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An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 



[ApRrL 



buying and selling measure. For instance, when they go to the Kolies" 

 houses to purchase grain, they carry a measure with them which is 

 considerably larger than the Kolies' measure, which is the regulation 

 size. The Bunniahs will listen to no remonstrance on the part of the 

 Koly. The difference between the buying and selling measures varies, 

 from two to four seers in the value of one rupee's worth of grain. 



The following is the mode the Bunniahs in general pursue in charg- 

 ing interest on any sums of money they lend to the Kolies, Thakoors, 

 Kannaras, &c. They charge a bonus or premium of twelve or fifteen 

 per cent, on every sum advanced by them — so they enquire of the bor- 

 rower if he has brought money to pay the munoty (bonus), or if he is 

 to include it in the receipt or promissory note. The Bunniah then will 

 give the Koly eight and a half Bellapoory* rupees (these rupees vary 

 from eight to eleven per cent, inferior to the Poona Ankooshy rupee) and 

 takes his receipt for ten rupees, a rupee and a half being included as 

 the bonus, and the poor man loses equal to a half rupee owing to the infe- 

 riority of the Bellapoory rupees. The Bunniah, having an eye to work, 

 stipulates for having the money repaid to him probably in four months, 

 and that he will receive the interest in khoorachnyf seed, at the rate of 

 onepaillie (four seers) for each rupee of the debt every month. At the 

 expiration of the fixed time, if there is a demand in the market for 

 khoorachny, the Bunniah will send for the Koly to settle his account^ 

 otherwise he is not reminded of his debt. At the end of five or six 

 months the Bunniah calls on him to pay up hds debt (the truth is, the 

 grain has risen in price) ; the account is drawn out, the ihterest of ten 

 rupees a month is ten paillies of khoorachny in five months ; this 

 amounts to fifty paillies. This grain is selling at the time (Akhar and 

 Shrawun) it is dear, and only procurable in the Bunniah's shops for 

 about six paillies for the rupee ; therefore the interest is 8§ rupees the 

 price of the fifty paillies, and as the Koly has no grain in hand he is un- 

 der the necessity of having the interest added to the capital of ten rupees, 

 w hich raises the debt to ISi rupees. Should he not have money to clear 

 off this amount, he is not allowed to return to his home until he has 

 satisfied his creditor. To effect this a fresh promissory note is drawn 

 out for the amount, including three rupees as a bonus on the new loan,, 

 which raises the debt to twenty-one rupees. The Bunniah now informs 

 the Koly that he will receive the money payable in ghee in the course of 



* Many of the Bellapoory rupees in circulation in the small villages in the hills are of a 

 very inferior description, either much clipped or containing much alloy. A Koly PatelJ 

 who came to Ahmudnuggur some months ago on business obtained a few rupees from his 

 #unniah for his road expenses ; for four of these he brought on to this place, he could 

 only get twelve annas each ; in fact, only three rupees, a loss of 23 per cent, to the poqi 

 plan. 



t A grain of which they make oil, 



