William Wilson Hunter

“ It was found necessary, in the first place, to provide that the materials collected by each of the Local Governments should afford a common basis for the comparative statistics of the country, when eventually consolidated into the one final work for all India. In the second place, to devise measures for ensuring the compilation of the materials thus obtained within a reasonable time, and on a uniform plan. The District forms the administrative unit in India, and I took it as the unit of the Statistical Survey in the work of collecting the materials ”

“ In adjoining Districts which possess many features in common, this system involves frequent repetitions. But such repetitions are unavoidable, if a complete separate Account of each District is to be given. In every District I start with a description of its geography, general aspects, and physical features. I then proceed to the people, their occupations, ethnical divisions and creeds, with their material condition and distribution into town and country. ”

“ But as one approaches the coast, the level gradually declines to an elevation which throughout many hundred square miles is scarcely raised above high water-mark, and which at particular spots is below high water, being protected from the inroads of the sea by sandhills blown up by the south-west monsoon. ”

“ Agriculture follows, with special details regarding rice cultivation and other crops, the condition of the husbandmen, the size of their farms, their implements, land tenures, prices and wages, rates of rent, and the natural calamities to which the District is subject. ”

“ Again, with regard to Native States, considerations of public policy have rendered anything like rigid uniformity in my demands for information impracticable. ↑ Population of Europe in 1872, 301,600,000, according to the tables of E. Behm and Dr. H. Wagner of Gotha. Population of Russia in Europe (including Finland and former kingdom of Poland) , 71,207,786. Europe in 1872, less Russia, 230,392,214. British and Feudatory India in 1872, over 240 millions; now estimated at nearly 250 millions. ”