13
37. Northward 4 and 5 miles from Rookeir towards Seonee 250 coolies
hutted on laterite, and drawing water solely from deep wells, escaped entirely.
38. At Misciah, 5 miles north of Seonee, 700 coolies were hutted OB the
bank of a nullah, the water of which they drank. Cholera broke out on the 20th
May, and 10 deaths occurred in a day or two, the coolies then dispersed. In the
village of Boorha, a short distance off the road at this point, where there is a good
well, no case of cholera occurred. The coolies were subsequently collected again
near this village and cholera did not again attack them.
39. Near the village of Soonadoncmr 300 coolies were collected building
a bridge over a nullah. Cholera broke out among them on the 16th May, when they
dispersed. The village is built on the north side of a trap hill sloping towards
the nullah, the water of which was used by villagers as well as coolies, there
being no well in the village. Out of a population of 539, the Patel, Kotwal, and
several inhabitants collected together reckoned up in my presence upwards of
forty deaths.
40. At Raheewarra 260 coolies were hutted near a surface well, the
water in which was level with the surface of the ground sloping towards it on
all sides, Cholera broke out on the 6th June and six deaths occurred in as many
days. The village is situated on high ground, but the villagers fetch water from
the surface well below; eight deaths occurred among them out of a population
of 107.
41. At Bundole 200 coolies were employed, and according to the returns
no cholera occurred among them. I was unable to ascertain where these coolies
were located. There is a tank near the road at the bottom of the hill and there is a
well a little beyond the village, the villagers resort to both sources of water-sup-
ply. Eight deaths occurred in the village out of a population of 250.
42. At Narraingunj 500 coolies were hutted near the Mail chowkey,
where there is a well. Only one case of cholera occurred among them.
43. At Sadik Seonee there was a body of 700 coolies collected, building
ja bridge over a nullah ; according to the returns only three deaths occurred, but the
European overseer whom I found there informed me that, though cholera was not
severe, there were more than three deaths. The coolies were located on deep blacks
soil on the bank of the nullah, they drank water from the nullah and from wells in
the village, of which there are several. From the village only five deaths are
returned out of a population of 532, but the Kotwal reckoned up more ; the
villagers use well water for drinking, but resort to the nullah for washing. The
first case in this village was that of the village mate, who was taken ill on the
27th May when returning from Seonee ; the next cases were members of this
man's family. The first case among the coolies occurred on the 1st June.
This completes the account of the coolies employed on the southern
section of the road.
44. Subsequently the gangs of local labourers that had dispersed were
again collected on both sections of the road ; they were, however, placed under
strict conservancy arrangements and, wherever practicable, wells were sunk ίο
provide them with pure drinking water. After this arrangement had been
effected they remained free from cholera, though the prevalence of the disease
among the surrounding population did not reach its height till the middle of
July.