Coast of Canara.] 



OltlENTAL COMMERCE. 



169 



the bar. The anchorage for large ships is abreast the fort and river, with 

 the flagstaff about E. by N., distance from the town 2 or 2i miles. The 

 castle is large and strongly fortified, and so situated as to command and 

 protect the town and entrance of the river. 



Trade. — The chief imports are cotton cloths from Surat, Cutch, and 

 Madras ; salt from Bombay and Goa ; raw silk from China and Bengal ; a 

 species of madder from Muscat; sugar from Bengal and China; and oil 

 and ghee from Surat and Cutch. Of exports, rice is the grand article ; it 

 is sent to Muscat, Bombay, Goa, and Malabar. Betel-nut is the next, 

 which is sent to Bombay, Surat, and Cutch. Pepper is the third great 

 article. They export also, sandal, cassia, and turmeric. There are many 

 respectable merchants, chiefly Persees, from Surat, Bombay, and to the 

 northward, who have settled here since the Company have acquired the 

 country. 



Cfcixs. — The following are the coins in common currency here, and 

 their value in rupees, viz. 



Ikeri or 5 warn y Pagoda 4 Rupees. I Madras or Star Pagoda 3} Rupees. 



Rahadry or Hyder's Pagoda ...4 Ditto. Porto Novo Ditto 3 Ditto. 



Sultany or Tippoo's Ditto 4 Ditto. Canter Raya or Ikeri Fanain... J Ditto. 



Kristna or Mysore Ditto 4 Ditto. Virraya Faiiam f Ditto. 



Of silver coins, the Surat and Madras rupees are considered of equal 

 value, and pass for 5 k, silver fanams, the same as are current in Malabar ; 

 in the bazar they exchange for 10 dudus or dubs, but in revenue are taken 

 for 14 dubs each. 



Of copper coins, the Bombay pice coined in England, and Tippoo^s 

 dubs, are current here; these with their fractions, j, ^, and {, are the 

 only small coius in use. Cowries are not in circulation. 



In payment for goods or debts, every person must receive these coins 

 at the above rate of exchange. The money changers give silver for gold at 

 the regulated price; but they take a small batta, or exchange, when they 

 give gold for silver. They also give copper for silver at the regulated 

 price, but demand 10J dubs for the silver fan am. 



Accounts are commonly kept in Sultany pagodas, rupees, and annas ; 

 others arc kept in pagodas, a nominal fauam or buna of 10 to a pagoda, 

 and annas or 16 parts of these fanams. 



Weights. — The seer, or sida, used for weighing, contains 4297 

 grains, which is rather more than 24 Bombay rupees. The seer is divided 

 into halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths. The number of seers in the 

 maund varies according to the goods to be disposed of 



