19a 



Weights and Measures [no. 4, new seuiei, 



It would not coincide (except as regards the single tola) with any 

 one of the Native Weights in India, and this with the attempt to 

 introduce at the same time a novel system of notation, would be 

 fatal. The mercantile community, and those who are desirous to 

 see the Indian and English Weights assimilate to some degree, 

 would of course not be satisfied with such a scale. 



Another proposition is to adopt the English Imperial Weights 

 at once. The great objection to this would be the difficulty 

 of introducing all over India, a Weight so new to the people as 

 a pound. It would represent neither a " seer," (pucka or cut- 

 cha) a "pollum," a " chittack," or a " viss," or any definite pro- 

 portions of them. Again, the question of multiples and sub-mul- 

 tiples is not settled yet in England, and till this is decided, it would 

 be unwise either to endeavour to enforce in India the present Eng- 

 lish notation, which will probably be altered ere long, or to antici- 

 pate a decimal arrangement, and introduce multiples which may 

 not eventually be adopted in Great Britain. 



There is however a Ponderary system, which I venture to 

 propose, as uniting the advantages of assimilation with the coin of 

 the country, — assimilation (within close limits) with the best known 

 of the existing Native Weights, — and assimilation with the Impe- 

 rial Weights of Great Britain. 



I would propose a " seer" of 77£ tolas, instead of 80. As 

 far as the facility for testing doubtful weights by the coin of the 

 country, this would answer as well as 80 tolas, for a quarter rupee 

 is just as much a coin of defined weight (45 grains,) as a whole 

 rupee, and where one can be obtained, the other can. 



This " seer" would differ 2| tolas weight from the one adopt- 

 ed for Government transactions in Calcutta, but practically the 

 *' seer" Weights in India, even though professing to be 80 tolas 

 weight, are seldom so much. The seer is generally said to be so 

 many rupees weight, and as the rupees of former days, on which 

 these seers were founded, averaged about 175 grains, (see para. 

 28) the original weight would be more nearly obtained by a " seer" 

 of 77| tolas. Besides, the 80 tola " seer" is not universal ; it has 



