Page:A descriptive and historical account of the Godavery District in the presidency of Madras (IA descriptivehisto00morrrich).pdf/30

 12 THE GODAVERY DISTRICT,

according to the census taken in November 1871. According to the quinquennial returns of 1866-67, it was 189,233, so that the subsequent increase has been 17,652. The number of Hindus is 203,668, and of Mobammedans, 3215. This Taluk is the strong- hold of Brahminism in the District, It contains 44,378 houses, of which 41,565 are inhabited, ‘The area assessed by the Settlement Department is 68,962 acres, bearing an annual assessment of 203,307 rupees. The land revenue of the Taluk, including water cesa, Pésh- kash, and all the sundry items, is 559,226 rupees.

This Taluk is irrigated by three main canals from the Annicut, namely, the Lolla canal, the Gannavaram canal, and the Amalapuram canal, These supply water to all the various branch irrigation chan- nels, The main canals are navigable.

The principal products of the Taluk are paddy, Bengal gram, horse gram, cow gram, green gram, black gram, red gram, gingelly and lamp oil seeds, coriander, fenugreek, mustard, jonna, cumbao, raggy, tobacco, chillies, onions, garlic, turmeric, cocoanuts, areca- nats, and sweet plantains.

The ecntral part of the Taluk is noted for its cocoanut, areca-nut, and plantain plantations.

The soil is of the following descriptions :—Alluvial, permancnily improved, regur pure, regur loamy, regur sandy, arenaceous loamy, arenaceous sandy, arenaceous heavy sandy.

This Taluk is flat. Some of the villages are swampy. The Vasishta, the Gautami, the Old Gautami, the Vainatéyam, and the Kausika branches of the Godayery flow through portions of this Taluk, or along its border, in their course to the sea. In the bed of the Vasishta Godayery there are valuable islands formed by aceumulated depasits of silt. This Taluk is very rich and produetive ; and it is generally healthy, but in the cold season it is somewhat feverish.

The principal towns, with their population, according to the census of 1871, are—

Amalépuram. . ee 7083 Palivela : 7 : 5 $315 Ambdéjipéta. : . e 3657

Rai. : : a 3 3470 There is no special industry in the Taluk, A good deal of covoa- nut oil is manufactured. The principal trade is in cocoa-nuta, areca nuts, cocoanut oil, paddy, grains, and oil sceds, cloths, and cotton twist. This Taluk is noted for its luscious plantains and its various �