Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/459

 — DHA

38J

the limit of the district

also. It has a total area of 304 square miles, of which 172 are taken up by the Oudh reserved forest. The remainder, 132 square miles, is comprised in 64 villages 47 square miles, or 35 per cent., beiag under cultivation.

The physical features of the country are well marked, and are all to be referred to the action of the hiU rivers, the Kauriala and the Girwa (which The portion of the duab formed by the separation and re-junction of these two streams which lies within this pargana is covered with forest of shisham and khair trees. Crossing the Girwa, this same belt of forest trends southward, and covers from north to south the eastern portion of the pargana running parallel with the course of the Kauriala. It lies uniformly see).

on the high ground, and the general aspect of the country leaves no doubt that in ages past the river flowed immediately under this " Dumar." Between the forest and the river Kauriala lies a tract of varying levels, and channelled in all directions with the old beds of the receding stream. The soil of this part consists of alluvial deposits of different dates. The stratum of sand which underlies the crust of soil crops up in many places so near to the surface, that filtration quickly drains the super-soil of its moisture but •in general the water lies so close to the surface that irrigation is not required. Lying along the banks of the river as it runs now are some large tracts of jhau jungle and grass land, which are often overflowed in the rains, the retiring flood leaving in many places a fertilising deposit. Game of all sorts, especially gond (swamp-deer), parha (hog-deer), nil-gae, and pig

abound

here.

The revenue demand, which, on account of the vast area of culturable waste available in this pargana, has been fixed at a rate progressively increasing every ten years, has been distributed as follows