Gazetteer Of The Montgomery District

· 1900 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1[ Punjab Gazetteer,

22 CHAP. I -THE DISTRICT.

3Chapter I, A, cent, of the total population, and 0'79 per cent, of the urban

4“ 7 “ population of British territory. The latitude, longitude, and

5Descriptive. Jigight in feet above the sea of the principal places in the dia-

6Generd descr.p-

7Town.

9N. Lati-

10tude.

11E. Longi-

12tude.

13Feet aboTB

14sea-level.

15J'loutgomery ...

1630° 40

1773° 10'

18500*

19Cugera

2030° 58'

2173° 21'

22400*

23Dipalpnr ,..

2430° 40

2573° 42

26510*

27Pakpattan ...

2804

29o

30O

31CO

3273° 25

33616

34* Apprciimate.

35The’ThigL Cfinral Almost in the middle of the district in the B^ri Doab a

36n ge, . jaja. j jdge of high land runs from north-east to south-west, the

37whole length of the di.sfrict. This ridge is often called the

38Dhaya, though the term is more properly applied to the slope

39to the top of the ridge from the lowlands at its foot, 'i'his

40elope is generally gradnal, and in place.®, especially on tlie

41northern or H4vi side of the ridge, almost imperceptible.

42The slope on the southern or Sutlej, side is more matked,

43aud towards the Lahore border it bicoiiies veri’ abrupt, si'-.i!

44is cut into deep chnsms by iho rnin-wutor runniug down into

45the valley beneath. The edge of the high bank here bears a

46remarkable rt!S('mblance to the riglit bank of tbe Heas as sien

47at Phillour. 1 he .avi rr.ge breadth of this ridge is about 10

48miles. The country slopes down from the top of it to the

49rivers, the slope to the Sntkj opposite Montgomery being about

5040 feet, aiid to the Ravi lialf that. The Sutlej runs at an

51average cistance of 25 n.ilep from the centre ridge, the Ravi

52nowhere at a greater distance than 16 niile.s ; while from

53,C hich.'iwntni to the M.^oitan district the ridge forms the left

54bank of the Ravi. It is generally supposed that at some period

55jn the long past, the Boas ran close under the ridge to tbe south,

56and the Ravi to the north. The latter stream, following the usual

57course of the Punjab rivers, edged away to the west, while

58the Beas altered its course and fell into the Sntlej. This centre

59plateau IS almost entirely uncultivated. The soil is generally

60infencr and saline j in places remarkably so. With a plentiful

61supply of water and good cultivation the greater portion of

62the l*ind could be brought to bear fair crops. When the rains

63favourable, grass grows abundantly. But even in

64the best seasons there are vast stretches of land where not a

65blade of grass is to be seen, and where even tbe liardv fdna,

66a salsolaceous plant, is unable to live. In other places the Idna

67ouiishcB ; while iu the better parte of this arid region the wan.