HYDERABAD SUBSIDIARY FORCE.

83

expected to be very much more so as the season advances. Means have been taken by
deepening all wells to improve the supply, and in some instances, with success. But until some
scheme is adopted to supply water from the Hoosain Saugor tank to the town of Secunderabad
in seasons of drought, a like scarcity will always exist.

Seasons.

   Seasons. —The hot weather was unusually prolonged beyond the middle of June; at the period
it was most oppressive and close. The rainfall this year has been below the average of the
past five years, having been little more than 15 inches, whereas the usual rainfall is from
22 to 24 inches. The cold weather sets in unusually early.

Health of
civil popula-
tion.

   Health of civil population. —The health of the native civil population was good, "barring
the occurrence of cholera in the bazaar, " which may be said to have existed there more or less
throughout the whole year. Fever was less prevalent, and there were only a few cases of
small-pox reported; in fact there was an immunity from all classes of disease during the past year.

Provisions.

   Provisions. —The prevailing dearness of food, more particularly so during the last few months
of the year, caused great inconvenience to all classes of natives, both civil and military, though
mitigated in part by the rice-compensation given to the sepoy, which amounted to an average
of 4 Government Rupees per mensem during the year.

   The subjoined table shows the average prices in 1876 of some of the principal food-
articles as contrasted with the rates in 1874 and 1875:—

Statistics of
sickness and
mortality as
contrasted
with those
of the two
previous
years.

   Statistics of sickness and mortality as contrasted with those of the two previous years. —
These statistics are compared with those of the Native troops occupying Secunderabad in
1874 and 1875.