Gazetteer Of The Rawalpindi District 1883-84

· 1883 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Rawalpindi District.]

2CHAP. 1.—THE DISTRICT. 9

3of country in the neighbourhood of Usman Khatar and Hassan Abdél

4are highly irrigated. Several flour milla alsé“exist along the largest

5of these cuts. The bed of the muin ‘stream is fenerally ‘tony, and

6the water is cool and limpid. It is joined by the Chiblat and

7Saggar which fertilize the small but picturesqué valleys of

8Hassan Abdaél and Burhén. At certain seasons the bed of

9the Harroh, east of Hassan Abdél, becomes perfectly dry, the

10entire body of water being drawn off for the, irrigation channels

11above alluded to, which fertilize nearly 1,600 acres of land

12in 2 villages.

13The only marshes in the district are to be found within a

14few miles of Réwalpindi, one near Khana Dék and the other near

15the village of Sohan. The former—commonly known to sports-

16mon as * tle Jhil ’—is 66 acres in extent; the latter is 20 acres,

17Their depth varies from two to five feet. There isa third small

18marsh near Gangal, eight acres in extont. Parts of these low

19lands are cultivated with rice.

20The climate of Rawalpindi is noted for its salubrity. The

21district is consoquently one of the best localities for European

22troops in the province. Owing to the proximity of high moun-

23tain ranges and its northerly latitude, the climate has some

24peculiarities, It is particularly noted for the high winds, which,

25during many months of the year, blow across its surfuce. That

26portion of the district north of the Chitta Pahdér, and the high

27plnteau west of the Murree range, are more under the influence of

28the hills, their breezes and showers, and consequently cooler than

29the southern and south-western part. As a general rule, the more

30distant the tract is from the hills the less rain falls. It appears

31that the Chitta mountain on one side, and the Bukréla range (a

32continuation of the Murree or trans-Jholam hills) on the other,

33operate as a harrier to the clouds. Whcther the heated atmosphere

34rising from these hills dispels them, or whether they are attracted

35by the hills, it is certain that there isa great difference between

36the southern and northern parts of the district.

37There are two periods in the year when rain is unusually

38copious—namely, one commencing in January and ending in March,

39sometimes extending to April in frequent and plentiful showers ;

40the other commencing in July, ordinarily the seventh of that month .

41preceded a fortnight or so earlier by a week’s fall, and continuin

42until the ond of August. There is almost always a eed

43fall of rain in September, but not the continuous rain that is

44characteristic of August and the latter half of July. The

45rainfall of the western parts of the Attock tehsil is usually

46scanty, while the Panjkatta and Hassan Abdal tracts often

47receive copious showers. Sometimes the rain clouds are unable

48to cross the Margalla hills and only a few drops fall to the

49north, while the country to the south right up to the foot of

50the hills is receiving heavy rain. South of the Chitta Pahar,

51and generally along the southern part of the district, rain is

52much less plentiful, generally scarce, and sometimes entirely

53fails ; tanks and wells ofton dry, and the crops, if sown, are

54trequently scorched.

55Chapter I, A.

56Descriptive.

57The Harroh,

58Marshes,

59Rainfall, tempera-

60ture, and climate,