Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/222

 BASTI.

212

In the

first

whole estate

case, the

joint occupation,

and

belongs

undivided.

is

to

several

owners in

In the second, the estate

has

been divided into shares, which are separately held by their several owners an imperfect form of pattiddri is very frequent, in which both In the third case, though sets of conditions exist in the same estate. the estate may be virtually either zamindiiri or pattiddri, the rights of ownership are determined, not by the several ance'^tral shares of the coparceners, but by custom or possession. Natural Calainities.—'Yh.^ famines experienced in Basti District up to 1865, the year of its establishment as a separate Collectorate, will be described in the article on Gorakhpur. Since 1865 there has been one year of slight scarcity (1868-69), two of severe scarcity, amounting almost to famine (1873-74 and 1877-78). In all these years the rainfall was deficient, in the latter so seriously as to cause a failure of both the autumn and spring crops, and in the scarcity of 1874 relief works were in operation till May. In the scarcity of 1877, only about one-fourth of the average rainfall fell between the ist January and the 30th September, and a miserable kharifx^'s,. was followed by a poor rabi crop. By the end of June 1878, the average number of persons in receipt of daily relief was 63,908. Relief works were closed in October 1878, but the poorhouses were kept open till the middle of

March 1879. Commerce and Trade.

—The

trade of the District consists to a great

extent in the exchange of the cotton, cotton

stuffs,

and brass of Cawn-

pur and the Doab Districts for the drugs, iron, copper, timber, and By far the most valuable part of Basti trade forest produce of Nepal. is in country produce, carried (i) south-eastwards down the principal streams in boats to Gola Gopalpur and Barhaj in Gorakhpur, for transit to

Patna or Calcutta; or

Gonda, and

(2) carried south-westwards to

to Faizabad.

Uska Bazar on

the Kura.

The

largest

This place

market

is

Nawabganj

in the District

the principal

is

in

that of

emporium of the

Nepal trade in rice and mustard seed, and the seat of fibre manufactures. Large quantities of Basti-grown rice are also brought to this market. The only other trading town of any importance is Mendhawal, in the east of the District. coal,

The

Basti itself produces sugar, hides, saltpetre, char-

and coarse cloths; spirit distilled

it imports cotton, timber, drugs, and iron. from the petals of the mahud tree forms a special

item of local manufacture and consumption

mahud

are also used as food for

man and



the dried petals of the

cattle.

The

only

fairs

of

importance are those held at Maghar, Katesarnath, Bhari, Si'tarampur, and Taura. The Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway runs for 40 miles

and from Faizabad and good roads run into The other important roads are those from Basti and

along the southern border of the District

Akbarpar, two stations on the District.

this portion



of the

line,