198 
On the Substitution of the Hindustani, 6$c. 
under the other. All explanation of the use of the capital letters and marks of 
punctuation should be given, with a sufficient number of examples, to enable the 
learner to proceed immediately to reading Hindustani books printed 1 in the new 
form. Such a first book, or primer, as I have described, ought to be accompa- 
nied by the publication ol a few of the most popular Hindustani works, printed, 
on the one side in the English character, on the other, some copies in Persian, 
others in Hindi, the two being word for word alike. Copv books also should be 
published, showing how, by joining the letters, the printed (if Italic) may be 
conveited into the written form. The means I have proposed would, I believe, 
be found quite sufficient ; and, were they to be followed, I have little doubt that 
i T i en( a tw< '^ venion th, a knowledge of Hindustani, in our character, 
would be a very general attainment among the natives. As the latter are but im- 
perfectly acquainted even with their own language, a dictionary of Hindustani 
words, explained m the same tongue, would be a work of great utility. In the 
construction of such a work, I would earnestly propose, that, wherever the lan- 
guage is found deficient, the vacancy should be supplied by derivatives from the 
English, the words thus derived being put into a Hindustani form. 
It will he needless to detail what appear to be the benefits with which the plan 
iave suggested would be attended They may, I believe, be summed up in two 
words ; 1st, the ready communication it will produce between Europeans and 
natives ; 2d, the introduction among the latter of a mode of communica- 
tion by written signs ; so much more easy in its application, than any they at 
pjesent possess, as almost to confer upon them the arts of writing and printing. 
t here is another rumoured change, upon which, if I have not already trespassed 
too long upon your pages, I am desirous of making a few remarks. 1 mean the 
abolition of Calcutta Sicca Ruj ees, and the introduction of Sonats, as the only 
coin bearing a different impression from that now in use. Whenever a change 
is mace in t le cuiiency of a country, it must be attended with a certain degree 
o inconvenience. YV hen, therefore, it is necessary that this inconvenience should 
be submitted to, it is desirable that the change should be to as perfect a system 
as can be contrived. It appears to me that the coinage of this country is pecu- 
liarly capable of being made the most perfect in the world. My plan is the 
following : I would adopt the cowry as the standard. The sum of 10,000 cowries 
amounts very nearly to 2 rupees. I would have a silver coin of this value, which 
mig j ie called a dollar, or any other convenient name. Tin’s piece I would fix 
a ? | e . in f e § ei ’ < ' onsi ^ erin R the remaining coins, down to the cowry, as its de- 
cima p.u s-. There would thus be a very convenient coin as the integer, with 
our p aces of decimals in actual circulation- The coinage then would consist 
0 wo t emoimnation3 nearly, the dollar and the cowry. The tenth of the dollar, 
a JV 1 *. 06 P . 1 1 cowries , would be a silver coin a little smaller than a 4 anna piece, 
1 * considered too small, might be increased by the addition of a little 
r’tti i 7 , t l a or piece of 100 cowries, would he a copper coin, 
n i e argei than an ordinary pice. And the 10 cowry piece would be a 
C0 PP ei coin about the size of a sixpence. The names of these interme- 
e coins might be compound words, expressing their respective values. Thus, 
yn your orthography) they might be called the “ cauri,” the “ dascari," the 
a TT* 1 m secari >’’ the bazar cari (which might he abbreviated into “ zarkari,") 
rr-i 3 ‘ e 0,,ar - l can see no difficulty in making this change to anv party, 
a ? U _, no \ c tbc obstacles, which have occurred in France, iu introducing 
1 , n ‘! 7 s em ’ because tlie basis of the whole is the very coin, with which the 
*7 7 a P ts . ai c a ^cady most familiar. The change too in accounts would be of 
norm n* f Sln '^. e '’• nc ‘ wou bl be a mere reduction of the sums, in whatever de- 
^! na ^ e tbc Y ma 3 r be kept, to couries , which are always known, 
with il wi° ie 5th figure for the dollars. At the same time it would be attended 
ie often lepeated advantages which a decimal system affords in calculation* 
only 1 t] r printed r character > uot the Homan, hut the Italic letter 
written c a* 1 S> becau ? e the lat . ter is merely a more precise form of the 
both There would* 1 tl, H , ac 9 llaia ! an ce with one would be an acquaintance with 
of two • and it is of i, !!.f e ,° n 7 the . difficulty of learning one set of letters, instead 
patently be ^ ' ance to rjd an J obstacle, however slig-ht it may ap- 
the umrkJt 6 dmdlfhp )° ( 4,10 flucfuates_ according to the supply in 
Government Bank°tn bn . ^ store tllem being continually kept in the 
again when thev ire -it n 7 ie ?i t ie 7 are at a premium, and to be bought up 
and dollar mio-lft he in-unf i;77S 1Ut vt 1 leSe means *be relative value of the cowry 
,&,K ue maintained with the utmost exactness. 
