2
. i
4. The rock on which Ahmedabad is built, belongs to the later tertiary
aeries, and is composed of alluvial sand which is known in Guzerat by the name
guraroo. This, says Captain Cruikshank in his Revenue Survey Report, is land
of light colour, varying from almost mere sand to soil of the richest quality, and
its fertility depends on proper culture and abundant manuring. I regret that
am unable to state accurately the altitude it attains above the level of the
river,. for, strange to say, there does not exist, either in the office of the Collec-
tor, of the City Survey Officer, of the Executive Engineer of Ahmedabad,
or in the Municipal Office, a map which shows the levels in the town. There
is one which was made in connection with a scheme for supplying a portion
of the town with water, in which: a few sections are given ; but as the datum
to which they refer is not stated, it is impossible to ascertain from it the re-
lative heights of different parts of the city. It is, however, roughly estimated
that the highest point of the town is about 30 feet above the summer level of
the river and there appears to be a ridge extending from Astoria Dhallspore on
the south, to the Kalupur Road on the north-east, which forms the line of water-
parting ; so that the natural drainage of the greater portion of the city is to-
wards the river, whilst the storm-water from that part lying to the east of the
ridge flows towards the south-east, into an. artificially made nullah outside the
walls. Advantage has been taken of the slope towards the river to provide for•
the discharge of some of the storm-water by deepening four shallow nullahs by
which it is conducted through the walls into the river. The streets,. however,
are, during the rains, water-courses, and as will be afterwards shown, sewers.
During the fair season these- n.ullahs are absolutely dry..
5, The average rainfall, as deduced' from observations taken at the Hate-
sing Hospital during the fourteen years 1861 to 1874—for which I am indebted.
to the kindness of Dr. Weihe, the Civil Surgeon—is 29 . 36 inches ; and the
average monthly fall, will be seen from the following table
,
c rl
51 r3
' -D
, 2, '
i
CI
r
1
'
,7
r4
___:
• _,
,
g_,
-Ii
c. . ,
,
6
. `: ' , /
,
'-;
,
_,.; _, - . ,
1
,=.0
N
5.
_ .
-,_,
,,_ .
ti
g
F.
'-
0
,
t)
.8
4)
,.;
CU
0 . 10
0'03
0. 03
0°0l.
0 . 57
3 . 35 1025 11 . 39 2 . 95
IOMMIUMein.......-.....-La...
0 . 45 0 . 21
0 . 02
29-36
During the above period the maximum rainfall took place in 1868, when 46'43
inches were registered ; and the minimum in 1861, when. only 16 . 85 inches fell
but the average rainfall of the first sevenyears was only 24-49 inches against a
:mean of 34"23 inches for the second peried.
6. The prevailing wind is westerly ; and the subjoined table will show that
on the average of fourteen years it is said. to blow from the westward of north. and
south for nearly eight months in the year, and that it very rarely blows from the
points between east and south. The number of days on which the wind is said
to blow from the under-mentioned points of the compass—as compiled from
observations taken at the Hutesing Hospital, during fourteen years ending 31st
December 1874—was, on au average :—
N.E.
East.
S.E.
South.
S.W.
West,
N.W.
North.
Calm.
101 . 09
1195
1,.....0....3..
055
aiRPRIA•VOU.r........n , . . . . . . a.
0.82
118 . 07
55.18
X.1.11.04.14,0191,M.•
60 . 91
salway. awe
11.30
5.34