MYSORE, CANARY, AND MALABAR. 
: 3Q9 
called an article of food; as the natives have a prejudice against CHAPTER 
it, conceiving that it produces gripes. It is chiefly used by the 
children, who eat it as those in Europe do parched pease. The gar- 
deners generally exchange it with the farmers wives, giving from 
SO to 40 heads for a Seer of Rggy. The straw is given to the gar- 
dener’s cow, but is not reckoned wholesome food, which is probably 
a great error. It is pulled out by the roots, and at the same time 
the turmeric is cleaned, and obtains a little dung. The watering 
is continu’ed. In ten months it is ripe : it is then dug up, and di- 
vided into two kinds, the large, and the small. The large roots are 
cut into two or three pieces, put into cold water, and boiled for an 
hour. They are then spread out to the sun for seven or eight days ; 
and finally, in order to break off small lumps or fibres, they are 
rubbed on the ground with the hand. They are then lit for sale, 
and by being kept in the middle of a heap of Ragy are preserved 
from worm-eating. Some persons. with the turmeric mix the legu- 
minous plant called Ardchis hypogcea, which requires a longer time 
to ripen than the maize does. 
The small Yatam is the only machine for drawing water, that the Yatam. 
people of Silagutta use. They say that it can raise water from a 
much greater depth, than a large one. Small Yatams can be used, 
where from the surface to the water there is 7 men’s height, or 3b 
feet 9 inches. This differs entirely from the opinion of the people 
at Colar. The fact is, that both parties blindly follow custom, and 
never have made any comparative trial. 
15th July. — I went three cosses to the place which in our maps ChicaBala- 
is called Chinna Balabaram ; the nature of which name no one here p [ iru AJ! us 
understands. By the Mussulmans it is called Chuta Balapour , and y ana Suami. 
the native appellation is Chica Bala-pura. The country the whole way 
has been arable; but at present a great part of it is uninhabited, and 
one of the finest rice grounds that I have ever seen above the Ghats 
is quite waste. About forty years ago Chica Bala-pura belonged to 
Ndrdyana Swdmi, a Poly gar , who possessed also Doda Bala-pura \ 
You L Uu 
July 14, 
