166 NATIVE BILLS OF EXCHANGE. 



content themselves with adnnnistering a drub- 

 bing to their frail partners, and quietly fathering 

 the offspring that they find in the establisliment. 

 Small praise as the Hindoo merchants deserve for 

 the morality of their ways, I must admit that 

 they are trustworthy men of business, and I 

 believe that few instances can be cited of one of 

 their Hoondies (native bills of exchange) being 

 dishonom'ed, however distant might be the 

 locality on which it was drawn. The form of 

 these Hoondies is somewhat different from that 

 of an English Bill of Exchange : Ecce Sigmmij 

 according to that first of practical Orientalists, 

 Burton : — 



1:^ True as the Deity Sri. 



1. To the worthy of every respect, may yon 

 always be in good health, may you always 

 be happy — Mr Brother Jesu Mai. 



2. From Shikarpoor, written by Kisordas ; read 

 his compliments. 



3. And further, Sir, this one Hoondee of 1,000 

 rupees I have written on jom in numerals 

 and in letters, ruj^ees 1,000 ; and the lialf, 

 which is 500, of which the double is one 



thousand complete. Dated the of 



in the year of Vikramaditya, to be paid at 



