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the Orissa coast, where the rainfall was very heavy. The rainfall of October
was considerably above the average in Eastern and Northern Bengal and
over the whole of Bihar. The rains were prolonged beyond the usual date
in Bihar. On the other hand, they were below the average in the Bardwan
Division, the 24-Parganahs, Orissa, and Chota Nagpur. With the exception
of one or two local showers, no rain fell during November. Moderate rain,
generally slightly in excess of the average, fell in December over the whole
of Bengal and Orissa and none fell in the greatest portion of Bihar. As
compared with 1878, the rainfall was more abundant, the measured amount
for 1879 being 65·72 inches, against 60·62 inches in the preceding year.
Food-supply—The result of the generally abundant rainfall was a favour-
able harvest of the staple articles of diet on which the people subsist. In 16
districts the harvest was above the average, and in 19 fair and equal to it. It
was bad and below average in the following districts :—Pabna, Puri, Naddia,
Darjiling, Faridpur, Balasur, and Murshidabad, and in parts of Dhaka, Hughli,
Serampur, Shahabad, Bogra, Champaran, Rajshahi, Patna, Bakirganj, Malda,
Saran, Bhagalpur, Bankura, Bardwan, Parma, Chittagong, and Midnapur.
The average prices of the principal food-grains in seers and chittacks
per rupee that were obtainable in the province in 1879 are shown in the
subjoined tabular statement.—
PER RUPEE.
Mean for the—-
Second do. ..,
Third
do
Fourth do
Tear 1879
WHEAT.
1879.
10·10
10·14
10·12
10·10
10·11
Average of the
three preced.
ing years.
157
15·6
14·7
13·13
14·3
RICE.
1879.
14·2
12·14
12·9
17·8
14·3
Average of the
three preced-
ing years.
19·10
18·1
16·4
17·2
17·11
PULSES.
1879.
9·33
10·13
10·10
11·2
10·9
Average of the
three preced-
ing years.
18·1
18·1
16·15
15·9
17·3
The high prices for food-grains of the preceding year were maintained in
some districts, and the prices rose higher in several districts, or rose and fell in
a few, owing either to short harvests or exportations from one district to another,
or to the famine districts in the preceding year. In only a very few districts
were the prices lower in 1879. At Howrah, the Northern Bengal State
Railway has caused a large export trade in rice, and therefore the prices of
the famine year 1874 were reached in a year of great prosperity. The
Balasur port, which had of late years become crowded with shipping in
October, was almost empty this year, owing to the demand for rice in Southern
India having gone down. Like fluctuations attended the value of labour. In
the agricultural districts a good crop was generally followed by a rise in the
price of labour. * * * The general health of the people does not appear to
have been in any way seriously affected by the dearness of food; but while
cultivators, traders, artizans, and hired labourers were much benefited, the
high prices proved a great hardship to the poor consumers, the non-cultivators,
and those whose incomes are limited. This was specially the case in Kattak,
Bhagalpur, Puri, Faridpur, in some places in Jaisur, * * * Dhaka, * * * and
Naddia. * * * In these localities the people suffered chiefly from fevers and
bowel complaints.
x