Indian Antiquary Vol 27

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

Page 20

16
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1898.
2. Barre. - The barre d'argent, or simply barre (p. 72) is given as the equivalent of 15 to 16 Mexican dollars (pp. 22, 136), or of about 50 to 60 francs (pp. 72, 134). At p. 132 it is described as running 160 to the pical, i. e., as being of 10 taels. It is clearly therefore the silver ingot already noted (ante, p. 14).
8. Livre. - The expressions livre d'argent (pp. 18,60, etc.), livre siamoise (p. 18), or simply livre (p. 133, etc.) mean usually & Siamese catty (p. 264), but sometimes a Chinese ontty (p. 22). They are also, with the livre cambodgienne (p. 113) and livre indigène (p. 61) found (p. 321) expressed in terms of the woun (mäng), & measure of capacity taken at 5 to the pical, 1. e., at 10 catties or 20 catties, according as the Siamese or Chinese catty is montioned. I gather that the livre cambodgienne= the livre siamoise, and that the livre indigne = the Chinese catty. By lirre asiatique the writer means the representative of the Chinese catty (p. 22), weighing in Indo-China about 600 grammes.
4. Once. - By this is meant the Chinese tael, 16 to the catty or livre (p. 22). Once indigène (p. 51) is, I gather, the tamlung or Siamese tnel (see ante, pp. 1 and 6, n. 45).
Vernacular Terms. 1. Bat. - This is only once used (p. 133), and then as a weight of gold : -" un impôt de 2 ou 3 bats d' or par village (le bat doit peser 9 grammes 177 milligrammes)." Of. ante, pp. 1, n. 2. 2 and 6. But it tnrns up in a mort interesting form in the course of a “Spécimen de conte des Khméra de Korat .... qui lon toute probabiliti appartient aussi aux Siamois." It is there called (p. 285) pad: "deux pad (c'est-d-dire deux ticaux)." And a line or two further on we have "deux pad d'argent."
2. Cattie. - The term cattie or cattie d'argent is not mentioned until well on in the book, when it is frequently used (pp. 161, 190, 203, 228, etc.). By it or its equivalents is meant, sometimes the Chinese catty, 100 to the picul, and sometimes the Siamese, 50 to the pical (p. 223, etc.).
3. Chang. - This is only once used, and then clearly for the Siamese chàng or catty (p. 264), but we have a curious multiple of it (p. 133) in the phrases cinque livres ou anohing d'or," and "l'impôt est de trois anching d'or"; an in the word anching being clearly the Shân dialectic term há, a, um, án, = 5.
4. Chi. - This word occurs as a pore weight (p. 258, and p. 112: -"un garcon pesail à la balance 4 chi de cuivre '), and sometimes as currency (p. 136, and p. 133: – "ces inscrits ldociens paient chacun un chi et quatre hun d'or, soit 6 grammes 25 centigrammes de capitation annuelle "). At p. 27 it is described as "monnaie fictive," and we are there given a useful set of analogues, as it equals "1 sling sismois, 1 ligature de sap quss annzinites et 3 lingots de fer de Kompong Soai.”
5. Damling or damleng. - This word is spelt at times either way, and is the Siamese tamlüng, or tael of 4 tickals (pp. 73, 272, 32), etc.). It is parely & weight, for on p. 264 we find the people paying as dues damling d'or and damling d'argent.
6. Hun. - This only occars on p. 133, where we are given: - "un chi et quatre hun d' or (soit 5 grammes 25 centigrammes)." and "sept hien (soit 2 grammes 623 milligrain mes) d'or." This makes the hun = .375 grammes. Cf. ante, pp. 3, n. 21, 5.
7. Lat. - This is defined (p. 60) As the chief small money (monnaie divisionnaire) of the Eastern Shans, and as consisting of small lamps of copper (de petita saumons (pigs] de cuivre) of various sizes and values, and is constantly mentioned as currency (pp. 51, 112, 197, etc.).
There is no doubt as to variation in valoe, as one finds it running 16, 24, 32, 40, and 64 to the .tickal (pp. 60, 89, 110 f., 189, 221, 244, 259, 264).
8. Sling or sleng. - This is spelt either way and is frequently used. It is the salung or quarter tickal (pp. 60, 223, etc.).
981).