10
30. The places for the disposal of the dead have been carefully and judi
-ciously selected. The old English burial-ground is on the outskirts of the town,
near the fort, and is overcrowded, and the houses of the people surround it on
two sides. This is closed, and a new burial-ground was chosen on the south; but
no interment has as yet taken place; and as the site is close to that of the pro
-posed tank, a new place will be immediately, I am informed, chosen on the south
-east of the town. 39 acres have been divided as follows:—
Mahomedans . . .
16 acres.
Sudras and Rajputs . . .
8 "
Mhars and Low Caste . . .
5 "
Native Christians . . .
5 "
Burning Ground . . .
5 "
31. I may here remark that a piece of 3 acres in the neighbourhood of
the Bagh Tulao has been set apart for the skinning of dead cattle and burying
offal. But, at the time of my visit, I saw bones strewn all over it, which are said
to be periodically buried in pits. I am sorry to see such valuable material turned
to no use. They might be collected and soaked in solution of weak muriatic acid,
which would dissolve out the earthy salts, and the gelatine left would make glue,
&c.; or, if that is beyond the resources of the natives, they might, at all events, be
burnt, when they could be calcined and crushed in a mortar, and the powder be
used for manure.
32. At the distance of a mile, to the east of the town, 7 acres have been
given to the Lingaets for a burial-ground, and on the north-east of the town
six places have been appropriated for the burial of Mahomedans, Lingaets,
Sudras, and Mhars, and cremation gháts have been set apart at convenient
distances. I think these arrangements are excellent, and leave nothing to be
desired. No private burial places are allowed.
33. The fort must be considered by itself: the walls are in a ruinous con
- d i t i o n , h a v i n g b e e n p a r t i a l l y d e s t r o y e d b y t h e o r d e r o f G o v e r n m e n t a f t e r t h e
Mutiny. It is surrounded by a deep ditch, which in places holds water. There
are three trenches, but the inner ditch is about 25 to 30 feet broad. It is sur
- r o u n d e d b y a b r o a d g l a c i s . T h e b u n g a l o w s i n i t a r e n o w o c c u p i e d b y o f f i c e r s a n d
gentlemen in the civil employ of Government, but the Government treasury is
still kept in the house formerly belonging to Bappoo Sindia, the last Killedar.
34. I must particularly notice the very objectionable surroundings of
the tank, which is the sole source of water-supply of the fort. It is said to be
derived from springs over which wells are built; but there was too much water
in the tank at the time of my visit to see them, and the bullocks go down into
the water and stir up the mud, and the dirty hands and leather buckets of the
bhisties foul it every time it is drawn; but, though I could hardly have credited
it had I had not seen it, I was shocked to see that the servants' privy attached
to the bungalow occupied by the District Superintendent of Police had been
built on the high ground immediately above the tank, and that it was as filthy
as it is possible to conceive in the rear. The drainage from it and from the
stables attached to the bungalow must, of course, percolate into the tank. In fact,
except on the west, the tank is surrounded by the servants' quarters attached to the
officers' houses, and not only does the fluid filth from the servants' privies, but the
refuse from the cook-house attached to Mr. Lewis' house, percolate into the tank,
but in the next bungalow the servants were found washing themselves just over
the tank. The upper ground over the tank should be strictly conserved, and the
servants should not be allowed to have privies in such a confined area as these
bungalows occupy. Natives now defile the glacis outside the fort, but a regular
public latrine should be put up for their use. In some of the compounds
much rank vegetation was observed. It must be remembered that only a few
days before my visit the fort had been handed over to the municipality; and I
have no doubt its sanitary condition will now receive due attention.