REPORT ON THE CANTONMENT OF AHMEDNAGAR.

Inspected in September 1876.

       The Military Cantonment of Ahmednagar is situated in Latitude 19º 5' N.
and Longitude 74º 47' E., at an elevation of 1,900 feet above the sea, from which
it is distant in a straight line about 130 miles. It is 70 miles to the N.E. of
Poona, and 48 miles north of Dhond, the nearest station on the G. I. P. Railway.
It covers an area of 4⅓ square miles, and has been laid out on rising ground,
which forms, towards the east, part of the water-shed of the Bhingár Nullah.
This water-course, which is dry during the fair season, divides the Cantonment,
the lower part of which lies on ground sloping down to the left bank of the
River Sina, into which the Bhingár Nullah, during the rains, empties itself on
the south-west of the adjacent City. The country all round Ahmednagar is
open, but gradually rises towards the north to a range of low hills, the summit
of which forms the line of water-parting of the Rivers Krishna and Godávari,
while towards the east they approach within 5 miles of the Cantonment; and
above Sháhpur the hill is crowned with the tomb built by, and called after the
name of, Salabhát Khan, which forms the most conspicuous object for miles round.
But the whole horizon is shut out by hills, the most distant being about 20 miles
away on the south. The rock on which the Cantonment is situated, is, for the most
part, the black cotton soil of the district, though there are belts of hard moorum
found over the underlying trap. In the vicinity of the Bhingár Nullah the
surface is much cut up by numerous water-courses; but otherwise the ascent to-
wards the east is gradual and easy; and on looking down from the neighbouring
hills the Camp appears to be embosomed in a wood, babul trees having been
extensively planted; whilst in the Furiabagh and other gardens, tamarind and
other trees grow in great luxuriance. Adjacent to the Cantonment on the north-
east, and, in fact, coterminous with it, is the large village of Bhingár, which
formerly, from its filthy state, was the source of so much apprehension; but on
the west the Camp extends up to the walls of the City of Ahmednagar, which form
its boundary in this direction from near the Collector's bungalow, round to the
north-west as far as the Sárangpur Gate on the north, where it includes part of
Simpson Bazaar.

       2. The following statement gives details concerning the troops at the date
of my inspection, which will be found interesting:—

          B 632—a