4
26. The officers' houses appeared to me to be very old, and I saw very few
provided with a proper plinth. I think houses of better construction are a want
in Satara, though it would be difficult under existing circumstances to get land-
lords to build them.
27. The burial place for Europeans is on the east of camp, between the
Rehmutpur and Mhowlee roads. It was in good order, and kept clean. The
Portuguese Christian burial-ground is situated on high ground over the old
Poona road, Hindus are taken to Mhowlee, and low-caste Hindus and Maho
-medans are buried at Ghenda Mal.
28. Such is a brief description of the sanitary condition of the camp at
Satara, and I will now make a few remarks on it. The climate of Satara is one
of the best in Western India, and is said to be particularly good for Europeans.
The hot weather is neither excessive, or prolonged, and the place itself should be
one of our most salubrious stations. It is, I am informed, a political necessity
that European troops should always be stationed in the close vicinity of Satara;
and this being so, I am of opinion that the best place to put them would be on
the tableland near Yuteshwur. At present there would not be a sufficient water-
supply for them there; but there is now a scheme before Government to bring
the water to the town from Khas, along the summit of the tableland, and I would
recommend Government in the Military Department to urge the adoption of this
scheme, which would enable it to station a European regiment on the hills in a
place where the annual rainfall is not excessive. I think, with the view of ob-
taining accurate information on this point, that the rainfall should be carefully
registered during next monsoon at Yuteshwur. Dr. Ross states in his report
for 1874 that the annual rainfall at Yuteshwur hill is 59 inches, which is much
less than in Bombay. A cart-road to the top of the tableland could be made
with the greatest ease, and at a very small expense, by widening the present
approach—and building materials are found at hand—and here a camp for Euro-
pean soldiers could be formed, which could be made cholera-proof, syphilis-proof,
and fever-proof, and where there would be no difficulty in getting supplies. I
may mention that I visited Yuteshwur in company with Mr. Moore, who said we
had come up on what might be described as a typical day. Though it was rain-
ing, there were breaks, and the rain was light; in fact, it was an English climate.
There is on this range plenty of room for exercise, and vegetables and fruits are
said to grow in great luxuriance.
29. If, however, Government are not prepared to entertain such a scheme—
though I firmly believe it is one which would save many valuable lives—I think
that a full regiment might with advantage be quartered at Satara; but if this
course were adopted, great care must be taken in selecting a proper site for new
barracks. The present position of the barracks is, in my opinion, a wrong one,
as a much finer site is to be found on the high land to the south of the Kolhápur
road, beyond Godoli, where there is a fine open moor, from which the natural
drainage is good, and. to which the Khas, or even the Yuteshwur water, could be
easi ly brought. This site should always be selected as a camping ground if
troops ever pass through the station, as water is near, and they would be further
removed from the town.
30. The condition of the present barracks can be improved by draining
the subsoil, and keeping the surface drier, and by building separate ablution-rooms
for the use of the men occupying the tiled barracks; but the site must always be
open to objection from the conditions mentioned above.
31. I think the present Native Infantry lines should be pulled down when
opportunity offers, and fresh ones built in their stead, which should provide a
higher plinth and free ventilation, and more accommodation in each room.