2. Though artificial inundation from the Ganges is not carried to such extent, nor conducted with so much skill as it might be, it is not entirely neglected. In the Rohil cund territory especially, the waters of this river, or rather of the Ramgunja, the Goggra, and other smaller streams, which flow into it, and intersect this district, are distributed over its surface by means of canals. But as the soil in al most every part of the country through which the Ganges flows is naturally rich and loamy, the inhabitants are not placed under such an alisolute necessity of having re course to irrigation, as those who live on the sandy and parched soil of the lower parts of the province of Sinde. Accordingly, in this province, considerable attention is paid to irrigation by means of canals and water-courses. A regular system is pursued, and a fixed tax levied by government for the construction and repair of these water courses. Every biggah of land, (one-third of an acre,) pays a revenue of 11 to 3 rupees for the water with which it is supplied by a canal or wheel. One wheel is capable of watering 16 biggahs. It is in the south of India, how ever, that the practice of rendering land fit for the wet" cultivation, by means of canals and water-courses, is car ried on to the greatest extent, and with the most industry, skill, and success. In the province of Cohnbetoor, there is a canal from the river Bhawani, constructed on the best principles, as well as executed with considerable judgment, which waters a narrow space of ground, 15 Malabar hours journey in length, and has raised the rent, and increased the produce of the land adjacent very much. In the vi cinity of Seringapatam there are many excellent canals, which are drawn from the river Cavery along the windings of the hills ; the intermediate spaces between these canals is watered by branches. The water of the Cavery is forced into the main branches by means of dams thrown across it, which are formed of large blocks of granite. The whole must have been executed at peat expencc, and is a work of very great labour and strength. The river, whence these canals are drawn, is made nearer the sea, to answer still more important and beneficial purposes to agricul ture; for it is in Consequence of the water-courses sent off from it through the Tanjore, that this province is entitled to the second rank, among all the provinces of Hindostan, for agriculture. It has already been stated, in our account of that river, that, opposite to Trichinopoly in the Carnatic, the Cavery divides into two branches ; which, about 13 miles to the eastward of the point of separation, again ap proach; the northern branch, however, being at this place 20 feet lower than the southern ; and that an immense mound is formed, to prevent the waters of the one branch from descending into those of the other. The higher, or southern, branch retains the name of the Cavery. From it canals are conducted in all directions; " which, by means of embankments and reservoirs, are directed into every field, and fertilize a tract of country, from Dericotta to Point Calymere, (a distance of nearly 70 miles) which wonld otherwise remain a barren sand." In most parts of the Carnatic, the water necessary for the purposes of wet cultivation is supplied from tanks. In the Vallore district of this province, however, the system of canals is followed.
These are dug, during the dry season, across the channel of the rivers, below which, even at this period, moisture is al ways met with ; or they are drawn from subterranean streams, many of which exist in this tract, and contribute not whale to the greater degree of verdure which prevails here than is usually seen in the Carnatic.
3. Tanks, or reservoirs of water, are of two kinds in Hin dostan. They are constructed either by digging, or by shutting up, by an artificial bank, an opening between two natural sides of hills. The former mode is practised in Bengal, and in other parts where the surface is level, and the soil loose, and free of rocks ; the latter, in the more hilly districts of the Decan and the south of India, where natural situations, proper for this kind, are met with in abundance, and where the former kind could not be con structed without almost infinite labour and expense. Con siderable insecurity, as well as great labour, are requisite in the formation of the tanks in the hilly districts ; in the selection and damming up of the outlets of the narrow val lies ; and in making the surrounding rocks answer effec tually the purposes of walls. In Bengal, and the other flat
districts, the tanks are generally lined with stone, and their bottoms rendered hard, and impervious to the water, by a mixture of chunum and clay. In these parts of Hindostan they frequently cover 100 acres of land. Tanks are con structed either by government, or by rich individuals. In the former case, a tax is levied on the land for their re pairs ; in the latter, they are kept in repair by the person who constructs them, but, as a compensation, one-fourth part of the lands which receive water from the tanks is given up to him in full proprietary right.
Tanks are very numerous, and some of them very ex tensive.in the Carnatic; where, indeed, from the extreme aridness of the soil, and the want of water from other sources, they are indispensably necessary to cultivation. Some of them occupy an area of eight miles in length, and three in breadth, and contain water enough to supply the lands of 32 villages for 18 months. In the villages water ed by one tank, there are 5000 persons employed in agri culture; and at another place, there is a tank which waters 2500 acres. These tanks are made either in the manner already described, or by inclosing deep and low situations with a strong mound of earth. Tanks upon a less exten sive scale, for the use of gardens, &c. are lined with stone, and of a quad' angular foi m. In Malabar, Congo, Wynaad, and in the vicinity of Surat and Bassein, irrigation by means of tanks is carried to great perfection. In the vicinity of Surat, some of tile lands watered by tanks are worth about seven or ten times as much in gross produce as the best of those that are only watered by the monsoon.
Wells are also constructed in many parts of Hindostan, at great labour and expense, not only for domestic pur poses, but also for irrigating the land. In the elevated and sandy districts of Ajmeer, the wells are from 100 to 200 feet deep, made of brick. In Guzerat, there are a greater number of wells. One is said to have cost nine lacks of rupees ; and another is remarkable for its antiquity ; ap pearing, from the inscription, to have been erected in the year 1482. In the sandy soil of this province, which lies to the north of th,e river the wells are from 80 to 100 feet deep ; but in the adjoining province of Malwali they are still deeper ; the inhabitants being frequently under the necessity of digging to the depth of 300 feet before they obtain a sufficient supply of water.
The machine used to draw water from the wells to irri gate the fields is called a picotah, and is thus described by Sonnerat : " It is a swipe erected on the side of a well, or reservoir for the rain water, to draw up the water, and af terwards to conduct it at pleasure. This machine, equally simple and convenient, is constructed in the following r,..ar, ner : near the well a piece of wood is fixed, forked a, Lie top ; in fork another piece of wood is fixed to swipe, which is formed by a peg ; and steps cut at the bot tom, that the person who works the machine may easily get up and down. Commonly the lower part of the swipe is the trunk of a large tree. To the upper part is fixed a pole, at the end of which hangs a leathern bucket. A man gets up the steps to the top of the swipe, in supporting himself by a bamboo screen, erected by the side of the ma chine ; he plunges the bucket into the well, after which he descends, and by his weight draws up the bucket. Another man attends to pour into the basin, from whence the water flows into the furrow, and is distributed over ti:e whole field. Tne person who empties the bucket sings, to encourage himself, one, two, three, according to the nurn• her. he has emptied. When the water in the tank is on a level with the surface of the earth, they use a basket for watering, which is made impenetrable by cow-dung and clay ; and is suspended by four cords. Two men hold a cord in each hand, draw up the water, and empty it in ba lancing the basket." (ii. 132 ) Land under water-courses is more productive than land under tanks or %•eils, in the proportion, in land of the first quality, of 146 to 97 ; in land of the second quality, of 119 to 86; and in land of the third qualify, of 97 to 75.