Indian Antiquary Vol 27

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 11

JANUARY, 1893.; CURRENCY AND COINAGE AMONG THE BURMESE.
equal to 29. 60. sterling, or about sixty cents of American money. For weights they use the catty and picul. The catty is double that of the Chinese, but the picul is the same."
Going back to observations made at considerably earlier dates than those above mentioned we find in Stevens' Guide, 1775, at p. 88:
1 Tekull is 12 or 13 Fanams Madras, or 1 Rupee 3 Tekulls are 1 Pagoda 4 Tekalls, 1 Tale or Pagoda
20 Tales 1 Catty, or 36 Pagodas 26 Fanams At p. 128: "Gold and Silver Weights," Stevens tells us that "These are the Tical, which weighs nearest 9 dwts. 10 grs, and (is) 9 dwts. better than staudard silver. Great Weights. 80 Tuals are 1 Catty, or 2 lb. 9 oz. 4} drs. Avoirdu poise (sic): 50 Catties 1 Pecal, or 129 lb. O oz, 13 drs. Fifty Siam Catties should be equal to 1 China Pecul of 132 lb. for all their Goods are weighed by the China Dotchin : But the King's Dotchin at Siam is never found to give more than 125 lb., though it should be 182 lb.
Coins. 2 Samporfg50 are 1 Tuang51 2 Tuangs 1 Miam 53 4 Miams , 1 Tual
Coins. 800 Cowries53 are 1 Tuang
4 Tuals , 1 Tale
20 Tales , 1 Catty Accounts are kept here in Catties, Tales, Tuals, Miams, Tuangs, and Cowries. 10 Miams pass for a Tale China, and 85 Tales Siam are always reckoned as 8 China."54
I have given these extracts in extenso, as instructive in the present enquiries. From the first we can see why it is that Alexander 50 years later (Truvels, p. 21), and later again Malcom (Travels, Vol. II. p. 270), say that the Barmese tical was nearly a Madras rupee. From it we also see that the merchants recognised at that time a Madras and a Siamese Pagoda the last being the tael or tamlüng. The "tual" mentioned is clearly for "tical," probably through misreading some MS. document.
But Alexander Hamilton, writing 35 years before Stevens, in his East Irulics, Vol. II., Appx., p. 8, hits off the facts much better in his "Table of Weights, etc." Thus: - “Siam Weights and Coin have the same Denomination.
1 Miamis 2 Foads (fúangs) 1 Tecul » 4 Miams 1 Cattee, 80 Teculs
1 Pecul 100 Cattees or 133 lb. Avoirdupois. The Onttee and Pecul are used in Cambodin, Couchin-china, Tonquin, China and Japan, not differing above? per Cent. in all those Countries."
+ But compare ante, p. 5.
49 1. ., scales, balanoe : see Yule, Hobson-Jobson, s. v., datchin. But here is a new reading for this word: "In Ching .... they having no regalar Standard kept; but the usual Resort for the trial of their Dodgings are the Joss houses, where they always keep what they call the true Dodging, but you will seldom find two of them agree." Stevens, Guide, p. 91. so I, e., songp'e.
61 A misprint for Fúang. # Malay term, miyammas salung.
13 I. e., 200 to the p'enting. 04 This is not quite intelligible. - Stevens reckoned 16 Chinese taels to the Chinese catty, (p. 91), and the Chinese catty as balf the Siamese catty, therefore 32 Chinese taels = 1 Siamese catty. By Siamese reckoning 20 Siamese taels=1 Siamese catty, therefore 85 Siamese taels 133 Chinese taele. But the statement "10 miams pass for a tale China" is rather neat reference to mayam (Malay) mie (8. Indian) maha (Sanskrit) maco (com. mercial), for 10 mace are 1 tael Chinese.