, 780°. April, max., May, max., 100'0°; min.,

1060°; min., 660°; mean, 84'3°. 67.5°; mean, 82.5°. June, max., 98.5°; min., 77'0°; mean, 83.2°. July, max., 94'0°; min., 770°; mean, 83 2°. August, max., 93°0°; min., 76·5°; mean, 84.1°. September, max., 93'5°; min., 76'5°; mean, 83.1°. October, max., 94′0°; min., 69'5°; mean, 82.3°. November, max., 910°; min., 57'0°; mean, 74.8°. December, max., 82.0°; min., 50′5°; mean, 67.0°. In 1872—January, max., 850°; min., 47'5°; mean, 65.6°. February, max., 92'5°; min., 675°; mean, 679°. March, max., 103'5°; min., 600°; mean, 81.2°. April, max., 109'0°; min., 650°; mean, 85.6°. May, max., 107.5°; min., 71'0°; mean, 87.1°. June, max., 106′5°; min., 75'0°; mean, 860°. July, max., 103 ̊5°; min., 76.5°; mean, 84°2°. August, max., 95'5°; min., 770°; mean, 84.5°. September, max., 96.0°; min., 760°; mean, 839°. October, max., 95'5°; min., 69'5° ; mean, 81.2°. November, max., 89'5°; min., 570°; mean, 75°4°. December, max., 84'0°; min., 51'5°; mean, 68.2°. The maximum, minimum, and mean monthly readings of the grass radiation thermometer, by night, are thus returned for the same years. In 1871— January, max., 58.5°; min., 39'0°; mean, 47'0°. February, max., 635°; min., 490°; mean, 55'1°. March, max., 67'0°; min., 49'5°; mean, 58.1°. April, max., 76'0°; min., 62·5°; mean, 70'2°. May, max., 760°; min., 64'5°; mean, 71'5°. June, max., 79'0°; min., 745°; mean, 76.7°. July, max., 79'5°; min., 74'5°; mean, 76.8°. August, max., 79'0°; min., 74'5°; mean, 77'1°. September, max., 790°; min., 74'5°; mean, 75'9°. October, max., 77'0°; min., 64'0°; mean, 716°. November, max., 670°; min., 45'0°; mean, 581. December, max., 57'0°; min., 410°; mean, 500°. In 1872January, max., 58'0; min., 40′0°; mean, 48'9. February, max., 58.5°; min., 430°; mean, 50.8°. March, max., 650°; min., 52'5°; mean, 57.8°. April, max., 780°; min., 59'5°; mean, 69.7°. May, max., 81.5°; min., 680°; mean, 740°. June, max., 80°5°; min., 730°; mean, 76.7°. July, max., 80·0°; min., 74'5°; mean, 76.6°. August, max., 79'0°; min., 74'0°; mean, 77'1°. September, max.,

79'0°; min., 73'0°; mean, 75'6°. October, max., 76'5°; min., 630°; mean, 70'1°. November, max., 68′0°; min., 51′0°; mean, 61.0°. December, max., 670°; min., 46'0°; mean, 534°. The average annual rainfall, deduced from a series of observations extending over a period of fourteen years ending 1872, amounts to 54°30 inches. The monthly rainfall for the year 1871 is returned as follows:-January, nil; February, o'02 inches; March, 128; April, 369; May, 6:22; June, 13.82; July, 14°31; August, 12'14; September, 15'77; October, 182; November, nil; December, nil; total for the year, 69'07 inches, or 14'77 inches in excess of the annual average. The monthly rainfall for 1872 was :-January, 0'04 inches; February, 2.81; March, o'14; April, 063; May, 330; June, 13.66; July, 9'00; August, 9'48; September, 14'37; October, 12:19; November, nil; December, nil; total for the year, 65.62 inches, or 1132 inches in excess of the annual average. The general direction of the wind on an average of three years is thus returned: From November to February, inclusive, N.W.; from March to April, S.W.; from May to September, S. E.; and October, N.E. The average diurnal rate of motion of the wind in miles is thus returned for each month, on an average of two years :— January, 372; February, 414; March, 565; April, 887; May, 997; June, 1289; July, 99'4; August, 78'1; September, 756; October, 477; November, 29'0; December, 28.1.

The climate of Murshidábád District does not differ in any important respect from that of the rest of Lower Bengal. It is separated into the three usual seasons,-the hot, cold, and rainy weather. The only peculiarity is, that in the hot season a hot wind is wont to set in, blowing from the Rárh or western half of the District over the Bágri or eastern portion.

