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 RAE 197 Famines.—This subject is treated at length under other district head- ings, particularly that of Kheri, Bahraich, Lucknow. There is nothing noteworthy about Rae Bareli in this respect. Its communications are not so good as those of some other districts, having no railway and only 56 miles of water communication along its outer border. On the other hand, its masonry wells afford it a greater insurance against famine, its drainage is superior to that of other districts, it suffers comparatively less from floods, and its area of artificial irrigation being it is alleged so much as three- fourths of the whole, absolute famine ought to be almost unknown. Great scarcity from a deficiency of rainfall in October for the rice, and in January for the spring crops, is common enough. On the average in five years out of ten the rains in October and January are so scanty as to be of no practical value. The average rainfall is as we have seen 38 inches, about the same as Lucknow; therains were specially deficient in 1864, 1868, and 1873. In these years the rainfall was respectively 22, 19, and 41 inches, but the distribution was bad, the September October rains were deficient, and the consequence was that in 1865, 1869, and 1874 there was very con- siderable scarcity, approaching to famine, in 1869. No special measures were called for, and the people were employed on the district roads. A. brief abstract of the Rae Barcli famine and scarcities viewed historically is given compiled from official records - All agree that there was a very severe drought and famine in 1784-85 A.D. In Partabgarh coarse grain sold at seren sers for the rupee; it lasted for nine months. Dr. Young says that this famine is often alluded to as the "akál chálísa" in allusion to its recurring every forty years. None of the reports show that any scarcity occurred in 1824, and so it can only be considered an odd coincidence that the saying is countenanced by the scar- city of 1864-65, when wheat flour sold in Partabgarh for eight, seven, and six sers for the rupee. There seem to have been seasons of scarcity in other years, as for instance in 1770 A.D. and in 1810 A.D., but no actual famine occurred comparable with that of 1784. In 1797 and 1816 frost greatly injured the crops. The rains were average in 1837, when famine attacked the North-Western Provinces. The Rae Bareli report states that there was a severe drought and famine in 1769-1770. The Sultanpur authorities mentioned the following prices as ruling in 1784, differing from those quoted above in Partabgarh. . Sers, Wheat Gram Rice 13 10 13 92 >> The following have been the prices current in sers for rupee:- Year. Articles 1856. 1867 188. 1859 1860. 1861. 1862 Average, 190 wheat Gram Rice 26 86 26 24 30 22 26 21 22% 25 30 23 28 30 26 263 30 34 26 29 21 26 295 287