178 ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Coast of Malabar. 



Provisions and Rkfkeshmentb. — Plenty of good provisions may be 

 had, particularly nil kinds of poultry. It is usual for ships proceeding on 

 their voyage to and from Bombay and Surat, to touch at this place, to take 

 in a stock of fresh provisions, all of which are very reasonable when com- 

 pared with the prices paid at the settlements belonging to the English on this 

 side of India. Fowls are in general small. Bullocks are procured from 

 Chitwa, but are small. Good yams and other vegetables are to be procured, 

 with various kinds of fruit 



Coins. — Accounts are kept in rupees of 16 annas, which are considered 

 equal to the Surat rupees. Accounts are also kept in fanams, 20 of which 

 equal the rupee, and 4- fanams make a schilling. 



Most Indian and other coins pass here : the exchanges are generally as 

 follow : 







Fananu. 

 60 



Spanish Dollars in talc 



10 ... 



38 to 10 







7 l 2 t 7*, 76 



Surnt and Bombay Rupees... 





20 







S3 







64 







48i 



Spanish dollars are seldom weighed here, but are taken by the tale at 2 

 Surat rupees each. When these dollars are valued at 40 fanams, an English 

 crown is worth 40 When Surat rupees are 20 fanams each, pagodas 

 are 64. Gubbers are 1 per cent, less than sequins. 



Weights. — Gold and silver are weighed by the sicca weight (See Ren- 

 gal) : 1 sicca is equal to 31 fanams; 72 fanams make 8 pagodas, or 1 dollar 

 weight ; and 93 fanams are the weight of 10 sequins, or 3 sicca weight. 



The great weights are the maund, which is 27Ibs. 2ioz. avoirdupois; 

 20 of which make a candy, or 543{ lbs. The Cochin candy equals 7 Bengal 

 Factory maunds, 11 seers, 2£chittacks. 



ALIPEE is in lat 9 3 30 N. long. 7G* 3V E., near a river, which has a 

 communication with that of Quilon, and runs nearly parallel with the coast ; 

 the banks are woody, and the lands well cultivated. The town is of consi- 

 derable size, and very populous, having many good houses ; it belongs to the 

 Rajah of Travancore, whose flag is generally kept Hying. There is a kind 

 of tavern, but the accommodations are dirty and bad. 



TitAns — A number of merchants are settled here, some of whom act as 

 agents for the houses at Bombay. Afew drugs are to be procured, such as coculus 

 indicus, cardamums, zedoary, cassia, and coffee. Elephants' teeth are likewise 

 to be met with occasionally ; pepper, grain, and timber form the principal 

 articles of trade ; but the pepper is reserved for the Rajah to supply the Com- 



