grand total, 447,601; total of males of all denominations, 299,857; females, 147,744; average number ot persons per house, 11; number of persons per square mile, 55,950. The length of the roads in the town is about 120 miles. The present governing body was created in accordance with the provisions of Act 6 of 1863 (Bengal Council). It consists of the justices of the peace for Calcutta, with a salaried chairman, who is a member of the civil service. All the members are nominated by the Government, but a deputy chairman is chosen by the justices out of their own body. As the justices are not in any sense representative, the power and respon sibility are to a great extent centred in the chairman ; but of late years, by means of departmental committees, the co-operation of the ordinary members has been enlisted. Out of about 100 justices who are resident in Calcutta exactly one-half are Europeans. In 1874 the ordinary revenue of the municipality amounted to 240,656, of which 160,000 was raised by rates, and 37,000 by licences. The ordinary expenditure for the same year amounted to 233,374, of which 80,000 was devoted to interest on loans and sinking fund, 32,000 to general expenses, 30,000 to roads, two items of 22,000 to lighting and water supply, and 13,000 to conservancy. Including capital account, receipts, loans, suspense account, and cash balances, the total amount at the disposal of the justices during the year was 433,938. The aggregate expenditure under both revenue and capital account amounted to 382,823. The total loan liabili ties of the corporation are 1,466,060, and the total of interest and sinking fund payable yearly is 100,474. The average rate of municipal taxation per head of the population is about 10s. 8d. The most important undertaking under the care of the municipality is the water supply. The present system dates from 1865, when the sanction of Government was given to the construction of works which now pour upwards of 6 million gallons a day of filtered water into the city. The source of supply is from the Hugli at Palta, about 16 miles above Calcutta. The works there consist of two large suction pipes, 30 inches in diameter, through which the water is drawn from the river by three engines, each of 50 horse power no minal ; the water is then passed into six settling tanks, each 500 feet long by 250 feet wide. Here it is allowed to stand for 36 hours, when it is permitted to run off to the filters, eight in number, the area of each being 200 by 100 feet. After filtration the water is made to flow over a marble platform, where its purity can be observed. It is then conducted to Calcutta by a 42-inch iron main. These works cost 525,432. They were finished in 1870, and connected with pipes laid under 100 miles of streets. The total number of house connections up to December 31,1874, was 8159. The total quantity of water delivered during that year amounted to 2,524,566,300 gallons, being considerably over the estimated average of 6 million gallons daily, or about 13 gallons per head of the population. The total cost for the same year of the water-supply (inclusive of interest) was 55,547, or about 5d. per 1000 gallons.
The drainage works are on an equally effective scale. The main sewers are underground, and for the proper discharge of their con tents in the direction of the Salt Lake, a pumping station is main tained at an annual cost of 3000. The system of underground drainage, although not entirely completed, had cost in 1874 a capital sum of 620,000 In 1863, on the constitution of the present municipality, a health officer with an adequate establish ment was appointed The practice of throwing corpses into the river has been put down, and the burning ghats and burial-grounds have been placed under supervision. All refuse and night-soil are removed by the municipality, and conveyed by a special railway to the Salt Lake. The town is lighted by a private gas company, 2723 gas lamps and 730 oil lamps being paid for at the public expense. The fire brigade consists of 2 steam fire-engines, and 5 hand engines, its annual cost being about 2000. The police of Calcutta is imder the control of a commissioner, who is also the chairman of the justices Beneath him there is a deputy-commis sioner. The force consists of 4 superintendents, 155 subordinate officers of various grades, 1292 constables, and 6 mounted con stables, maintained in 1873 at a cost of 41,227, of which Government contributed one-fourth. Several minor bodies, such as the river police, Government guards, &c., bring the entire strength of the force in the town and on the river to 2313 men. The great majority are natives, the number of European sergeants and constables being only 50.
