Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/251

 BELL ARY. Chitaldrug in the Mysore State separates

and on the west, the river Tungdbhadra from Dharwar District of the Bombay Presidency. In

it

point of size, Bellary

among

241



now ranks

the Districts of the

twelfth, and in population eighteenth, Madras Presidency before a part of it was

formed into the new District of Anantapur, it ranked second in area, and thirteenth in population. It is sub-divided into 8 taluks, and contains within its limits the native State of Sandur, which has an area of 164 square miles. The number of inhabited villages is 1174, and of

Land revenue (1881-82),

towns, 10.

-^253,513. Physical Aspects

.

^£^185, 549

—The general aspect of the



total

District

revenue

is

(gross),

a vast surface

of treeless plain, broken at rare intervals by granite masses that spring abruptly from the surrounding sheet of black cotton Bellary

the sea.

an extensive plateau,

in fact

is

soil, like

tilted

up

rocks from in the

west

on the shoulders of the Ghats, and sloping down towards the eastern coast. At Belgaum, on the west, the height of the plain is 2568 feet, and at Dharwar 2586 feet above the sea level at Gemtakal junction station of the Madras Railway, near the eastern boundary of the Water is very scarce throughout, District, the elevation is 1451 feet. and vegetation is accordingly rare. The Tungabhadra, forming the northern boundary, contains water all the year round, and in the rainy

season swells to formidable dimensions



southern tributaries, the

its

Hagari, the Vedavati, and others, drain the District, and on

its

banks

stand the towns of Hampsagra, Hospet, Sirugupa, Hampi, Kampli at



Ram pur

stream.

a fine bridge of 52 piers carries the railway across the The Vedavati rises in Mysore, and after a course of 125 miles

Tungabhadra near Halikota. Though very when in flood overflows its banks, and in 1851 washed away the town of Guliem. The only hill ranges worthy of note are situated in the vicinity of Sandur and Kampli between these, scattered in the west, and the Lanka Malla in the east

in the District joins the

shallow for two-thirds of the year, this river



generally over the District, occur detached masses of granitic rock.

Iron

of good quality abounds, and copper, lead, antimony, manganese, limestone,

the

and alum are

soil.

The

all

found.

Salt

and

saltpetre are extracted

fauna of the District includes

among mammals,

the

from tiger,

panther, hunting leopard, wolf, black bear, hyaena, wild boar, antelope,

and sdmbhar deer



the

first

and

order of Raptores

is

partridge,

snipe, goose,

quail,

Venomous snakes abound. Arabica),

b'er

last

being very

largely represented



and water-fowl

The

rare.

Among

birds, the

the bustard, florican, pea-fowl, afford excellent

flora is scanty,

— the

sport.

babul (Acacia

(Zizyphus jujuba), and wild date (Elate sylvestris) being

but in groves and gardens are found the mango, tamarind, cocoa-nut palm, banyan, and n'lm. The historical details which follow relate to the old District History VOL. II. Q

the chief indigenous trees

.

—