1847.] 



in the Province of Malabar. 



165 



bazar at 15 Rupees for the M eight of 1 Rupee which is at the ratp 

 of 50 Rupees per ounce Troy, since that quantity weighs 3^ Rupees, 

 while its value as reported by the Mint Master is only 41 Rupees, 4 

 Annas. Now the original cost at the mines being 34 Rupees (for 9 

 touch) per ounce ; it follows that the profit to be obtained in a com- 

 mercial point of view is nearly fifty per cent., while the real value of the 

 metal at the Mint only gives a profit of about 23 per cent, on the prime 

 cost — thus showing the infallible advantages that must accrue to Go- 

 vernment from their monopolizing the sale of gold wherever it is 

 to be found, by purchasing it direct from the Miners, before it can 

 possibly get into other hands." 



This he appeared to consider a more favorable plan for raising a 

 revenue than that of working the mines at the expense of Govern- 

 ment, but it w^ould in that case be necessary " to prevent the gold 

 being smuggled or purchased by the Native Merchants who are al- 

 ways in attendance, for the produce of every day's work, and for 

 which they never pay the workmen in coin, but in articles of food, 

 raiment, &;c. &c. on which again they charge a very great per centage, 

 Fo that their profits must be enormous, and as they are in the habit 

 of using false weights, such as introducing lead into the grains of 

 paddy with w^hich the gold is weighed, and various other modes of 

 extortion, the gold bought by these Soucars does not probably cost 

 them more than half what I paid for it. The whole of the Miners 

 appeared to be entirely at the mercy of these Merchants, and were 

 obliged to give them over, every Rupee they received from me." 

 With regard to the working operations, he observes " It must be 

 nevertheless evident that a little machinery would greatly increase 

 the quantity to be procured. For instance, their present mode of 

 crushing ore, is by breaking one piece against another, until there is a 

 sufficient quantity of dust to fill a tray, which slow mode of working, 

 does not allow them to wash more than 3 or 4 trays full per man in the 

 course of the day, whereas with pumps and stamping mills, they might 

 probably wash ten times that number, and no fear can reasonably be 

 entertained of the mines failing or becoming exhausted, since the whole 

 country, for a circle of nearly fifty miles immediately under the 

 Ghauts contains gold. In addition to the profits I have above enu- 

 merated, there is also that of the tax which appears to have been hi- 

 therto raised by* the Zameendars of Districts, unknown to Govern- 

 ment. This tax varies from one paddy weight of gold per man, to 

 1 do. for 3 men according to the produce of the mine. At Capul it is 

 a paddy-corn weight per man daily." 



