BILASPUR TAHSIL AND TOWN. i88i was ;^203, of which
^78
was derived from taxation,
453 at
an average
rate of 2^d. per head.
Medical Aspects.
— From the middle
hot winds prevail, and the heat
is
of April to the middle of June
frequently excessive, though tempered
by occasional showers. After the first heavy fall of rain, the climate becomes cool and agreeable, and few days pass without a pleasant breeze. In the plain, however, the cold weather from November to February fails to prove bracing. Average temperature in the shade at the civil station May, highest reading ti3° F., lowest 84°; July, highest reading 101°, lowest 74°; December, highest reading 89°, lowest 56°. From 1862 to 1881 the mean yearly rainfall was 47 '26 inches, but in the latter year the fall was 65’32 inches, or i8’o6 above the yearly average. In the opinion of Mr. Chisholm to whose Settlement Report this article- is greatly indebted the climate of Bilaspur has a vorse name than it deserves, owing to the attacks of
—
—
—
cholera w’hich formerly broke out during the hot weather along the pilgrim route to Jagannath,
and thence spread over the country.
t868, the passage of pilgrims was prohibited,
In
with the best results.
fatal disease in
the District, and about
the end of the cold weather small-pox prevails.
In r88a, the recorded
Fever proves by death-rate from
mean
for
far the
all
most
causes was 26'i9 per 1000 of the population, the
the previous five years being 34'8o.
In that year three
charitable dispensaries afforded relief to 20,488 in-door patients.
and out-door
[For further information regarding Bilaspur see the
Settle-
by J. W. Chisholm, Esq. (1868); the Central Provinces Gazetteer, by Charles Grant, Esq., C.S., C.S.I. (Nagpur, 1870); the Census Report of the Ce7itral Provinces for 1881 and the Administration Reports of those Provinces from 1880 to 1883.] ment Report of the
District,
Bilaspur.
— Revenue
Sub-division or tahsil of Bilaspur District,
between 21° 38' and 22° 25' n. lat, and population (1881) 4r8,62o, between 8r° 46' and 82° 31' e. long. namely, males 209,108, and females 209,512; distributed among 1724 villages or towmships, and r2o,78p inhabited houses; area, 4770 square Central
Provinces,
lying
miles
- ^8 o 73
average density of population, 88 per square mile land revenue, total revenue, ^^8766; total rental paid by cultivators,
_;^r8,594, or
is.
per cultivated acre.
The
Sub-division contained, in
1883, 4 civil and 4 criminal courts, including the head-quarters courts of the District, with 3 police stations {thdnds) and 7 outpost stations strength of regular police, 74
Bilaspur.
men
village
watchmen
{chauktddrs), 749.
— Chief town and administrative head-quarters
of Bilaspur
Central Provinces ; on the south bank of the river Arpd. 22° 5' N., long. 82° 12' E. ; population (1881) 7775, namely,
District,
Lat.
Hindus,
6281 ; Kabirpanthi's, 242 ; Satnamis, 1030; Christians, 22; aboriginal tribes, 141.
Muhammadans, Founded about 300
59
