Page:Vizagapatam.djvu/172

VIZAGAPATAM. weather cultivation of ragi, chillies'&c. under wells, and the harvesting of grams and pulses. Indigo is sown as soon as the paddy is off the ground, and sugar-cane is harvested up to March. When this is over, it is almost time to sow gingelly again, so that in fact it is only for about two and a half months from March to May that agriculture of some kind is not proceeding to a considerable extent.'

Moreover, as has been said, emigration to Burma and Gódávari is an established custom. Irrigation sources, if seldom on a large scale, are numerous, and some of them have their sources in the forests on the Gháts and so benefit from the heavier rainfall received there — though the effect of the reckless felling of those jungles is becoming very perceptible in the diminished volume and constancy of their flow. Communications are also excellent. From one end of the district to the other runs a railway which links it with Bengal on the north and the Gódávari and Kistna deltas on the south; its two ports enable grain to be brought to it from Rangoon; and the roads from Párvatípur to Ráyagada and from Sálúr across the 3,000 feet plateau to Jeypore and Naurangpur render available in case of need immense areas of grain land wherein the rains scarcely ever fail. At the beginning of 1906 the high prices occasioned by the shortage in other parts of India resulted in an almost continuous string of grain-laden carts — 1,200 a day were counted — pouring down from the Jeypore country by the ghát leading to Sálúr.

Though Vizagapatam has" usually escaped the ravages of famine, it has experienced more than its share of floods and storms.

A letter from Vizagapatam to the Madras Government dated April 28th 1700 said—

'On the 18th here happen'd a more dreadful Storme from the N : East which lasted 3 days and did much damage to the country, and the Sea was so boystrous and came in at the rate that most of the rivers overflowed, and Struck a great terror in the Inhabitants that the country would be drowned, all vessels in the Sea along this coast were lost and many in the rivers by the force of the currant and tides, and Mr. holcombes Ship Fleetwood bound for bengall, with a large grab that was in our road, was drove a Shear and Stav'd, but thro: Gods mercy most or all the goods Saved w :th the greatest part of the wreck.'

In 1749 another storm 'greatly affected the Merchants of this place by the loss of 14 or 15 vessells, which we are affraid will much diminish our customs.' 152