124 
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
Tenures. 
Gaudas. 
CHAPTER Panchanga, Talliari , and other village officers, in lieu of the share 
which they were formerly wont to receive on a division of crops. 
May 20, &c. The rent of dry field is paid in money, according to , an old valua- 
tion 101 med on an estimate of its produce. With five ploughs, a 
man cultivates about 12- acres of watered land, and 25 acres of 
dry field. The Circar, or government, is bound to keep the canals 
and tanks in repair. 
The Ryuts, or farmers, have no property in the ground ; but it 
is not usual to turn any man away, so long as he pays the custo- 
mary rent. Even in the reign of Tippoo , such an act would have 
been looked upon as an astonishing grievance. The Gaudas are not 
here hereditary, but are appointed by the Amildar , with the con- 
sent of the farmers ; for the Amildar never attempts to put in any 
person contrary to the wishes of the people. These Gaudas receive 
* . 
a fixed pay of 20 Fanams , or 13 s. 5%d. a month, and perform the 
sacrifices, which in other places are usually offered by the here- 
ditary chiefs of villages. 
The account of these persons, concerning the quantity of ground 
that can be laboured by one plough, is probably under-rated. Ac- 
cording to an account of the ground that is now actually cultivated 
by the plough in the Pattana Ashta gram , which was procured 
from Purnea , and given me by Colonel Close, the watered lands 
amount to 1359 Candacas, or 8487-acres, and the dry field to 954 
Candacas, or 22,172 acres. This divided by 3078, which, according 
to public documents, is the number of ploughs in the same district, 
will give for a farm of five ploughs 13. -foV acres of watered land \ 
and 35 acres of dry field. 
The hire of farmers 5 labourers at Sermgapatam , and generally 
within two miles from the city, when employed throughout the 
year, is 10 Sultany Fanams , or 6s. 8 j-d. a month. The servant lives 
in his own house ; and it is customary for the master, on extra- 
ordinary occasions, such as marriages, to advance the servant 
money. This is not deducted from his wages by gradual instalments; 
Servants 
wages. 
