39
slopes considerably from it, hence the wells are deeper. I measured many of
them in January, and even then several that were 40 and 45 feet deep were
nearly dry; in the rains, however, the water rises close to the surface. The water
of the wells in this formation varies,—in some it is sweet and soft, in others it is
slightly brackish and rather hard. The people of the city resort much to certain
wells at a little distance in the sandstone, where the water is soft and very good
for cooking purposes. In all these wells, however, the water runs low towards
the end of the hot weather ; and this year, owing to the scanty rain-fall of last year,
there has been great distress. On the 14th May, when cholera was at its worst,
Dr. Rice, in reply to enquiries on the subject, writes as follows :—" Cholera
seems to attack equally every mohulla in the city, and the whole of Gurha and
Goruckpore. The people in all three places drink well water; not one in twenty
of these wells contains over two feet of water. All the 'lawaris' wells and
almost all private ones, have been deepened more or less, some to the extent of
ten feet; but no marked increase of water has resulted. In some the little there
was before dried up before the process of deepening was completed,—the result
of time, though the people are inclined to look upon it as a consequence of
deepening. I apprehend the next water bearing stratum is very deep below the
surface."
" The water is generally sweet to the taste and smell, but very muddy. 1
can form no estimate of the average number oí people resorting to any one well,
nor can T find anyone who can even guess at it, There is no doubt the people
are reduced to great straits for water."
" Τ have asked to have the temporary wells in the bed of the Hanooman
talao filled up, except two. 1 had already asked the Deputy Commissioner to
prevent people using this water, which is foul and ill-smelling; in most of the
"'jhiriyas " there is a scum on the surface. The two that I have excepted,
though very muddy, like the rinsings of a milk jug, are sweet to the taste and
free from smell. I should be far from considering even this water wholesome,
but in the present great scarcity one must risk something until an abundant
water-supply is obtained."
" There are 144 wells in and about Gurha ; 3 have over three feet of water ;
all the rest about a foot or a small pool in the bottom ; they have been
deepened, but the results are no more favourable than in Jubbulpore itself. There
are 8 wells in Goruckpore of the same character ; one holds 3 feet, and another
1½ foot of tolerably clear, sweet water ; the inhabitants all use these. There has
been no cholera for some time,"
" There are only 1 or 2 cases daily in Gurha, and 11 to 14 in the city.
No tank water is used, because the tanks are all dry, except Ranee Tal and two
tanks near Gurha—one named Golooah Tal—which, however, are too remote
to be resorted to."
139. In Jubbulpore in 1868 the greatest mortality occurred in the weeks
ending the 5th and 12th of June; on the 8th, 9th, and 10th, 6 inches of rain fell, and
the prevalence of the disease greatly diminished. In the present year the greatest
mortality occurred in the week ending 15th May ; it then declined ; no rain fell
till the middle of June. In Gurha the epidemic had entirely ceased by the end
of May.
Goruckpore is a village on the main road, a mile south of the city, and west
of the cantonment, almost within the boundaries of both; the soil is sandy, and
sandstone rocks crop up in the village, and the water-supply is from wells. In
January the water was 30 feet below the surface of the ground, but it rises level
with the surface in the rains ; the population was 981 in 1866. In 1868 not a