KUMAUN, a district in the North-Western Provinces of India, lying between 28° 55' and 30° 50' N. lat., and 78° 52' and 80° 56' E. long. It consists of two distinct tracts—the sub-Himalayan ranges, and the bhdbhar or waterless forest, averaging from 10 to 15 miles in breadth, which stretches between the forests and the Tarâi. See Himalaya, vol. xi.∙p. 824. Of the entire area of the highlands, only 500 square miles are returned as cultivated and 100 square miles as cultivable. The southern or bhdbhar portion was up to 1850 an almost impenetrable forest, given upto wild animals; but since then the numerous clearings have attracted a large population from the hills, who cultivate the rich soil during the hot and cold seasons, returning to the hills in the rains. The rest of Kumâun is a maze of mountains, some of which are among the loftiest known. In fact, in a tract not more than 140 miles in length and 40 in breadth, there are over thirty peaks rising to elevations exceeding 18,000 feet (see vol. xi. p. 825). The rivers rise chiefly in the southern slope of the Tibetan watershed north of the loftiest peaks, amongst which they make their way down valleys of rapid declivity and extraordinary depth. The principal are the Kâli or Gogra, and the Pindar and Kâilganga, whose waters join the Alaknanda. The valuable timber of the yet uncleared forest tracts in Kumâun is now under official supervision. The chief trees are the chip or three-leaved Himalayan pine, the cypress, fir, alder, sal or iron-wood, and saindan. Limestone, sandstone, slate, gneiss, and granite constitute the principal geological formations of the district. Mines of iron, copper, gypsum, lead, asbestos, and coral exist; but they are not thoroughly worked....
The census of 1872 disclosed a population of 433,314, of whom 425,963 were returned as Hindus and 5569 as Mohammedans. The Kumâunis are a tolerably fair, good-looking race, active, cheerful, honest, and industrious. Polyandry is unknown, but polygamy is frequent. The 4606 villages of the district are scattered about the hillsides, the houses being built of stone laid in mud, and roofed with slates, or with planks or thatch. The only native town is Almora. There are large bazaars at the European stations of Naini Tai and Ranikhet. The area available for cultivation is small; but wherever possible the hill sides have been terraced. The soil except in some of the valleys is poor and stony, and requires much manure. On the better kinds of land rice, wheat, and tobacco are grown; on the others wheat, barley, mustard, vetches, flax, Indian corn, millets, pulses, sugar-cane, cotton, oil-seeds, &c. The staple food of the peasantry is mαηduα {Eleusine corocana). Potatoes are becoming common. Fruit is very plentiful, and the oranges are of excellent quality. The tea plantations form now an important and valuable feature in the district, but are almost entirely in the hands of European owners. In 1876-77 the gardens covered an area cf 2222 acres, yielding 261,060 ft of tea. The only other manufacture is the weaving of coarse woollen clothing. The imports from Tibet include beasts of burden, salt, coarse cloths, and Chinese silk. The exports to Tibet are grain, cotton goods, broadcloth, quilts, hardware, tobacco, sugar, spices, dyes, tea, and timber. To the plains of India Kumâun sends grain, clarified butter, tea, ginger, turmeric, red'pepper, drugs, spices, bark, honey, wax, a little iron and copper timber, and wild jungle produce. The roads in the hills are for the most part only bridle-paths, more or less well laid out, but all now well bridged. Except in the bhabhar and deep valleys, the climate is mild. The rainfall of the outer Himalayan range, which is first struck by the monsoon, is double that of the central hills, in the average proportion of 80 iuches to 40. No winter passes without snow on the higher ridges, and in some years it is universal throughout the mountain tract. Frosts, especially in the valleys, are often severe. Kumâun is occasionally visited by epidemic cholera. Leprosy is most prevalent in the east of the district. Goitre and cretinism afflict a small proportion of the inhabitants. The hill fevers at times exhibit the rapid and malignant features of plague. The rnahdmari pestilence, which was formerly confined to Garhwâl, has of late years extended its ravages to Kumâun.
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