Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/207

 ;

BASSE LY DISTRICT.

197

towns of Yegyf and Pandaw, and the seat of an important rice trade (population in 1881, 2640), it was here that the Talaing army made its last stand before its complete defeat by Alaungpaya. Ngathaing-

—

Khyoung,

lat.

17° 22' 30" N.,

and

long. 95° 8' 30" e.,

is

on the Bassein

population in 1881 was 3557, chiefly engaged in an extensive rice trade with Bassein ; for some years it was garrisoned by a detach-

river;

its

ment of Native Infantry from Bassein, but is now guarded by a police Kyunpyaw, lat. 17° 17' n., long. 95° 16' e., on the Daga river at the southern entrance of the Yegyi creek ; had a population in 1881 of 895, employed in agriculture, trading, and fishing. The 1699 towns and villages in 1881 are thus classified 1061 with less than two hundred inhabitants; 560 with from two to five hundred; 64 with from five hundred to a thousand; 9 with from one thousand to two thousand ; 2 from two to three thousand ; i with from three to five thousand and i with over twenty thousand inhabitants. Agriculture., etc. In 1855-56, the area under cultivation was 134,520 acres; in 1864-65 this had risen to 186,129, in 1874-75 to 305,902, and in 1881 to 393,400 acres. The area under different crops in 1880 force.

—



—

was as follows:

— Rice, 369,952 acres;

betel leaf,

49;

staple product

373; rice,

is

oil-seeds, 5



sugar, 170; cotton,

vegetables, fruit-trees, etc.,

9433 and the average out-turn reaches

The

acres. 14I- cwts.

per

In 1881-82, the gross produce was 295,393 tons. Sesamum and tobacco are cultivated to a small extent. The yield of cotton

acre.

averages 83

lbs.

per acre.

The

agricultural stock, notwithstanding the

two large townships, has increased largely of late years. In 1869-70, the number of cows, bulls, and bullocks was 33,746; of buffaloes, 78,108; sheep and goats, 1281; pigs, 23,464; carts, 14,074;

transfer of

ploughs, 23,253. By 1882, the number of cows, bulls, and bullocks had increased to 77,415; of buffaloes, to 63,629; of sheep and goats, to 1995; of pigs, to 29,265; of carts, to 22,797; ploughs, 29,894. The number of boats has decreased from 12,623 to 10,710. Rates of rent for the different descriptions of land, suited to the various crops,

were returned as follows in 1880-81 3s. 2S.

i^d. pd.





sugar-cane, 4s.; cotton,

taungya, or

vegetables, 4s. 6d.

of a holding

is



hill

and

about

1



—Rice,

3s.

cultivations,

i^d. is.



3s. 4d.

7|d.



mixed

plantains, 3s. 6d. an acre.

5 acres

—a

an acre;

cocoa-nuts,

larger area than

is

is.

oil-seeds,

6d.



fruits, 4s.

The

dhdni,

7|d.

average size

held farther north.

Hired labourers are rarely employed; their wages vary from about i6s. with board to ;^i without board. As a rule, proprietors cultivate their own land, and renting is not common. The produce of the District can easily be transported by the tidal creeks, the natural means of communication, which also irrigate and fertilize the country. Annually, on the rise of the Irawadi, large tracts of country are flooded, and the crops are often destroyed. In order to protect the rice land