The District is not liable to be desolated by cyclones. On the occasion of the great cyclone of October 1864, it was found that Barhampur lay at the extreme northern limit of the area of destruction. The following account of the meteorological phenomena exhibited on that occasion, as given by the Civil Surgeon, is quoted on p. 53 of the official Report on the Calcutta Cyclone:-On 4th October the sky was cloudy, with occasional showers from the eastward, and thunder. At 4 P.M. the aneroid stood at 29'70, and the thermometer showed 84°. At daybreak on the 5th there was a thick, driving mist, with a strong easterly wind blowing in gusts. By 7 A.M. the mist had changed into a heavy rain, the wind at the

same time increasing. As the day advanced the rain continued, and the wind gradually veered round to northward, and increased in violence. By 7 P.M. it was north-north-east; by dark it was nearly north, and blowing in gusts with heavy rain. It continued to increase in force till about 10 P.M., when it was from the north-west. From this time it gradually subsided. At the time of its greatest force, it was not stronger than an ordinary equinoctial gale, so common at the breaking up of the monsoon; and it did but little injury beyond blowing down a few trees and native huts, and sinking some country boats. The trees blown down were all lying from north-north-west to south-south-east. At daybreak next morning the wind was due west. The barometer (aneroid) readings for the 5th were as follow:-At 6 A.M., 29'78; at 10 A.M., 2969; at 4 P.M., 29°47; at 10 P.M., 29°30. At 6 A.M. of the following day the reading was 29.63. The fall of rain during the two days, the 4th and 5th, amounted to a total of 3'43 inches.' 'At Rámpur Hát, thirty miles west, and a little north of Barhampur,' as reported by a civil engineer in the service of the Railway Company, 'it was blowing rather fresh during the day (the 5th), with heavy showers, but the wind was not so strong as to attract particular notice. The prevailing direction was from the north-east, and it blew stronger between 9 and 11 P.M. than it did during the day. Between 5 and 7 P.M. it was quite calm; the wind commenced again after 7, and blew more from the north.'

MEDICAL ASPECTS.-The following general description is taken from the Report of the Revenue Surveyor (1857):-'The District of Murshidábád cannot be called healthy. The western side of the Bhagirathi has more claims to the title than the eastern, but on neither bank do the inhabitants appear robust and strong; they are all weakly-looking, and short in stature. Fever and cholera are the great scourges of the District, more especially in the towns and villages on the Bhagirathí, and above all in the city of Murshidábád and its environs. In fact, in the large bázárs, cases are to be found all the year round. As a general rule, the months of March, April, and May, preceding the rainy weather, and October, November, and half of December, which follow the cessation of the rains, are the most unhealthy months. No sooner does the Bhagirathí fall sufficiently low to allow the jhil waters to drain off into it, than sickness commences all along the river banks. It is to this influx of jhil water that the natives themselves

attribute the sickness so prevalent before the cold season has fairly set in. When to this is added the numerous half-burned bodies that are daily thrown into the river, which is then almost a chain of stagnant pools, there is little cause to wonder at the sickness of those who habitually use this water for drinking and cooking purposes. The English residents at Barhampur use either rain water collected during the rains, or resort to the wells in the Station. The well-water is not very good, and is all more or less impregnated with some saline matter, which gives it a slightly soft and brackish flavour. The sipáhis in the lines generally use tank water, and enjoy good health.'

So far as can be gathered from the statistics furnished by the dispensaries and the jail hospital, it would seem to have been proved by the experience of several years that warmth and healthiness, cold and unhealthiness, regularly go together. The months from February to June, despite the prevalence of cholera during the hot season, are uniformly the most healthy; while those from August to January, with the singular exception of September, are the unhealthiest. According to the returns for both 1871 and 1872, October, November, and December are by far the three most unhealthy months of the year, fever being the most fatal disease. An increase in the mortality from fever regularly commences in August, when the rivers begin to rise, and continues to the close of the year; a circumstance which indicates that the cold caused by evaporating moisture is the chief cause of these febrile attacks. Bowel complaints, also, are found to be most fatal from November to January; and in the year 1871 cholera was abnormally prevalent the at the same season of the year. These facts seem to support theory of the Civil Surgeon, who attributes the unhealthiness of the District to the fact that the poorer inhabitants do not, and cannot, 'The pernicious action sufficiently protect themselves from cold. of cold on persons who are never in a healthy state, and are unprovided with good food, warm clothing, and comfortable houses, can be easily understood; and, doubtless, even the intense heat of May, which to Europeans is so unbearable, is not really so dangerous to health as insidious attacks of cold on a weak and insufficiently nourished people.'

DISEASES.-Among the endemics to be found permanently in the District, are malarious fever, splenitis, elephantiasis, and hydrocele. Cholera, also, may be regarded as an endemic in Murshidábád.