Indian Antiquary Vol 27

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

Page 46

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(FEBRUARY, 18 98.
From Stevens, Guide, 1775, we get a variety of statements, and for Acheen the following table can be made out from p. 8770 :- -
4 copang are 1 mace 16 mace 1 tael (of Acheen
5 tael 1 buncal 20 buncall, 1 catty 7 (Chinese) 100 catties „ 1 pical
3 picul 1 bahar73 For Malacca we are given for avoirdupois weights, p. 127 :
16 tales are 1 catty 100 catties , 1 pecul (135 lbs. av.)
3 pecul » 1 bahar And for gold weights :
16 miams are 1 buncal
20 bancals , 1 catty From the Burma-Malayu Vocabulary, 1810, p. 129, we can extract the following tables : -
16 sag&74 are 1 kûndari 4 kundarf » I mayam 4 mâyam 1 jampal 4 jampa176, 1 búngkal 20 bungkal , 1 kati
100 kati » 1 pikul After stating in a footnote that the búngkal and mayam differ in soine degree from the words inserted as their synonyms," viz., túel and mds, it goes on to say:
10 más are 1 tae176 16 tkel , 1 catty
TO Stevens is here as puzzling and delightful with his Anglo-Indianisms as ever. Thus we have "A Dutch Dollar is 8 Tangoes or Schillings. A Tangoe is 6 Stivers or 3 double keys or Cash." The tangoe is a form of our old friend the tanků, vide p. 127 : -"Goa Coida : 80 Leader (leaden) Reen (reis) are 1 Tango, 5 Tangos are 1 Pardav or Xeraphin." The "double Key" is a curious instance of "Hobson-Jobson," though not noted by Yule. It is the Dutch dubbeltje of 2 stuyver (stivera) known to Oriental merobanta as doubleky in various spellings : Stevens, Guide, p. 127. Lockyer, Trade, p. 69Chalmers, Colonial Currency. p. 382 f. : Rafflow, Java, Vol. II., Appx., p. clxvii.
91 "The true Standard of a Buncall is 80 Mace or 5 Tale; although in Trade, Merchants make their Bunnll heavier or lighter, as they please. ... . N. B.-As the Buncall is bigger or less, so must the Cutty be." -Op. cit., loc. cit.
Ta Stated at 1t Ibe. At p. 123, we have the same statement, and then find Stevens practically copying Lockyer, Trade in India, 1711, p. 43, and saying: -"14 Catty, Chinese Weight, is commonly reckoned 1 Malaya Catty, which maks 3 Chinese Peculls equal to 1 Malaya Bahar ; in which there is a Loss to the Buyer of 2 Catties, the latter being but 393 lb. Care must be taken of this, it being an Imposition." Care by the merchant, that is; and to the students warning that commercial swindling has at times to do with the reports as to bullion weights by travellers.
• Stated also to be 200 “Catty of Acheen" and then called "one Bahar Molay or 3 Pecul China." Also 240 catties at Salangore (p. 128), where Stevens tells us : -"The Malacon Bahar of 300 Catties is sometimes used in selling: and it is therefore necessary in Bargains to mention what Baher you agree for."
* Here, I suspect, used in ita proper sonae of "rice-seed."
T6 Crawfurd, Malay Dict., 1852, has "Jampal. Javanese. A weight and money, estimated at half. Spunish dollar, 1. e., a tickal." The Vooabulary defines it as "a rupee weight." Maxwell, Malay Manual, 1882, p. 112, says: "Silver coins used in weighing gold
2 penjuru = l piah = weight 1 mayam 4 piah 1 jampal weight 4 mayam
2 jumpal = 1 real weight 8 mayam. Ortial, as it is written in English chatusters, but tiel in the rernacular.