A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
I 
CHAPTER g$ lb.), and 1 1 Cuclia Seers measure of water (a little more than 3 ale 
quarts). This produces three Maimds (about 7~o ale gallons of oil. 
June 22, &c. Tlie natives eat the cake dressed in various ways. 
smol] 01 BaS ~ jT ^ e ^P a y °^> made from the fruit of the Bassia longifolia , is used for 
the lamps burned before the gods, being esteemed of a better quality 
than that of the Ricinus . The mill takes 70 Seers measure, and the 
seed requires to be moistened with 1 2 Cucha Seers (3f ale quarts) of 
tamarind water, in which 2 Seers of tamarinds have been infused. The 
produce is 70 Seers (4-jV^o ale gallons) of oil. The cake is used as 
soap to wash oil out of the hair of those who anoint themselves. 
Eoingay oil. The Hoingay oil, produced from the seed of the Robinia mitis, is 
used for the lamp ; but it consumes very quickly. It is also used 
externally in many diseases. Take 70 Seers, Pucca measure, of the 
seed freed from the pods, add 4 Cucha Seers measure of water (l T Vo 
ale quart), and beat them in a mortar into a paste. Then tread 
the paste with the feet ; and, having kept’it for two or three days, 
dry it in the sun. It is then put into the mill with one Cucha Seer 
(19 T V cubical inches) of water. It produces 40 Seers (2-f- ale gallons) 
of oil. For fewel, the cake is mixed with cow-duns:. 
The English weight, to which all the native weights are reduced, 
is the pound avoirdupois. 
Calendar. The only year in use above the Ghats is the Chandra-manam, or 
lunar year; it is that by which, among the Brahmans, all religious 
ceremonies are performed. The current year, as extracted from 
the almanack here,- is as follows. At Bangalore this is reckoned to 
be the year 4893 of the Kali yugam, and 1722d of the era of Sdlivd- 
hanam, which is in universal use in the peninsula. It must be ob- 
served, that in all my accounts of seasons, I use the European days, 
as they correspond with the Karnataca days in this year ; but the 
year of Karnata being lunar, this correspondence does not com*' 
monly take place ; and there is in some years a difference of eleven 
days between what is stated here, and the days that actually cor- 
respond with each other in the two almanacs. 
