232 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[Madras. 



N. B. Two pagodas a month being exclusively a field pay, is understood 

 to be in lieu of batta and all other demands ; and bearers at the Presidency 

 are entitled to demand no higher pay than one pagoda and three-quarters 

 per month. 



Wages usually alloweo to Servants. — Cook, 5 pagodas, per month; 

 pantryman, 8 ditto ; 2 watermen, 4 ditto ; necessary-men, each 2 ditto ; 

 2 peons, 5 ditto each ; palanquin rent 4. 40 ditto ; ditto bearers as above. 

 Kit t iso I boy, 3 ditto ; conicoplys, each 5 ditto ; second dubash or servant, 

 10 ditto for the time. 



Two peons to watch any goods that may be left on the beach, each two 

 pagodas per month. 



Provisions and Refreshments. — Meat, poultry, fish, and fruit are in 

 abundance here, but not of so good quality as at Calcutta. The following 

 are the prices fixed in the bazar, but they vary according to circumstances. 



Beef, stall-fed, 4 fanams, 40 cash, per lb.— Ditto, 1st sort, 2f. 40c. ditto. 

 — Ditto, 2d ditto, If. 20c. ditto. — Veal sold by the joint, according to size and 

 quality.— Mutton and kid, ditto.— Pork, from If. 20c. to 2 f. 40 c. per lb. — Cock 

 turkics, 1 f. 33c. to 2 pagodas each. — Hen ditto, 1 to ] j ditto — Geese, I to I ] 

 ditto. — Capons, 15 to 20 fananis ditto.— Red fowls f 6 to S ditto. — Country 

 ditto for sea stock, 3 to 5 ditto. — Ducks, 8 to 9 ditto,— Wild geese, large, 

 10 to 12 ditto. — Pigeons, 4 to 0 ditto per pair. — Hares, 4 to 5 ditto each. — 

 Partridges, snipes, teal, wild ducks, sand larks, &c. in plenty, and at reason- 

 able prices.— Bread, 1st sort, 1 fanam per loaf. — Flour, ditto, 5 ditto per 

 measure. 



Of fruits the following kinds are to be procured in the bazar : — Custard 

 apples, guavas, limes, mangoes, oranges, pine-apples, pomegranates, plantains 

 of various sorts, and pumplenoses. 



The fish to be purchased in the bazar, are of the following kinds, and 

 most of them are excellent: — Pomfrets, black and white; soles, prawns, 

 cock up, whitings, oysters, mullet, seer fish, crabs, and a variety of other 

 fish, which are little known to Europeans, or used by them. 



The water here is very excellent; the watering place is about one mile 

 and a half from the Fort, and ships are supplied by country boats at the 

 rates before specified. Wood is rather scarce, and consequently dear. 



Coins. — According to the old monetary system, accounts were kept at 

 this Presidency in star pagodas, fanams, and cash. The pagoda weighed 

 52.56 grains troy, and was commonly valued at 8s, It was divided into 45 

 fanams, each fanam containing 80 cash. This was the proportion observed 

 by Government, the Bank, and Agency Houses ; but in the shops and bazar 



