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S74 
sion of Mr. Blake. This pentierian was 
mint; aid assay-master, a post he owed 
Narrative of t recent Tour in India. 
(Nov. 1, 
shédabad Rupee is intrinsically about 
three per centum better than uny other; 
entirely to -his own merit, which modest= but oo my arrival at Patna, Twas obliged 
and unassuming, as real merit always Is, 
a discriminating government duly. = es 
preciated and, by appointing hiui ‘to «he 
office, reflected as much credit upon *it- 
self by its JadieiOus selection, as Upon », 
dium in: being the object of it. Mr. Blake. 
was so obliging, “25 to accompany us. 
rouiid the several departments of the 
mint, and to explain the principles on 
whi ch the different machines were. con- 
structed, Most of them were inventions 
ef bis own, and tended greatly to stm- ‘Hoondacon, that is, 
plify the work, and to save avast deal 
ef manual labour; but in bringing them 
to perfection, | he hati many difficulties to 
encounter, arising principally from the 
opposition to his “plans, by the *Shroffs 
and Soucars of the city. These people, 
spared. neither trouble nor expense, 1 
eounteracting: his views, in consequence 
ef his appointment proving a death-blow, 
to the: lucrative wefic tkey carried on, 
by adulteratiny and debasing the coin; a 
practise they had exercised ‘with impu- 
nity, in consequence of the mint having 
heretofore been under their own ma- 
nagement. They bribed the native work- 
men, to obstruct the action of the me- 
chines;—the Brahmins were exnployed 
to fulminate their anathemas against 
those who resisted the temptation; and 
every art was made use of to overturn 
the svstem, which government had so 
wisely glanned, and Mr. Blake so ably- 
Eicaitan that gentleman, however, by 
dint of perséverance, and an active at- | 
tention to every bravch of the business, ° 
himself surmounted all difficulties, and 
brought the coinage to a state of beauty 
and elegance, unknown before in’ that 
part of India. Still much remains to be 
done, before the mint is brought to that 
state of perfection, it ought to possess ; 
and there is no grievance which calls 
more loudly for redress, than. the loss 
arising to individuals from the various 
Species of rupees, that are current in the 
Company's dommions: there are Dacca 
Rupees, Moorshedabad: Rupees, Patna 
Rupees, Benares Rupees, and many 
others, all of which are Sct Meal of the 
same value, but they differ materially in 
intrinsic worth, and each of them is cur- 
rent only in the province where it is 
coined, to the great detriment, incon- 
venience, and loss of :traveilers, mer- 
ase: and manufacturers. » Phe Moor- 
on sey ae -changers and bankers: 
to pay a Shroff five per cent. to exchange 
them for the current coin of the place ; 
consequently my real loss was eight per 
cent. This on a large sum is a very se- 
tiods consideration, aud a remittance by 
bills of exchange is still heavier, owing 
\to the business being entirely im the 
-hands of the Shraoffs, whe settle the ex- 
change of the ee to suit their own 
purposes ; and whether any other person 
is the drawer or purchaser of a bill, the 
the Exchange, is 
always against bim» Attempts have been 
made by government, to suppress this’ 
evil, but hitherto” without effect; the 
Shiro fs possess not only all the monied ° 
influence, but the greatest part of the 
actual specie in the Peninsula passes 
through their hands; there are indivi- 
duals among them, worth three or four 
nullions of pounds sterling; and these 
beamed 
overgrown Leviathans in wealth can at) 
any time fix the rate of exchange be-- 
tween one city and another, and even 
distress govertiment, should it oppose 
their rapacious and inordinate cupidity. 
When Lord Cornwallis endeavoured to 
correct the abuses which prevailed in the 
Bazar of Caicutta, respecting the ex- 
change ov gold mohurs, and issued a pro- 
.clamation for that purpose; the Shroffs - 
shut up their shops,to a man, not a 
rupee could be changed, and ail business 
was ata stand, until ‘the obnoxious order 
was rescinded. 
The first step towards breaking this 
oppressive and dangerous influence, is to 
have but one coin of each denomination 
current throughout the British provinces; 
and to have them impressed with the 
King’s head, and appropriate Latin in- 
scriptions, like the money in England. 
This measure would tend to facilitate the 
course of exchange, and prevent that in- 
undation of base coin, which at present 
circulates through our Eastern posses- 
sions. ‘he money is at present impressed 
with the name and titles, in’ Persian 
characters, of the nominal Emperor of 
the House of Timur, a poor blind and 
unfortunate old man, dependant upon a 
subordinate® -chief of the Marattah re- 
public, for his daily subsistence; conti - 
suing his name therefore’ on the coin of 
-* This touc took place before the Marattah 
war, and the consequent emancipation of the 
old Emperor from Marattah’ thraldrom, by 
Lord Lake... 
2 
8" be “a country, 
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