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of low basaltic hills, the lime being found near the surface, either under the
disintegrated basaltic blacksoil or under the more solid rock. The place is in
a hollow, surrounded closely by hills from south-east to south-west and west; the
formation of the ground is very broken and irregular up to somewhat more distant
hills to the east. Towards the north-east it slopes upwards towards Seonee, losing
its covering of scant jungle, which gives place to some poor cultivation and ground
covered with moist grass, but now dry. Close to the work and the kilns is the
only water in the neighbourhood, the footsteps about showing that it has been
much resorted to. It is found in two very shallow puddles, very offensive in
appearance and smell, and appearing to be quite stagnant, but a narrow connect-
ing nullah of mud and water shows the slightest sign of a moving current. The
immediate neighbourhood is offensive from human excreta. Fifteen men had
been working there, and four or five usually slept there, the others coming into
Seonee. Of four so sleeping all were seized on Saturday ; two died on the spot,
and two in Seonee. A third person died in the town on the 17th. This
morning three other cases occurred in the town,—one a traveller coming from
Chupparah ; a second a Chupprassee, who has been very much about in and about
the station ; the third being the wife of a seller of corn and spices, also
constantly moving about."
86. Cholera was at no time very severe in Seonee, cases occurring from
the middle of May till quite the end of August ; there was rather a lull in July,
but an increase again in August. Altogether 159 cases and 80 deaths were
reported, the mortality being 7 . 8 per 1,000 of the population. Early in March
in the present year cholera again broke out in Seonee ; by the end of the month
the mortality had reached a rate of 12 per diem. On the 29th, at my suggestion,
a guard was put over the tank ; and the people were also prevented from drawing
water from a foul stream behind the town ; the next day 11 deaths occurred, it
then rapidly declined ; and on the 2nd April two deaths only were reported ; on
the 3rd none. The epidemic did not however cease altogether, but cases
continued to occur till the beginning of July. From 1st March to 10th April
86 deaths occurred, from the 10th April to 7th July 39.
87. Leaving Seonee for Mundla the road after the first four or five miles
leaves the trap hills and enters a tract of forest in which there are many large
trees ; the rock is here metamorphic, and is covered with a thin layer of sandy
soil. Emerging from the forest at the village of Bhooma we enter a rich plain,
which is traversed by the Sagur river ; the soil is rich blacksoil, but the rock
underlying continues metamorphic as far as Kaneewarra and Khyree.
88. Kaneewarra is a Police outpost, but the reports from the villages in
this neighbourhood are very incomplete. At Bhooma I was told 14 deaths had
occurred, but the village does not appear in the returns.
89. The village of Kaneewarra is situated on gravelly soil overlying
metamorphic rock, but close around the sub-soil is yellow clay. The water-supply
for drinking is drawn from a Baolee in low swampy ground a ¼ mile from the
village; in the hot weather the water lies at 12 or 14 feet from the surface, but
in the rains it rises level with the surface of the ground. Around the village are
several large tanks or jheels, from which it is probable that most of the poorer
people draw water in the rains. The population of the village is 760, and a weekly
bazaar is held there. Seven deaths from cholera are reported at long intervals
from the 12th June to 15th August.
90. Khyree is situated on a mound of soft decomposed granite, but the
country around is rich alluvium. The first case of cholera was reported on the 3rd