180 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Coast of Malabar. 



Anjengo, it is said to be good, but difficult to be shipped, on account of a 

 considerable surf which generally prevails on the coast, particularly to the S., 

 which renders it unsafe to attempt landing in a ship's boat. The charge for 

 filling water by country boats, is three rupees a butt. 



Coins. — Accounts are kept here in fanams, pice, and budgerooks. 



4 Budgerooks equal to 1 Pice. 



IS Pice, or 16 Vis * 1 Fanam. 



A silver rupee is worth (5 new, or Gallion fanams; and 7 old, or Tra- 

 vancore fanams. All these are real coins. 



In the Company's accounts, an Anjengo fanam is reckoned worth i of a 

 Calicut fanam, or f of a Surat rupee; which makes its intrinsic value 

 about 4^d. 



The mean rates of exchange at which other foreign coins pass current 

 here are as follow, in Anjengo new fanams:— 



19 J Funams equal to 1 Madras Pagoda. 



5 „ .„ . . .. l Current Rupee. 



13$ « „ 1 Ducatoon. 



70 H 1 Gold Rupee. 



23 „ ......... l Gubber, full weight. 



IS • « 1 Curwar Pagoda. 



1 » ► 14 Persian Shakee. 1 



20 „ l Negapatara Pagoita. 



17 « * 1 St. Thomas old Pagoda. 



i*j » m I St. Thomas new Pagoda. 



22 m 1 Venetian. 



Weights. — The maund is 2S lbs. avoirdupois ; and 20 maunds make 

 1 candy, equal to 560 lbs. avoirdupois ; or 7 Bengal factory maunds, 

 20 seers ; or 22 Madras maunds, 3 vis, 8 pollams ; or 20 Bombay maunds. 



Measure. — The covid is 18 inches, or half an English yard. 



CAPE COMORIN, the S. extremity of the Peninsula of Hindostan, 

 is in latitude 8" 5" N. and longitude 77° 44' E. Between Anjengo and this 

 Cape there are several villages on the coast, which are only frequented by 

 small coasting vessels. 



MALDIVES. — These are a great range or chain of numerous low 

 islands and rocks, nearly on a meridian from 7° 6" N. to 0* 40' S. latitude ; 

 the large islands are inhabited, and abound with coco-nuts ; but many of the 

 others are only sandbanks and barren rocks. The greatest breadth of the 

 range is said to be 20 to 24 leagues, and is formed of large groups or clusters, 

 called by the natives Attollons, thirteen in number, the principal of which is 

 denominated Male, or King's Island. The road seems unsafe for large ships, 

 the bottom being coral, and the auchorage very near the shore, which is lined 



