Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/462

 BILASPUR.

452

or smelters, the manufacture does not extend beyond a few villages.

Near Korba on the

bank of the Hasdu, and in the beds of two and Mundjharia, and probably in other parts, coal exists in considerable quantities. It is shaly and inferior on the surface, and whether the lower seams will prove of better quality has not yet been ascertained. The District offers at many points sandhill

right

streams, the Bijakhera

stone excellently suited for building purposes, but the only important quarries

are

those

near

and

Bilaspur

Seorinirayan.

The weekly

markets, of which at least 170 are held throughout the District, supply

means of internal trade. They are held either in a shady mango more frequently, in some open space near a village. At the large bazars at Bamindi, Ganiari, Takhtpur, and Mungeh', a brisk traffic the

grove, or,

in cattle

metals,

is

carried on.

The

chief imports of the District are sugar,

and

English piece-goods,

entirely of agricultural

produce

—

cattle,

rice,

while the exports consist

wheat, gram, and

lac.

The whole

trade tends in a westerly direction, to the railway at Jabalpur (Jubbul-

In that direction the Banjards drive their long lines of pack-

pore).

hill and valley, and across the and craggy beds of numerous streams. The northern routes through Pendra to Rewa, and through Upror^ to Mirzapur, pass over a difficult country, and are only available for pack-bullocks during six months in the year. Though no made roads yet exist in Bilaspur, the abundance of gravel would render their construction comparatively During half the year the Mahanadi supplies a means of comeasy.

bullocks along a track winding over steep

munication for the 25 miles of its course through the District, but rocky barriers render the navigation a difficult task. In 1861, Bilaspur was formed into a separate Advimistration.

—

under the British Government of the Central Provinces. It is administered by a Deputy Commissioner, with 2 Assistant ComTotal revenue in 1868-69, .^^3 i) 977 of missioners and 3 tahsUddrs. which the land yielded ^27,195 ; total cost of officials and police of By 1881-82, the gross revenue had increased to all kinds, 0,802. District

)

^41,339, of which the land contributed ^^28,093 cost of officials and of police, ^12,397 ; number of civil and revenue judges of all sorts, 7 maximum distance from any village to the nearest magistrates, 6





court, 56 miles: average distance,

10 miles;

number of

police, 331,

bitants.

policeman to every 24 square miles and to every 3073 inhaOwing chiefly to the plenty which prevails throughout the

District,

crime

being

i

is

comparatively

rare,

and

for the

most part confined

to

In 1881, the daily number of convicts in jail averaged The number of Government or i4’2o were females. whom of 11276, aided schools in the District under Government inspection in 1881 BiMspur, the only municipality, was 68, attended by 4387 pupils. small offences.

contains a population of 7775 persons; the total municipal income in