Buchanan, Francis: A Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar ... (Band 1) (London, 1807)

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MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR.

529

called an article of food; as the natives have a prejudice against CHAPTER
it, conceiving that it produces gripes. It is chiefly used by the v-

children, who eat it as those in Europe do parched pease. The gar- July 14.
deners generally exchange it with the farmers wives, giving from
20 to 40 heads for a Seer of Ragy. The straw is given to the gar-
dener's cow, but is not reckoned wholesome food, which is probably
a great error. It is pulled out by the roots, and at the same time
the turmeric is cleaned, and obtains a little dung. The watering
is continued. In ten months it is ripe : it is then dug up, and di-
vided into two kinds, the large, and the small. The large roots are
cut into two or three pieces, put into cold water, and boiled for an
hour. They are then spread out to the sun for seven or eight days ;
and finally, in order to break off small lumps or fibres, they are
rubbed on the ground with the hand. They are then fit for sale,
and by being kept in the middle of a heap of Ragy are preserved
from worm-eating. Some persons with the turmeric mix the legu-
minous plant called Arachis hypogcea, which requires a longer time
to ripen than the maize does.

The small Yatam is the only machine for drawing water, that the Yatam.
people of Silagutta use. They say that it can raise water from a
much greater depth, than a large one. Small Yatams can be used,
where from the surface to the water there is 7 men's height, or 36"
feet 9 inches. This differs entirely from the opinion of the people
at Color. The fact is, that both parties blindly follow custom, and
never have made any comparative trial.

15th July.—I went three cosses to the place which in our maps Chica Bah-
is called Chinna Balabaram ; the nature of which name no one here f-toef iV<f/j!
understands. By the Mussulmans it is called Chuta Balapour, and yana SwdmL
the native appellation is Chica Bala-pura. The country the whole way
has been arable; but at present a great part of it is uninhabited, and
one of the finest rice grounds that I have ever seen above the Ghats
is quite waste. About forty years ago Chica Bala-pura belonged to
Nardyana Swami, a Folygart who possessed also Doda Bala-pura,,
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