Stations
occupied by
detachments.
Meteorology
and climate.
Lines,
barracks,
and huts.
New lines.
Detailed
description.
51
SAUGOR DISTRICT.
III. Topography, and physical geography .—The unusual dryness in the past season has pre
-vented the detection of any defects in station drainage which might have become evident
during an ordinary rainy season. The objectionable state of the Dhorea nullah, running
behind the sudder bazar, as described by Dr. Mackellar. in 1871, has since been improved, and
the drainage of the sudder bazar into it perfected. Covered latrines for the inhabitants of
the sudder have been built for use in the rains, and open screen latrines in dry weather, and
are kept in good order on the south side of the nullah, and these are approached by a
bridge across the said nullah. The very objectionable village of Dudree has since that date
been annihilated, and the small group of huts described by Dr. Mackellar as situated about 150
yards to the right of the old cavalry lines, and occupied by sweepers, had disappeared before I
joined this regiment.
The old cantonment is well-wooded, and trees, have been planted in the new
cantonments, and a European soldier appointed to look after them. Mr. Skardon
details several sanitary improvements which have been carried out during the
year, indicating that the authorities of the station of Nowgong are keenly
alive to the benefits of conservancy and drainage.
Topography,
and physical
geography.
Sanitary im
-provements.
The stations occupied by detachments, Saugor, Nagode and Sutna, seem to have been quite as
healthy this year as Nowgong, as regards malarious fever, and Dr. Goldsmith, at Sutna, attributes
this to the same cause as myself, viz., unusual dryness of 1877.
VI. Meteorology and climate .—The past year has not been characterized by great
intensity of heat, and there does not appear to have been much sun-stroke amongst the
inhabitants, although from the most peculiar absence of a regular rainfall the atmosphere has
been most unusually and permanently dry, and crops and vegetation have suffered in pro
-portion bringing food almost up to famine prices. The total rainfall this year, in Nowgong,
was about 17 inches, whereas in former years the annual total rainfall ranged from 40 to 50
inches at this station.
Rainfall.
V. Lines, barracks and huts .—On the 1st December the head-quarters moved from their
old lines into their new barrack-huts, which have been constructed out of what in former
years were the lines of the old light cavalry at this station. These are certainly the best
cavalry lines for native troops which I have seen in the whole course of my service in the Bengal
P r e s i d e n c y .
These now consist of four longitudinal rows of barrack-huts with tiled roofs and
an eight-feet verandah running about north-east and south-west, the front being on the north
-east front of the old cantonment on ground drained towards the Koomraree nuddee, which is
on the north and east side of the cantonment, and receives, I may say, all the watershed
products therefrom. Each longitudinal row is divided into four buildings separated from each
other by three cross alleys (each nine feet wide) cutting the lines at right angles and equi
-distant from each other. Each building accommodates 16 sowars and 4 non-commissioned officers,
and is divided by one longitudinal and three cross walls in such a manner as to admit of free
ventilation, and at the same time form four centre larger rooms for sowars and four smaller
corner rooms for duffadars, &c. Each of the centre rooms accommodates four men with their
accoutrements, and each of the corner rooms one non-commissioned officer with his accoutre
-ments. The dimensions of one of the four centre rooms which accommodates four sowars is as follows:—
Height of centre longitudinal wall . . . 17 feet
do.
outer wall to eaves of building . . . 11 feet
Width from centre to outer wall . . . 14 feet
Length of room for 4 men . . . 27 feet (some rather less).
Area.
Square feet.
This gives us 27 × 14 = 378 /4=94.5 for each man.
Some of the buildings are not quite 27 feet in length.—
And 27 × 14 × 11= 4158
4,158
27 × 14 × 6 = 2268/2 = 1,134
4 5,292 = cube of room,
1,323 cubic feet per man;
Dimensions
and space.
but allowing for space taken by charpoys, arms and accoutrements, and allowing that all the
rooms are not quite 27 feet long, we may say that each sowar certainly enjoys over 1,200 cubic
feet of breathing-space inside his barrack-hut.
The above sketch is intended to give some idea of relative position of one barrack-hut
(accommodating 20 men) to horse-lines, drainage, &c. The thickness of the huts' walls is not
shown, but they are substantially built of pucca-kutcha material, and therefore not likely to
absorb too much heat in the hot weather, at the same time being thick enough to keep out
excess of heat, and last I should say for years.
The four longitudinal rows of barrack-huts are separated thus : the two centre ones by an
interval of about 70 paces, and each two lateral rows by an interval of about 50 paces. Opposite
the verandah, at a distance of about six paces, stand the row of regimental horses belonging to
the men occupying that verandah, so that in each of the three intervals between the barracks
there are two rows of horses, each facing towards the verandahs. The mules and grass-cutters'
ponies are picketed behind the regimental horses, and each interval slopes from the horse
lines towards its centre, where an open drain, with pucca brick-work bottom, carries off surface
Arrangements
for horses, &c.