No. 34. — 1887.] PEARL FISHERIES OF CEYLON. 



35 



The manchddi as commonly used is not a brass weight, as the 

 kalanchu is, but a small red berry of that name. These manchddi 

 berries, when of the full size, have the property of being all very 

 nearly, or exactly, of the same weight, which of course fits them well 

 for the purpose. 



Stewart gives 7| grains as the English weight equivalent to that of 

 the manchddi. From a mean of several weighings, however, I find the 

 manchddi equal to 3£ grains, or more exactly 3 T %V; and therefore the 

 kalanchu is equal to 67 grains. 



There is also another kind of berry called kundumani used ; its 

 weight, when in its full size, is half that of the manchddi. 



Fractional parts of these weights are in frequent use by valuers. 

 They manage to obtain such by using grains of rice, or bits of grains, 

 whose weights are determined beforehand. 



IV. — Assigning the Money Value op the Pearls. 



The fourth and last step in the process is the affixing the money 

 value to each pearl, or set of pearls, in their respective " sizes " and 

 " classes." 



This is an arithmetical calculation of the simplest kind with regard 

 to the pearls of the inferior classes, — viz., the Kuruval class, the 

 Kalippu class, the Pisal class, the Kural class, the Tul class, the Mdsu- 

 tul class, and Oddumutta class, and often the Madanku class, — for 

 these pearls' weight being ascertained, each in its class as before 

 mentioned, in kalanchu and manchddi, their money value may be 

 then obtained immediately from the market price of such pearls at 

 the time, at so many star pagodas (Us. 3^ each) per kalanchu. 



Though scarcely necessary, an example will make this still 

 clearer. 



Example. — Suppose that in the second sieve (that "No. 30") there 

 are found (say) 17 Kalippu pearls, which weigh together 10 manchddi ; 

 and suppose we know the market price for sucli pearls at the time of 

 valuation to be 12 star pagodas per kalanchu (20 manchddi) : then 

 the value of those 17 Kalippu pearls will, of course, be 6 star pagodas, 

 or Rs. 21. Thus :— 



Manchddi. Star Pagodas. Manchadi. 



20 : 12 :: 10 



10 



20)120(6 star pagodas, or Rs. 21. 



D 2 



