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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 15, p. 236.

236 KHANDLS'H DISTRICT spices, metals, piece-goods, yarn, and sugar. The internal trade is carried on by means of weekly markets and a succession of fairs and religious feasts. At the beginning of British rule there were no made roads. The first to be constructed was the Bombay-Agra road, which runs via Malegaon, Dhitlia, and Shirpur through the District. Since then road- making has made considerable progress, and some of the passes through the hills have been opened to cart traffic. Besides the Bombay-Agra road, the chief roads are those from Dhttlia to Surat and from Dhttlia to Mhasawad. The total length of roads is 955 miles, of which 325 are metalled. Of these, 300 miles of metalled roads and 252 miles of unmetalled roads are maintained by the Public Works department. Avenues of trees are planted on about 950 miles. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway runs for 137 miles through the south of the District from Naydongri to Bhusawal, where it divides, one branch going to j ubbulpore and the other to Nagpur. Branches from Jalgaon to Amalner, 35 miles long, and from Chalisgaon to Dhitlia, 35 miles in length, were opened in 1goo. The Tapti Valley Railway from Surat to Amalner, running for io8 miles through the central portion of the District from east to west, was opened in March, 1goo, and has ten stations within its limits. The Tâpti and lesser streams are liable to sudden and disastrous rising of their waters. Six great floods caused more or less injury in Famine, &c. the District during the nineteenth century. In 1822 sixty-five villages were entirely destroyed by the Tapti, and fifty were partly washed away, causing a loss in money value of 2-'g lakhs. In 1872 the Girna and Panjhra rose 45 feet above the level of the river-bed, the latter sweeping away five hundred houses in the town of Dhùlia. A whole village on the opposite side of the river suddenly disappeared. One hundred and fifty-two villages were damaged, and property to the value of 16 lakhs destroyed. Over one thousand persons were on this occasion relieved by public and private charity. Besides the Durga-devi famine, which is said to have greatly reduced the population of Khandesh, the only scarcity mentioned before the beginning of the last century was in 1629. In that year, following the ravages of war, there was a total failure of rain which caused widespread distress. A severe famine was recorded in 1802-4, when the selling price of grain is reported to have risen to one seer per rupee. Great numbers died, and extensive tracts were left deserted and waste. This famine was due, not to any natural causes, but to the ravages of Holkar's army, which during two years (1802-3) spread desolation and famine throughout the District. Scarcities not amount- ing to famine occurred in 1824, 1833-6, 1845, 1876-7, and 1896-7.