The Hat'h of 18 inches, and the Hat'h, or Vent'h are also used.

=

20 Punds

1 Beega of 3927 Sq. yards .8114 acre.

But the Kutty varies in every district.

=

In the Revenue Field Survey, the acre is used, subdivided into 40 Goontas, and each Goonta into Annas, or 16ths.

INDIAN WEIGHTS.

By Act VII of 1833, the Tola or Rupee weight of 180 grains was established as the unit of weight in all Government transactions in Bengal; but the Madras and Bombay Presidencies have not adopted the multiples thereof; and as far as the native population is concerned, almost every district has its own weights, founded on no reliable data at all. In Bengal, the Government and Mercantile Houses have adopted the following:

=

Hence 350 Tolas 9 lbs. avoir., 35 Seers Maunds 576 lbs. avoir., and 49 Maunds, tons.

72 lbs. avoir., 7 36 cwts., or 1.8

The old "Factory Maunds" adopted by the Bengal Government in A.D. 1787, was exactly cwt., or 743 lbs. avoir. The old "Bazaar Maund" (subdivided into 40 Seers) weighed 724 lbs. avoir.

In the Interior, the Seer varies from 60 to 84 Tolas weight. The Jewellers subdivide the Tola into 12 Mâshas, of 15 grains each; and the Mâsha into 8 Ruttees.

In Madras, the Government in the "Gazette" of 20th Oct. 1846, adopted the following, for all Government transactions.

But by Commercial usage, the Viss is always considered 3 lbs. avoir.; the Maund 25 lbs.; and the Candy 500 lbs.

In the Interior, the Cutcha Seer of 24 Tolas (or Rupees) weight is common, as also the Pucka Seer of 80 Rupees weight; though in some places it is 72 and in others 84 Rupees weight. On the Western Coast the Maund is 35 lbs. The Bengal Maund of 822 lbs. (see ante) is known as the "Indian Maund," and is in general use in the Custom Houses and Shipping trade. The "Garce" is used in the Grain trade. It is supposed to be 9256 lbs.; but though it may have been so 70 years ago, it has for many years been a mere Custom House term applied to 92 Indian Maunds of Paddy (unhusked rice), or to 123 Indian Maunds of Rice. Grain, however, is sold wholesale at the Ports at so much a bag of 2 Indian Maunds. Sugar and Oil Seeds are generally shipped in bags of 2 Indian Maunds each, reckoned 13 bags the ton. Cotton in bales of 300 lbs. Saltpetre in bags of 1 cwt. Indigo in chests of 10 or 11 cubic feet.

The Jewellers' weights are the Munjâdi of about 5 grains; and the Pagoda weight of 54 grains, or Pollum.

BOMBAY WEIGHTS.

72 Tanks, or 30 Pice = 1 Seer of 27 Tolas, or 7 lbs. av. 40 Seers 1 Maund of 28 lbs. avoir.

20 Maunds = 1 Candy of 530 lbs. avoir.

These have been introduced to make the Maund = { cwt., bnt in the Interior they vary greatly. The Surat Mand is 32 lbs. avoir. The Candy for Cotton is 28 Maunds, or 7 cwt. The Pucka Seer of 72.6 Tolas 1.867 lbs. avoir., and is used in some places.

=

INDIAN MEASURES OF CAPACITY.

There are not in the Native system any Measures of Capacity, properly so called, yet still, among the mass of the people, the so-called "Measures" are of more importance than the Weights, inasmuch as the population live chiefly on rice and other grain. The Liquid Measures for Milk, Oil, and Ghee, (clarified butter,) follow no kind of standard of measurement. The Grain Measures are supposed to contain, when slightly heaped, (for struck measure is an abomination to native

eyes,) a certain weight of grain; but as the Weights differ in every locality, so do the Measures. Even Measures bearing the same name, by no means indicate the same quantity in every district. Government have never yet in Bengal defined any Measures of Capacity.

Eight slightly heaped Pallis were supposed to contain a quantity of Rice, equal in weight to 1 old "Bazaar Maund " of 72 lbs. Avoir, or 1 Palli 9.041 lbs. Avoir. It had a capacity of about 2800 Cubic Inches, when struck.

