OCT.— DEC. 1856.] Notes on Indian Currencies. 21 
will subside to the bottom of the evaporating vessel; it can be re- 
moved by means of a colander, drained, subsequently washed and 
dried; the solution will then contain carbonate of soda chiefly; 
by further concentration it will crystallize. A second solution of 
the carbonate in a limited quantity of water, and evaporation, will 
give crystals in a pretty pure state. 
If it be considered worth while to purify salt No. 5, it must be 
chiefly for the purpose of extracting the, common salt it contains, 
for which a ready market exists in this country ; in doing so, how- 
ever, the price of the article so obtained should be weighed against 
the selling value of this article obtained by solar evaporation from 
sea water or brine spriifgs. 
II. Notes on Indian Currencies, By J. "W. Breeks, of the 
Madras Civil Service, 
Of all countries, Egypt perhaps excepted, the history of none 
retrogrades so far into the mist of fable and tradition as the Mytho- 
logical Stories of Hindostan. The four great ages or Yugs of the 
Satya, the Treta, the Dwapa and the Cali descriptively distinguish- 
ed as the Golden, the Silver, the Copper and the Earthen, intro- 
duce us to a most extravagant antiquity and represent every occur- 
rence in a drapery of marvel and allegory under a regime of Solar 
and Lunar Kings. 
Out of such fabulous materials to hazard an opinion as to whe- 
ther the use of a currency"^ was understood in those times, would 
be folly. Even in Menu's Code written in all probability 10 or 
11 centuries B. C, the existence of a recognised Currency is al- 
luded to in as familiar a manner, as a modern author might tell of 
a pound weight, or a yard measure at the present day. 
In one part of the venerable volume, we find the interest of 
money judiciously regulated at x for the Twice-Born, and 2 x for 
* "When the term "money" or " currency" occurs, it is not restricted to Coin 
Stamped by Public Authority, but includes also metal and other substaucts used 
as a medium of trade. 
