56 Facts in regard to an exempted village in Tinnevelly. 77. In connexion with the epidemic invasion of the Tinnevelly District, I think it right to record here some facts elicited by Rev. J. F. Kearns, a Missionary residing at Puthiamputtur. This gentleman, in January 1869, addressed a letter to Govern- ment, giving his views on the causes which appeared to him to have diminished the liability of the inhabitants of the village in which he resided to suffer from epidemic cholera. The letter is appended. From the Reverend J. F. KEARNS, Missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, to the Chief Secretary to Government, Fort Saint George; dated Puthiamputtur, 7th January 1869. I happened to see lately a copy of the Proceedings of the Madras Government, Public Depart- ment, 3rd November 1868, in which the village in which I reside (Puthiamputtur) is returned as " exempt" from cholera, " cause unknown." I venture to make a few observations with reference to the foregoing, which may, perhaps, be not unacceptable to Government. 2. When I took up my residence here in 1856 as a Missionary, there were few villages in this talook which suffered more from cholera and fever than Puthiamputtur. The village presented an appearance of desolation and wretchedness, such as I had never seen in the south of Tinnevelly, where I had previously been. There was scarce a tree to be seen, and in the large Mission com- pound, on the western side of the village, there was but a solitary tree standing. The village con- tains several wells, all with excellent water; but at the time of my arrival, the two principal wells were surrounded each by an extensive pool of stagnant water formed by the- waste from drawing, and continually percolating through the earth into the well. From these pools, there extended right through the principal street a long filthy channel containing any excess that escaped from the pools, and the effluvia arising from them was so great, that, riding by them at early morn, I have been obliged to put my handkerchief to my mouth. The yards of the Natives' houses were all in a most disgusting state, and I was not astonished that the number of people who that year succumbed to the attacks of cholera was fearfully large. I placed myself in communication with the Collector, and explained my views and wishes to him, and he most cordially agreed with me, and sent orders to the Tahsildar to assist me, as far as possible, in my endeavours to improve the place. Accord- ingly with this aid I had every well walled up, the two filthy channels cleaned, one deepened and extended, so as to carry the water beyond the village, and the other diverted into a field, the owner of which at first stoutly resisted us, but he has since discovered, as I told him at the time he would, that the channel has been a source of wealth to him. The pools were filled up altogether, raising the earth round the wells sufficiently high to throw the water off; and we had removed from the yards every particle of manure which they contained, and the practice since has been to remove all manure from the yards a clear month before the monsoon sets in. I next commenced to plant trees; and a village, which was once remarkable for the absence of trees, is now as remarkable for the rich luxuriant trees which surround it, and the benefits of which the people acknowledge and appreciate. There are at present standing in the streets, on the road surrounding the village, and in the Mission compound, altogether 700 trees, all of them valuable, the greater number being mar- gosa, and all planted by myself. I make it a practice to have the streets thoroughly cleaned at stated periods, but I never permit filth to remain for an instant in the public streets. In addition to all this, I have endeavoured to impress upon the minds of the people the great value of sanitary precautions, and I am happy to say that I have been successful to some extent. Perhaps to these improvements, under a merciful Providence, the immunity referred to in the Proceedings of Govern- ment is due; and here I would record the ready help which I have always received from the Collec- tor for the time being, to keep the village in a clean and healthy state; I would also mention the hearty co-operation of our intelligent Village Moonsiff. 3. The value of trees in a village, and how their presence ministers to the health of the inhabit- ants, are well known; but in north Tinnevelly, where they are far more needed than in the south, owing to the extensive tracts of black cotton soil from which the heat radiates with great intensity, very few streets enjoy the grateful shade which may be experienced in almost every village in the south; and this is entirely due to the fact, that the Zemindars claim every tree upon their estates, no matter by whom planted, and no matter where; and this deters the people from planting their