Indian Antiquary Vol 27

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

Page 38

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1898.
Turning now to the countries south of China proper, and confining the research to the modern money and weights, we find from Ridgeway, pp. 158 ff., who has followed Msg, Taberdier, 1838, Msg. Pallegoix, 1854, M. Moura, 1883, and M. Aymonier, 1885, the following illuminating tables as regards Chinese influence on modern Cambodian ideas of currency :
Cambodian Denominations.
1. Bullion. 60 dong (sapec, 38 cash) are 1 tien (mace) 10 tien
1 string (tael) 10 strings
- 1 nên (bar of bullion)
2. Account. 10 11 (cash) are 1 hun (candareen) 10 hun 1 chi (mace) 10 chi
1 denh (tael) 10 den , 1 nên (ting)39
3. Weight Avoirdapois. 10 hun (candareen) are 1 chi (mace) 10 chi
„ 1 tomlong (tamlung, tael) 16 tomlong
1 real40 (catty) 100 ndal
, 1 hàp (pical, tan, shih) » The text gives 600 sapeca to the tael, a fact which appears to be accounted for later on in the text under the quotations as to Tongking money in the last Century. Cf. Aymonier, Voyage dans le Laos, Vol. I. Pp. 23, 27. Yule's ingenious suggestion for the word sapeca (Hobson-Jobson, 1-v.), sapek, rapec, sapègue, cepayqua, is that it is Malay aa + päku, string of pichis (pitis) or cash. Cf. Stevens, Guide, ante, Vol. XXVI. p. 328, who writes the word fettee and petty. Yule's conjectare is practically set at rest by the following valuable quotation from Mandelslö, Voyager and Travels into the East Indies, E. T., 1659, p. 117, under date 1639:-"By them (the Chineses) likewise comes the money hither (Java), which in the Malayan Language is called Cas, in Javan, Pity, and is current, not only at Bantam, and all the Isle of Java, but through all the neighbouring Islands. 'Tis a little thin plate made of Lead, and the Skum of Brass, 80 brittle, that letting fall a string of Caxass, you shall break at least ten or twelve. They are made in the Town of Chincoa in China, and they are beholding to Wanty (7 for Wanly), King of China, for them, who lived about the year 1990, and finding that the Candes made by his predecessour Huyien, King of China, went not off, by reason the Chineses had so filled the adjacent Islands with them, he contrived this brittle money, which his Succensour Humendon put forth, as it is now corrupted. It hath four-square hole through it, at which they string them on a Straw; a ring of two hundred Cance, called Sata, is worth about three farthings sterling, and five Satas tyed together maks a Sopocoth. The Jarians, when this money came first amongst them, were so cheated with the Novelty, that they would give siz bags of Pepper for ten Sapocors, thirteen whereof amount to but a Crown, But they have had leisure enough to see their error; for in a short time, the Island was so filled with this stuffe, that they were compelled absolutely to prohibit all trading, which so disparsged this money, that at present two Sacks of Pepper will soarce come for one hundred thousand Caxan."
We seem here to have both the rise of the sape and its depreciation fully accounted for. Hayien, Wanty, and Hamendon, "Kings of China," are, I fancy, the Ming Emperors, whose Nien Hao, or Reign Titles, are Lung K'ing, 1567-78, Wan Li, 1573-1620, and Tai Ch'ang, 1620-1. See Mayers, Chinese Reader's Manual, p. 878. But in Man. delslö's day, during the disruption obused by the fall of the Ming and the rise of the Ts'ing Dynasty (1628-14), there mast bave been some confusion as to who was "King of China." Wan Li's long reign would, of course, make his name well remembered.
Since recording the above information, I have found the same story in different, and perhaps more icteresting, detail in a Collection of Dutch Voyages, 1703, inserted (but P interpolated) during an account of the First Voyage, 1595-7, p. 1991. Bata there becomes santa (and at p. 197, but soula at p. 137) and apocon becomes sapoor (? by a misprint), but pity has its correct form pitis. I am so able to finally confirm Yule's derivation from Moor's Notices of the Indian Archipelago, 1887, p. 94, in an article entitled "Short Account of the Island of Bali" from the Singapore Chronicle, June, 1880 :
“The money current on Bali consiste solely of Chinese pice with a hole in the centre, which have been introduced into Bali from time immemorial. They valne them at half a cent and 600 of them may be obtained for a silver dollar. They, however, put them up in hundreds and thousands : 200 are called stah, and are equal to one rupee copper, and 1,000 are called sapaku, valued at five rupees."
In VOL. II. of Raffle's Jans, p. 84 t., are described ancient Javan coins and Plate 87 giver several dated by Datives from 861 to 1588 4. D. These are all evidently pitie, and in view of the information now given are worth examining. They form part only of a large collection made.
The Chinese denominations for ten taels. Also 105 and 112 ndal 1 pionl; and according to Crawford (Siam, p. 516), 112, 148 and 150 catties go to the pioul of various commodities