3. The Weighing Beam called Bisdé dangd in Orissa; with 
Short Notes on some Weights and Measures still 
current among the Rural Population of that Division. 
By B. L. Cuaupuort, D.Sc., F.R.S.E., F.L.S. 
[ Plate IX. ] 
(Published by permission of the Trustees of the Indian Museum.) 
In the Memoirs of the Society, Vol. I, Part I, 
section M ssesligined Ethnographica, Dr. N. Sie re described 
some Indian weighing beams, one of which he found i 
District of Madura in Madras in 1905, used as a sechvand with 
a pan and a sliding fulcrum but without any movable weight 
along the long arm, somewhat in the manner of the ‘‘ bismar’’ 
recently in use in the Faroe Island, Orkney and other isolated 
local name of this implement is Bisé, a name strangely simi- 
lar in sound to the Scandinavian Bismer or Bismar. Dr. 
Annandale requested me to find out all available information 
about this weighing beam, and the present paper embodies all 
that I could gather in my last short visit to those parts. 
During my last visit to Rambha (in the District 2 
Ganjam in Madras) and Barkul (in Puri) on the Lake Chilka, I 
found this kind of weighing beam in extensive use among the 
fish-sellers, vegetable-vendors and sellers of turmeric (Haldi, i.e. 
Curcuma a longa) etc. The unit of weight is termed Bisa and the 
wooden beam is known among the people of the locality as 
Bisa bari (Bari= wood) or Bisa dangd (dangé=stick). It hasa 
cane or a split bamboo pan called paralhi. The unit weight 
_ ealled Bisdé probably varies in different parts of Orissa, but 
so far as I could ascertain the current Bisd weight in Ganjam 
(including Russelkonda) and in Puri (at least in Barkul and 
Fic 204i} corresponds to 180 folds of standard Indian weight. 
One tola = 180 grains troy in English weights. 
The weight by Bisé ddngi and measure by Addhd 
ied penebatly prepared by i pieces of bamboo which 
will be noticed afterwards) comprise the whole system of 
weights sindeyptond and extensively employed by the ee 
who do not appreciate nor understand any other kind of 
measurement. I therefore think that some information about 
uninteresting to the members of the Society—more so as 
