GA UHATI TO I1~N 185
by Parikshit, a Koch king who flourished at the end of the sixteenth
century, and was the ancestor of the present Bijni family. By the end
of the eighteenth century Gauhati had, however, fallen from its high
estate, and Buchanan Hamilton, writing in i8og, describes it as a `very
poor place.' From 1826, when Assam was ceded to the British, till
1874, when the Province was separated from Bengal, Gauhati was the
head-quarters of the Assam Division, and it is still the head-quarters of
the Commissioner and the Judge of the Assam Valley Districts, as well
as of the ordinary District staff. The most noteworthy event in its
recent history was the earthquake of 1897, which destroyed all the Gov
ernment offices and wrecked every masonry building in the place. The
town has since been rebuilt, and hardly any traces are now to be seen
of this great catastrophe. The situation of Gauhati is extremely pictur-
esque. To the south it is surrounded by a semicircle of thickly wooded
hills, while in front rolls the mighty Brahmaputra, which during the
rains is nearly a mile across. In the centre of the stream lies a rocky
island, the farther bank is fringed with graceful palms, and the view to
the north is again shut in by ranges of low hills. Such a site, though
beautiful, is far from healthy, and at one time the mortality in the town
was very high. Improvements in the drainage and water-supply have
done much to remedy this defect, but owing to its sheltered situation
and the comparatively low rainfall (67 inches) the climate in the
summer is rather oppressive. In addition to the ordinary public
buildings, there are a town hall, a hospital with 29 beds, and a jail with
accommodation for 352 prisoners. The convicts are chiefly employed
on gardening, oil-pressing, and weaving. Branches of the American
Baptist Mission and of the Roman Catholic Mission are located in
the town, while the numerous temples situated in Gauhati itself and
in its immediate vicinity render it an object of pilgrimage to Hindus
from all parts of India.
Gauhati was constituted a municipality, under (Bengal) Act V of 1876,
in 1878, and (Bengal) Act III of 1884 was subsequently introduced
in 1887. The municipal receipts and expenditure during the ten
years ending 1902-3 averaged Rs. 43,000. In 1903-4 the income was
Rs. 49,000, including taxes on houses and lands (Rs. 8,9oo), water rate
(Rs. io,ooo), revenue from markets and slaughterhouses (Rs. 5,400),
and a contribution from Provincial revenues (Rs. 1o,ooo). The expen-
diture was Rs. 51,000, the chief items being water-supply (Rs. ro,6oo),
conservancy (Rs. 16,8oo), and public works (Rs. 11,2oo). The water-
supply is pumped from the Brahmaputra, passed through filtering
beds, and distributed by standpipes all over the town. Since the
completion of these works in 1887, cholera, which used to be very
prevalent, has almost disappeared. The town is the principal centre of
trade in Lower Assam. The exports to Calcutta consist of mustard
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