1848.] 



The Neilgherry Mountains. 



71 



To this list, strange to say, is to be added wheat, which is 

 imported to some extent from Mysore, where it is cultivated on 

 the higher steppes of the table land. The bakers buy it because 

 it is cheaper than the Hill wheat, although not nearly so good, 

 and mixing it with the corn purchased from the Burghers, turn it 

 to profitable account. There is generally a difference of 3 to 4 seers 

 per rupee in the prices of the Mysore and of the Hill wheat, in fa- 

 vor of the former, in spite of the extra cost of transit to the can- 

 tonment market up the Seegoor ghaut, a circumstance which tends 

 to support the idea of the misappropriation and mismanagement of 

 this district through the ignorance and apathy of the Hill cultiva- 

 tors. 



^^^^^^^ The exported articles are coffee, silk, potatoes, 



^arley, hides, opium, wax, dammer or resin, 

 and wheat, which being bartered by the Burghers for low country 

 necessaries with the itinerant traders, thus becomes an article both 

 of import and export. 



No statement can be furnished of the quantities of the above men- 

 tioned goods which are imported or exported, since in consequence 

 of the transit duties having been abolished, they pass through no 

 ofiice in which their amount might be registered. 



Exchange Money is readily obtainable for bills on Bombay 



or Madras from the native merchants, who, having 

 disposed of their goods on the Hills, are anxious to remit the proceeds 

 for re-investment. Hence cash on such bills is generally obtained at 

 par, or at the utmost at 1 per cent, discount. No other exchange 

 operations are carried on in the settlement, all business with Eng- 

 land being transacted through agents at Madras or Bombay. 



^^jgj^^g The weights in use in the bazaars of the three 



settlements are : The maund of 25 lbs. avoirdupois. 



,, viss ,, 2 ,, 

 „ pound of 40 Rs. or tolas weight, 

 seer 2o „ 

 The Burghers sell all their produce by measure, excepting opium, 

 which they rate at so much per seer of 24 rupees weight, being one 

 rupee under the seer of the bazaars. 



j^^^^^^^^ The bazaar measures are the seer, J seer, and 



\ seer, in use all over the country. The Bur- 