In 1872-73 the statistics of education in Calcutta were as follows : There were 3 Government colleges, namely, the Presidency College, founded in 1855, and attended by 709 pupils; the Sanskrit College, established in 1824, attended by 26 adult pupils, of whom 17 are Brahmans ; the Calcutta Madrasa or Mahometan College founded in 1781, number of pupils 528. There are also five colleges mainly supported by missionary efforts, aided by Government, and attended by 305 pupils The total number of schools in Calcutta reported on by the Educational Department is 260, with 19,445 scholars ; 157 of them are male schools, teaching 16,155 boys; the remaining 103 are for girls, and teach 3290 pupils. According to a different principle of classification, 36 schools teach English to 9445 boys, 121 teach the vernacular only to 6620 boys, 99 are vernacular schools for girls with 3244 pupils, and 4 are normal schools, instructing 90 male teachers and 46 female. Of the total number of pupils in these schools, 477 per cent, are ascertained to be Hindus, 13 5 Christians, 2 6 Musalmans, and the remaining 36 2 per cent, are of unascertained religions. The total ascertained expenditure was 25,011, of which sum the Government contributed 9160. The Government School of Art was attended in 1872-73 by 94 students, of whom 88 are Hindus, 4 Musalmans, and 2 Eurasians. Calcutta has also an important school of medicine, or medical college, with a large hospital attached and every facility for a thorough scientific training.
The medical charities of Calcutta comprise the Medical College Hospital, just named the General Hospital, the Native or Mayo Hospital, the Municipal Pauper Hospital, and minor dispensaries. Of these the General Hospital is confined almost solely to Europeans. The total amount contributed by Government to these institu tions is 30,000. The number of persons treated during the year 1872-73 was 251,039, of whom 20,805 were indoor patients. Of these 64 - 9 percent, were men, 16 3 women, and IS S children. The rate of mortality in cholera cases was 484 3 for every thousand treated.
Mortuary returns are collected in Calcutta by the police inspectors, and compared with the registers kept by paid clerks of the munici pality at the burning ghats and burial-grounds. In 1873 the total number of deaths thus ascertained was 11,557, or 25 - 82 per thousand. The death rate among the Christians was 31 5, among the Hindus 26 1, and among the Mahometans 24 7. Tim highest death rate was in January, November, and December, and the low est in June and July.
The mean temperature of Calcutta is about 79 Fahr. The high est temperature recorded during the last 18 years is 106 in the shade, and the lowest 52 7. The extreme range is therefore a little over 53 J , w r hile the mean temperatures of December and May, the coldest and hottest months, are 68 5 and 85 D respectively. The average rainfall during 3fi years has been 66 inches, the highest rainfall on record being 9b 31 inches in 1871, and the lowest 43 61 inches in 1837. By far the greater part of the rain falls between the months of June and October.
Like the rest of the seaboard of the Bay of Bengal, Calcutta is exposed to periodical cyclones, which do much mischief. The greatest pressure of the wind registered is 50 Hi to the square foot. In the storms of 1864 and 1867 the anemometer was blown away. A great loss of life and property was caused along the Hugli by the storm of October 5th 1864. In Calcutta and its suburbs 49 persons were killed, and 16 wounded, 102 brick houses were destroyed, and 563 severely damaged ; 40,698 tiled and straw huts were levelled with the ground. The destruction of shipping in the port of Calcutta appears greatly to have exceeded that on record in any previous storm. Out of 195 vessels only 23 remained uninjured, and 31, with an aggregate tonnage of 27,653 tons, were totally wrecked. On November 2, 1867, the force of the wind was not less violent, but there was no storm wave, and conseqiiently the amount of damage done was much less.
The Port of Calcutta, extending 10 miles along the Hugli, with an average width of working channel of 250 yards, and with moorings for 169 vessels, is under the management of a body of 9 European gentle men styled " Commissioners for making Improvements in the Port of Calcutta." This body was constituted in 1870, and has since that date received considerable additions to its powers. In 1871 they were appointed " Bridge Com missioners," to take charge of the floating bridge over the Hugli, and to work it when completed. This bridge, finished in 1874, now supplies a permanent connection between Calcutta and the railway terminus on the Howrah side of the river. It is constructed on pontoons, and affords a continuous roadway for foot passengers and vehicles. The traffic returns for 41 weeks in 1875 were 7593; the cost of the bridge has been 220,000. The main duty of the Port Commissioners has hitherto con sisted in providing accommodation, by jetties and ware houses, for the shipping and native boats, which carry on the great and increasing trade of Calcutta.
In the year 1873-74 the income of the commissioners from all sources was 114,709, and the expenditure 78,260. The total amount of capital expended up to that year was 580,339, including a debt of 400,123. The number of vessels arriving and departing in 1861-62 was 1793, with an aggregate tonnage of 1,337,632 tons ; in 1873-74, the number of vessels was 1927, ton nage 2, 437, 447. The number of steamers, and especially of steamers passing through the Suez Canal, is ereatly on the increase.
