68 RHANDÂRA DISTRICT
seeds are also exported, these being generally taken by cart from Pauni
to Nâgpur. Of the forest produce, teak and Leulii (Plerocaipus Har-
saoium), timber and bamboos, and mahud, myrabolams, hides, and wax
are generally exported; and various articles of local manufacture, as
brass-ware, silk-bordered cloths, and stone jars, are sent to neighbour-
ing Districts. In the last few years there have been considerable
exports of manganese. Cotton piece-goods are imported from the
Nâgpur and Bombay mills, and English cloth from both Bombay and
Calcutta. Yarn is obtained from the Nâgpur and Hinganghât mills.
Kerosene oil is brought from Bombay, and is now solely used for light-
ing. Sea-salt also comes from Bombay. Mauritius sugar is principally
used. Gur or unrefined sugar is both produced locally and imported
from Bombay and the United Provinces. A certain amount of jowdr
and the pulse arhar is brought into the District for consumption from
Berâr and Nâgpur. The principal trading stations are Gondiâ and
Turnsar, and after them Tirorâ and Amgaon. Tumsar is the centre
for the part of the District north-west of the Waingangâ, and for the
adjoining tracts of Seoni and Balâghat. South of the Waingangâ the
trade of the Tirorâ lahsil on both sides of the railway goes to Tirorâ,
Gondiâ,, or Amgaon according to their relative proximity.
The Bengal-Nâgpur Railway passes through the northern portion of
the District, `with a length of 78 miles and ten stations, including
Bhandâra, within its borders. The Sdtpurâ narrow-gauge extension
starts north from Gondiâ, junction, and has a, length of i i miles and
one station in the District. The most important roads are the great
eastern road running through the south of the District, and the roads
from Tumsar to Râmpaili and Katangi, from Gondiâ, to Bâlâghdt,
and from Tirorâ, to Khairlânji. The length of metalled roads is 136
miles, and of unmetalled roads 259 miles, all of which, except 21 miles
of the latter class maintained by the District, council, are in charge
of the Public Works department, the expenditure on upkeep being
Rs. 58,ooo. There are avenues of trees on 26 miles.
The years 1822, 1832, and 1869 are remembered as having been
marked by famine from failure of rainfall. After 1869, the year of the
Bundelkhand famine, the District prospered until the
Famine. cycle of bad seasons commencing in 1894. Two
years of poor crops were followed by a harvest of less than half the
normal in 1895-6, and of one-third of the normal in 1896-7. Severe
distress occurred in the latter year, the numbers on relief rising to
43,000 persons, or 6 per cent. of the population, in June, 1897, and the
total expenditure being 1o lakhs. Again in 1899-19oo both the rice
and wheat harvests were complete failures and famine ensued. About
140,000 persons, or nearly 1g per cent. of the population, were on
relief in July, 19oo, and the total expenditure was 26 lakhs. In both
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