Part II. An account of the Money ofA$i a. 



the more he gains j for if he makes any payment, according to the quantity 

 of the mm. he puts the Pagods by fifty or a hundred together in little bags, 

 and feals them up with his Seal, and writes upon the bag the number of the 

 Pagods within ; and fo delivers them to him to whom he makes the pay- 

 ment. When the party makes ufe of them, he never opens the bag, but gives 

 them as they are, to him to whom they are due j who goes to the fame Ban- 

 ker that feal'd the bags. The Banker "feeing his Seal whole, makes am'wer, 

 that the Pieces are good, and in that manner they (hall pafs all the year 

 without opening the bags. But when ever they change the hand, they lend 

 for the fame Banker, who always will have fo much per Cent, for his vifit. 

 But as I have laid , the Merchant leaves them in his hand to get intereft ; 

 who then pays eight per Cent, for a year, and fometimes twelve. Thus the 

 Bankers have always the grcateft part of the Money in the Kingdom in their 

 hands, of which they make large profit. 'Tis the cuftom in that Country, 

 even' Month to pay the Soldiery ; but for the moft part, the Soldiers, Cap- 

 tains, ^nd other Officers will not ftay frill the Month be up, but come to the 

 Bankers, who difcount after the rate of eighteen or twenty per Cent, by the 

 year, befides that they pay them in thefe Pagods, againft which others would 

 often object. If there be any large Diamond to be fold in any Country, thefe 

 Bankers have intelligence of it prefently ; or if there be any fair Ruby, 'tis 

 not long before they have it in pawn ; for every year when the Merchants 

 Feturn from Pegu, and have any Rubies, moft Commonly they are in debt ; 

 and in regard it is the cuftom to pay within fifteen days after the Merchant 

 comes afhoar, he pawns his belt goods he has for payment, as well of the 

 freight of the Ship, as of what he. may have taken up at Pegu. After that 

 he fells the worft of his goods to pay the Banker, who lent him the Money 

 upon his arrival. Thofe that work in the Diamond Mines, or the Merchants 

 that hire the Mine, when they have any fair Stones, they fell them to thefe 

 Bankers, becaufe there is ready Money ; or elfe they pawn them to the Ban- 

 kers, till they can find a Chapman to buy them. 



Fig. i. The old Pagod. 



Fig. 2. The King of Golcondu's Pagod. 



Fig. 3, and 4. The King of Vifapovrs Pagod. 



Fig. y , and 6. The Raja of C.irnat tea's Pagod. 



Ftg. 7, and 8. The Raja of Vclouche's Pagod. 



Fig. 9, 10, 1 r, and 12. are the Half-Pagods of thofe Kings and Raja's. 



Fig. 13, 14, 15", 16, and 17. are little Pieces of Gold call'd Fanos, which are 

 of dirferent value. There are fome whereof fix go to a Crown $ others from 

 ten to fifteen j and fome are very bafe mettal. This is the Money that paffes 

 all along the Coaft of Coromandel 5 from Cape Comorin as far as Bengala. And 

 they have very little other than that, befides the Pecha of Copper, and the 

 Shells, which pafs for fmall Money. 



The Money which the Englifli and Hollanders Coin in the Indies. 



Figure 1, and 2. is the Money which the Englijb coin in their Fort St. George , 

 or elfe at Madrefpatan, upon the Coaft of Coromandel. They call them 

 Pagods, as thofe of the Kings and Rajas of the Country are call'd. They 

 are of the fame weight, the fame goodnefs, and pafs for the fame value. For- 

 merly the Englijh never coin'd any Silver or Copper Money j for in fome 

 parts that border upon the Indians, where they have Factories, as axSurat, 

 Majlipatan, or, at Bantam, they find it more profitable to carry Gold from 

 England, than Silver 9 Gold lying in lefs room, and not being fo trou- 

 blefbme 5 befides , that by carrying Gold they more eafily efcapc the 

 paying thofe Cuftoms which the Kings impofe upon Gold and Silver. But 



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