ibpur, on the opposite bank of the Hugli, the
government school of art, high schools for boys, the Bethune College and
high schools for girls.

_Population._--The population of Calcutta in 1710 was estimated at 12,000,
from which figure it rose to about 117,000 in 1752. In the census of 1831
it was 187,000, in 1839 it had become 229,000 and in 1901, 949,144. Thus in
the century between 1801 and 1901 it increased sixfold, while during the
same period London only increased fivefold. Out of the total population of
town and suburbs in 1901, 615,000 were Hindus, 286,000 Mahommedans and
38,000 Christians.

_Climate and Health._--The climate of the city was originally very
unhealthy, but it has improved greatly of recent years with modern
sanitation and drainage. The climate is hot and damp, but has a pleasant
cold season from November to March. April, May and June are hot; and the
monsoon months from June to October are distinguished by damp heat and
malaria. The mean annual temperature is 79 deg. F., with a range from 85 deg. in
the hot season and 83 deg. in the rains to 72 deg. in the cool season, a mean
maximum of 102 deg. in May and a mean minimum of 48 deg. in January. Calcutta has
been comparatively fortunate in escaping the plague. The disease manifested
itself in a sporadic form in April 1898, but disappeared by September of
that year. Many of the Marwari traders fled the city, and some trouble was
experienced in shortage of labour in the factories and at the docks. The
plague returned in 1899 and caused a heavy mortality during the early
months of the following year; but the population was not demoralized, nor
was trade interfered with. A yet more serious outbreak occurred in the
early months of 1901, the number of deaths being 7884. For three following
years the totals were (1902-1903) 7284; (1903-1904) 8223; and (1904-1905)
4689; but these numbers compared very favourably with the condition of
Bombay at the same time.

_History._--The history of Calcutta practically dates from the 24th of
August 1690, when it was founded by Job Charnock (_q.v._) of the English
East India Company. In 1596 it had obtained a brief entry as a rent-paying
village in the survey of Bengal executed by command of the emperor Akbar.
But it was not till ninety years later that it emerged into history. In
1686 the English merchants at Hugli under Charnock's leadership, finding
themselves compelled to quit their factory in consequence of a rup