283
DHARWAR DISTRICT,
Area ... ... ...
Population in 1891 ...
Density of population
Rainfall
...
...
...
...
... 4,603 sq. miles.
... 1,051,314.
... 228 per sq. mile.
... from 25 to 40 inches-
Boundaries.
The Dhárwár District—of a shape very similar to that of the Continent of Africa—is
bounded on the north by Belgaum District, Rámdurg State,
and Bijápur District ; on the east by the Nizam's Territory and
Bellary (Madras) ; on the south by Mysore ; on the west by North Kánara and Khanapur
(Belgaum). It varies in breadth from 70 miles in the north to about 40 miles near Kod in
the south. As it has suffered more (severely than any other District so far attacked, it
deserves detailed notice.
Climate and natural features.
The Poona-Harihar Road—running from north-west to south-east—divides the
Dhárwár District into two very dissimilar and unequal parts
—on the west, an irregular belt of hilly and woody country,
25 miles broad ; on the east, a bare plain extending towards the north-east some 60 miles.
Of the narrow western belt, the country is hilly and wooded, the soil red and gravelly, the
air cool, the rainfall 30—40 inches, and the water-supply on the whole abundant. Its
villages are, as a rule, close together, on rising ground with shady sites : their inhabitants
poor but hard-working. Of the broad eastern plain, the country is flat and bare, the soil
black, the rainfall 20—30 inches, and the water-supply scanty and in places brackish. Its
villages are large, separated, poorly shaded ; their inhabitants rich and skilful husbandmen.
The climate of the District as a whole is healthy and agreeable. It is pleasantest within a
tract parallel with the Sahyadri crest—between the western forests and! the treeless
east—a tract whose limits would be delineated by the junction of Dhárwár, Bankapur,
Kod, Hubli and Dhárwár. The year may be divided into five seasons : shower months—
April to June ; south-west rains—June to October ; north-east rains—October and November ;
cold weather—December, January, and half February ; hob weather—middle of February
to middle of April. April is the worst month. The first half is the hottest period of the
year: and throughout this month whirlwinds or dust-storms are common. These take
the form of waterspouts, travelling erratically hither and thither with great force,
violence and noise.
Previous epidemics.
There is no previous history of plague in Dhárwár. Cholera and intermittent fever
have been the two great sources of epidemic disease
there.*
Dharwar District.
Population—1,051,314.
Up to the middle of October 1897, no case of plague, either imported or indigenous,
was reported from the Dhárwár District. In that month,
however, a few imported cases occurred in Hubli and Gadag ;
and, during November 1897, in Hubli, Dhárwár and Gadag : besides these imported cases,
there were a few indigenous cases at Hubli. From the beginning of December 1897, Hubli
alone returned plague of any kind ; and even then the plague returns were only two or
three cases a week, chiefly indigenous. These sporadic cases at Hubli continued through-
out December 1897, and January, "February, March, April and May 1898. With June 1898
came a change for the worse ; for although Hubli still remained the only infected place in
* Bomlay Qatetteer, Vol. XXII.