Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/14

 6 HAR HARDOI DISTRICT ARTICLE, ABSTRACT OF CHAPTERS. I.-NATURAL FEATURES. II.--AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE. III.--THE PEOPLE. IV.-ADMINISTRATIVE FEATURES, V.-HISTORY, CHAPTER I. NATURAL FEATURES, General description, levels, elevation-Soil and subterranean formations-Lakes-Foresle -Rivera Fauna-Climate-Rainfall--Temperature-Medical aspects. General description.--Tho district of Hardoi, in many respects one of the most important in Oudh, is bounded along its whole eastern frontier by the Gumti. At the extreme north-west the little river Sendha separates it from the district of Shahjahanpur down to its junction with the Rám- ganga. The boundary then crosses the latter river and proceeds direct south, till at the ferry of Sangrámpur it strikes the Ganges, which forms the rest of its western limit. Artificial lines of demarcation separate it on the north from Kheri, on the south from the Lucknow and Unao districts. The district forms an irregular parallelogram running between the Gunsti and the Ganges. Its greatest length from north-west to south-east is 78 miles, its average breadth is 46. It lies between 26° 54' and 27° 47' north latitude, and between 79° 4.2 and 80° 53' east longitude; its population is 931,517, being at the rate of 406 to the square mile. The entire area of the district is 2,292 square miles, somewhat less than Perthshire; the area in acres is 1,457,114, of which 844,560 are cultivated. Exclusive of grants- 59 per cent. is under crop. in groves, is barten, is covered with water in the shape of rirere, lakes, and ponds, is arable waste, consists of roads or sites of villages. The above have been altered from the official figures by a distribution among all the headings of the 2.9 percentage of rent-free lands. It is to be feared, however, that the barren lands are considerably more. extensive than is here set forth. One feature of Hardoi is the series of great úsar or saline plains which run through the middle of the district on each side of the railway from Sandila to Shahabad : they are almost wholly uncul- turable. Hardoi is a level district; there are no mountains; the highest point is north of Pibáni, near the Gumti, and is 490 feet above the level of the sea. The country continues high along the Gumti, with a breadth of frona 3 to 8 miles, the soil sandy, water at a distance of from 25 to 40 feet; this elevated belt then sinks eastward into the central plain, which is from 10 to 20 miles broad. Down its centre runs the river Sai, which rises in Piháni, the elevation of which stream 3 > 31 31 5 25 3 97 19