7
5 or 6 head of cattle are killed daily, but no proper slaughter-house has been pro
-vided. The animals are taken to the verge of a mango tope, separated by a field
from the upper road leading from Camp to the Fort and just opposite the house
occupied by the Zillah Judge and close to the boundary line of the Cantonment,
where they are slaughtered on the bare ground; the blood and liquid soaks into
it, but the offal remains. It is said to be carted away; but I saw a quantity
which had been left there, and as the dead cattle are taken to the same spot, the
place is one huge Golgotha, and bones and skulls were seen thrown about in all
directions and were heaped up in a ditch, from which a sickening smell arose.
27. The mutton market adjoins the beef, and like it consists of two build
- i n g s w i t h w e l l r a i s e d p l i n t h s , s e p a r a t e d b y a b r o a d c e n t r e r o a d . F r o m 2 0 t o 3 0
sheep and goats are killed daily in a slaughter-house, which has been built at the
back of the mutton market. Its floor is paved with stone sloping down to a
hole in the wall, through which the blood, &c., flows into a chunamed cesspit at
the back, from whence it is removed every day and is said to be used as manure
in a field. The offal is placed in a stone covered pit, and it is also supposed to
be removed daily; but it had not been entirely so at the time of my inspection,
and smelt offensively.
28. The fish market is also in the same neighbourhood and consists of an
open shed, the roof being supported by masonry. pillars. It was quite clean at
the time of my visit.
29. There are no large stables in the town for housing milch cattle, which
are kept inside houses close to sleeping apartments. The floors of such places
are fouled with cow-dung, and the urine soaks into the ground as there are no
drains; and as no ventilation is provided, the stench in them was great. The
number of cattle in the town was at the time of the Census as under:—
Horned Cattle.
Sheep, Goats.
Horses, Mares.
Other Animals.
Total.
4,313
394
274
19
4,970
30. The inhabitants are chiefly agriculturists, and are said to be very poor.
The principal trade in the town, I am informed, consists of salt, dry-fish, dates,
cocoanuts, and coir, which are brought from Vingorla, whilst grain of all kinds
is brought in from the villages in the neighbourhood as well as jagri and m
o - l a s s e s .
31. The cremation ghát for Hindus is situated on the north above the
town near the Collector's bungalow, where there is also under a grove of trees
the principal burial ground for Mussulmans and low caste Hindus. Bodies of
Hindus are also burnt on the slope of the remains of the old earthen embank
- m e n t , w h i c h b u n d e d t h e w a t e r f l o w i n g f r o m a s p r i n g c a l l e d t h e N á g j e r e a n d t h u s
formed a tank called the Nágara Kere (see account of Belgaum by H. S.
Stokes, Esq. M.C.S.), through which the Khánápur road passes at about a quarter
of a mile from the town; and burials also take place in this old bund where tombs
of dead Lingayets were seen as well as on the Kunbargee road, near the place of
night-soil deposit, although this latter site is now seldom used. There is also
another Mussulman graveyard on the south-west behind the Post Office; "but
no Christians are buried within town limits, but one or two Parsis have been
interred in a graveyard set apart for them on the left hand side of the Kolhápur
road at a distance of about a mile and a half from the town. The Jewish burial
ground is stated to be on the west of the Khánápur road.
32. There are many objectionable hollows in Belgaum caused by the
laterite having been excavated for building purposes. These are often ex
-