that place and the North-east line of the Madras Railway. It is connected by canal with both Rajahmundry and Cocanada. Its population was 16,015 in 1901. It contains a police-station, a small market, a travellers' bungalow and a fine private choultry near the railway-station. Its educational institutions comprise the Canadian Baptist Mission seminary,1[1] vernacular lower secondary school for girls and a Sanskrit school. The town is a union, and comprises the villages of Bhímavaram and Jaggammagáripéta.
Samalkot is included in the Pithápuram estate, was the original residence of the family of sirdars who founded that property, was apparently the first capital of the zamindari, was deserted in favour of Pithápuram for a time, but became the capital once more in the eighteenth century. Its fort was the scene of some exciting by-play in the great drama enacted by the English, French and Muhammadans in 1759, and seems to have more than once changed hands. Further particulars will be found in the account of Pithápuram below. In the latter half of the eighteenth century the place was made a sanitarium for the British troops in the district. Barracks were built in 1/86, and it was at that time ' the principal garrison of the English in the Circarof Rajahmundry.'2[2] The fort was demolished in 1838 and the place was abandoned as a military station in 1868. Owing however to the Rampa disturbances of 1879, two companies under a British officer were afterwards stationed there, and they were only withdrawn in 1893. Samalkot is now of some commercial importance owing to the establishment within it, in 1899, of the large sugar-refinery and distillery which is described in Chapter VI. A large number of Dévángas in the town weave plain cotton cloths, and a few make cotton cloths with lace borders. A little chintz-stamping and dyeing, and manufacture of kas-kas tattis also goes on. A Government experimental agricultural farm 3[3] was started in the place in 1902 and has recently been made into a permanent institution.
Sarpavaram (snake town) lies 4¼ miles north of Cocanada and contains 1,681 inhabitants. It is locally famous for its sanctity. The temple is known by the name of Nárada Kshétram after the rishi Nárada, who is supposed to have
