DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2373#0026
Haw
8
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
CHAPTER
I.
Appearance
of the coun-
try.
Water.
Oils used in
the Jaghire.
April 9,5th.—Early in the morning I went from Sri Permaturu
to an inn, or Choultry, erected by Vira Permal Pillay^ who was Du-
bash to Sir Charles Oakley. The country is high and barren, like
that eastward of Sri Permaturu, but it has more Palmira trees, and in
the neighbourhood of several tanks have been planted tamarind,
Pipal (Ficus religiosa), Banyan (Ficus indica), and mast trees (Uvaria
altissima), all of which thrive well, if they are watered for two
or three years after being planted. The only trees that grow
spontaneously are, the Melia azadirachta, and the Robinia mitis;
the last of which flourishes both on the arid hills of the Carnatic,
and on the muddy banks of the Ganges. Very little of this soil,
at the usual rent, will repay the expence of cultivation ; and in the
present state of population it perhaps would not be proper to let
it low, as by that means useful labourers might be taken away from
more valuable lands. The same reason prevents the fields near the
inn from being cultivated. They are level, but too poor to pro-
duce rice. The inhabitants would willingly bring them into cul-
tivation for dry grains, were they allowed the two first years free
of rent: but then part of the rice fields must remain unculti-
vated.
The only good water in this neighbourhood is the rain preserved
in Tanks. That, which is found in wells, is by the natives called salt,
although the quantity of muriate of soda contained in it is very
small.
The oil chiefly used here, both for food and unguent, is that of
Sesamum, by the English called Gingeli, or sweet oil; a few indi-
viduals use the oil of the cocoa-nut. At Madras this last is much
employed for the lamp ; but in the country the natives make other
oils serve for this purpose.
The oils used in the Company's Jaghire, or district immediately
surrounding Madras, are the following :
Taynga any, oil of the cocoa-nut.
Nulla any, oil of the sesamum.
8
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
CHAPTER
I.
Appearance
of the coun-
try.
Water.
Oils used in
the Jaghire.
April 9,5th.—Early in the morning I went from Sri Permaturu
to an inn, or Choultry, erected by Vira Permal Pillay^ who was Du-
bash to Sir Charles Oakley. The country is high and barren, like
that eastward of Sri Permaturu, but it has more Palmira trees, and in
the neighbourhood of several tanks have been planted tamarind,
Pipal (Ficus religiosa), Banyan (Ficus indica), and mast trees (Uvaria
altissima), all of which thrive well, if they are watered for two
or three years after being planted. The only trees that grow
spontaneously are, the Melia azadirachta, and the Robinia mitis;
the last of which flourishes both on the arid hills of the Carnatic,
and on the muddy banks of the Ganges. Very little of this soil,
at the usual rent, will repay the expence of cultivation ; and in the
present state of population it perhaps would not be proper to let
it low, as by that means useful labourers might be taken away from
more valuable lands. The same reason prevents the fields near the
inn from being cultivated. They are level, but too poor to pro-
duce rice. The inhabitants would willingly bring them into cul-
tivation for dry grains, were they allowed the two first years free
of rent: but then part of the rice fields must remain unculti-
vated.
The only good water in this neighbourhood is the rain preserved
in Tanks. That, which is found in wells, is by the natives called salt,
although the quantity of muriate of soda contained in it is very
small.
The oil chiefly used here, both for food and unguent, is that of
Sesamum, by the English called Gingeli, or sweet oil; a few indi-
viduals use the oil of the cocoa-nut. At Madras this last is much
employed for the lamp ; but in the country the natives make other
oils serve for this purpose.
The oils used in the Company's Jaghire, or district immediately
surrounding Madras, are the following :
Taynga any, oil of the cocoa-nut.
Nulla any, oil of the sesamum.