The Kutta Puthur Canal, in the Valley of Deyrah-originally designed

in 1841 by Colonel Cautley-project resumed in 1847-details-esti-

mated expense-area of irrigation - probable returns,

Page

365-367

The Grand Ganges Canal - Its early history - the original idea due to

Colonel John Colvin - the working out of the project in detail to

Colonel Cautley-progress of the investigation-Lord Auckland-his

uniform support of the scheme Lord Ellenborough - his mistaken

notions and discouraging proceedings-Lord Hardinge-his appoint-

ment of a committee to investigate the sanitary relations of the project

-his approval of the scheme, and the vigorous assistance afforded by

him to it-the Ganges Canal now in progress, as primarily a canal of

irrigation, and secondarily one of navigation-details of the works-dis-

posal of the sub-Himmalayan drainage-great dam across the Ruthmu

River great aqueduct across the Solani River-total length of the canal

and its main branches-net-work of navigable lines thus formed-dimen-

sions of the channel at different points-area of irrigation-estimated

revenue from the canal itself-ultimate increase of land-revenue-esti-

mate of the gross value of the crops secured against injury from drought

by the canal-increase of produce-diminution of working expenses of

cultivation by the use of canal water-summary of the results to be anti-

cipated from the execution of the Ganges Canal-objections to the pro-

ject investigated-probable influence of the abstraction of the canal

supply on the utility of the Ganges as a navigable river-the analogous

case of the river Jumna referred to-the influence of the canals from

that river shown not to have seriously affected the value of the stream

for purposes of commerce-conclusion that the objection reduces itself

to limits so restricted as not to constitute any real obstacle in face of the

advantages to be obtained-the question as between the canal and the

railroad argued the two works shown to occupy independent, but closely

allied, provinces of industry-their antagonism repudiated-grounds

shown for advocating the construction of both classes of works-the

objection on sanitary grounds disposed of by reference to the Medical

Committee's Report, discussed farther in vol. ii. of this work-summary

of the entire irrigation system between the Ganges and the Sutlej,

367-395

SECTION II.-IRRIGATION BETWEEN THE RIVERS SUTLEJ AND INDUS.

Measures in progress for extending irrigation over the Punjaub-immature

condition of the work at present-Canal of the Ravee-character of the

country eastward of the Jhelum-total quantity of water available for

use between the Jhelum and the Sutlej-details of works not appro-

priate at present-general results to be anticipated from the full use of

the rivers of the Punjaub,
395-397

SECTION III.-IRRIGATION IN CENTRAL INDIA.

Materials for this section derived from Colonel Dixon's Report on Mairwara
and Ajmeer-reason for giving some account of the people of Mairwara
prior to their subjection in 1820-geographical and topographical details
of Mairwara-habits and characteristics of the people-robbery the pur-
suit of the entire race-our relations with them in 1818-failure of our
first effort to reduce them to obedience in 1819-entire success of the
expedition of 1820-political subdivision of the country-evil effects of
the diversity of system thereby introduced into the government-remedy,
by concentrating the power in the hands of a single English superinten
dent, applied in 1823-24-Colonel H. Hall, C.B.-his efforts for the civil-
isation of the Mairs-their encouraging success, but precarious charac-

ter-Colonel Dixon's appointment in 1835-his projects for making agri-

culture the steady pursuit of the Mairs-natural circumstances of cli-

mate and structure which rendered an artificial supply of water the

great means to this end-system of tank-embankments accordingly

introduced on a large scale-various details of the measures adopted

by the people themselves-reclamation of waste lands-village ser-

vants induced to take to husbandry-settlements of leather-dressers and

their moral effects of convicted offenders continued extension

of improvement-independent action of the people illustrated in the

case of the village of Soorean-proportion of Government land-rent to

gross produce of the soil-remissions of rent granted for the construc-

tion of works of irrigation - details of the construction of tank-

embankments-various forms of such embankments-Statistical Tables:

No. 1. Descriptive details of some of the chief works in Mairwara; No.

2. Progress of improvement among the people, as indicated by increase

of population, agricultural resources, and revenue paid to the State;

No. 3. Total number of tank-embankments in Mairwara; No. 4. Increase

of agricultural appliances in the form of wells, ploughs, &c.; No. 5. Total

Government land-revenue from 1835-36 to 1846-47; No. 6. Total expen-

diture for works during the same period-farther aids to civilisation

devised by Colonel Dixon-foundation of a capital for the province-

establishment of an annual fair-summary of the results of the works in

Mairwara generally,

Page

397-426

Ajmeer-reaction of the spirit of improvement in Mairwara on the adjoin-

ing districts-irrigation introduced into Ajmeer in 1840-satisfactory

progress of the system there-reasons for the results not being so strik-

ing as in Ajmeer-Tabular statements: No. 7. Descriptive details of

embankments-total number of these, with area of irrigation-revenue

and expenditure for works-works effected by the people themselves, 426-430

Advantages to the community specially illustrated in the increase of the

value of the agricultural produce with the extension of irrigation in

Mairwara-simultaneous decrease of taxation-analogous results in

Ajmeer-sanitary relations of irrigation in Mairwara and Ajmeer dis-

cussed-medical examinations in the former district-their satisfactory

results-conclusion by Dr Collyer-comparatively unfavourable results

in Ajmeer-not clearly accounted for-conditions of salubrity-superior-

ity of Ajmeer to irrigated districts in Northern India-opinion of Dr

Kier-influence of the high sites of villages perhaps exaggerated-final

remarks,

430-434

PART I.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

OF

NORTHERN ITALY.

PART I.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

PIEDMONT.

CHAPTER I.

PROVINCES OF TURIN, VERCELLI, NOVARA,
AND THE LUMELLINA.

THE mission to examine the classic land of irrigation, of which the results are given in the following pages, was undertaken by me, under instructions from the Honourable the Court of Directors of the East India Company. The great works for the improvement of agriculture throughout British India, which of late years have either been completed, or are at this moment in progress of execution, had naturally attracted the attention of the Government of India and its officers to that system of land irrigation which has been so powerful an agent in placing the plains of Northern Italy, even from the earliest historical period, among the richest on the face of the earth. To study this system in its various relations-to