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Pargana*—Tahsil 'Bks&kiGU— District BahraiOH—Bhinga pargana lying at the north-eastern angle of the district of Bahraich, is bounded on the north by Naipal and the Tulsipur pargana, on the east by ilaqa Durgapur, on the south by the Ikauna and Bahraich pargana, and on the west by Charda pargana. It has an area of 247 square miles, with an extreme length of 19 and an average breadth of 14 miles. Bisected by the river Rapti. which flows with a very tortuous course from north-west to south-east, the pargana has peculiarly well-defined physical features. The portion to the south of that river, together with the land lying along its north bank, forms the basin of the Rapti and its affluent the Bhakla, which two streams flowing parallel to one another embrace a duab of unusually rich alluvial soil. Skirting the north of this tract is a belt of reserved forest about four miles wide, and which being on high ground once boasted some fine sal timber, but which now contains little wood of value. To the north of this again lies a tract of low tarai land, which stretching away through the Tulsipur pargana is bounded by the forest which lies along the foot of the first range of the Himalayas. Here are the finest rice grounds of the district. In the southern portion of the pargana wheat and Indian-corn are the staples. Of the whole area 140 square miles are under cultivation, 28 square miles are culturable waste, and 61 square miles are reserved forest. There is scarcely any irrigation, the water lying so near the surface in the south that it is not required, while to the north little but rain crop is grown. The pargana originally comprised no villages but those of the Bhinga estate, but half the ilaqa having been confiscated on account of arms having been found concealed upon it, it is

BHINGA

now

held as follows