The "Seer" of Grain is supposed to be 16 of the above Chittâks, or a struck capacity of about 57 Cubic Inches; but in practice, the Seer is a vessel containing, when slightly heaped, 80 Rupees' weight, (or a Seer weight) of Rice. Its struck capacity is about 68 Cubic Inches. For Liquid Measure, the smallest vessel is a Chittâk, supposed to hold 5 Rupees' weight of Oil, and 16 Chittâks = 1 Seer.

MADRAS.

In the Gazette of October 20th, 1846, the Government defined the "Puddee," or Measure, to be used in all Government transactions, at 100 Cubic Inches; the Olluck, or Measure, and the Mercâl of 8 Measures; but this has never been attended to, either in Government or any other transactions. In the Shipping Trade grain is sold in bags of 2 Bengal Maunds, 164 lbs. Avoir. In the Bazaar of the town of Madras, the "Puddee" or Measure, has a capacity of 104 Cubic Inches, and contains, when heaped in the usual way, about 128 Rupees' weight, or 3.3 lbs. of Rice. The "Mercâl," has a capacity of 832 Cubic Inches, but when heaped in the usual way, is equal to 8 heaped Measures.

This "Madras Measure" is in use in some of the large Towns and Cantoonments, but every locality has its own denomination of Measure, and almost all different. Perhaps the most common is the Seer-measure, supposed to contain, when heaped, a Pucka Seer, or 80 Rupees' weight, or 2 lbs. of Rice. For Lime, the "Parrah" of from 3800 to 4000 Cubic Inches is used. Salt is measured in Mercâls, 424 of which are considered a "Garce," which is supposed to weigh 120 Bengal or Indian Maunds, or 4:41 Tons. Oil is sold per "Viss " of 16 Chitties; the Viss is about 2 ordinary wine bottles.

The Seer is a vessel, which, when heaped, contains about 7 lbs. of Rice, which makes the Candy about 780 lbs. av. Paddy, or Rice in the husk, is sold at 25 Parahs

about 2450 lbs.

=

1 Mooda of

Salt is sold by the Parah of 10 Adholees. The Parah contains about 1608 Cnbic Inches. 100 Parahs

16 Annas =

or 414 Tons.

= 1 Anna, and

1 Rass, estimated at 1120 Bengal Maunds' weight,

For Liquids. 1 Seer

=

50 Seers

=

60 Rs. weight, or 1.54 lbs.

1 Maund, of 77 lbs.

APPENDIX II.

Memorandum forwarded by H. B. M., Consul-General for Borneo, with regard to Dr. Browne's tabulated series of questions on the Currency, Weights and Measures of Borneo, &c.

A.-MONEY.

On the N.W. coast of Borneo, goods and produce are exchanged for each other, the reckoning being made in so many Piculs of brass guns, a Picul being worth about $35.

This is not altogether an imaginary mode of keeping accounts, for the guns are actually cast in quantities at Brunei, and weigh from 2 to 8 guns to the Picul. At Brunei fines are levied in Piculs of guns. Dollars and Cents are also a medium of exchange.

In the south of Borneo, under Dutch rule, the Real and Guilder are used in reckonings, the Real being an imaginary coin worth 2 Guilders.

In Lootoo and the territories in Borneo belonging to that country the currency consists of Doubloons, Dollars, and Pitis, 5,000 of which are equal in value to a dollar. These small zinc coins are made in China and Manilla for the Lootoo market, and are similar to the copper cash used in China, but are much smaller and thinner. In the extreme north of Borneo money is almost unknown, and accounts are kept in pieces of cloth, each piece equal to $1.50. In the mountains of the same district reckonings are made in bundles of iron for large accounts, each bundle, so far as I could learn, being in weight about 8lbs. For small accounts they reckon in charges of gunpowder.

The mountaineers (Legai) in the N.E. of Borneo reckon in cakes of salt for small accounts and pieces of cloth, each representing $3, for large accounts.

In the western part of New Guinea accounts are calculated in pieces of black cloth, each valued at 10 Guilders.