DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2373#0386
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356
CHAPTER
VI.
July 19, 20.
Puckally, or
Capily, a ma-
chine for
raising water.
Breed of
asses.
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
Heringapatam. He says, that the manner of refining the raw sugar
is by boiling it with milk; which, by its coagulation, would no
doubt answer the purpose, but the process must be expensive.
In some places of this vicinity, the ground for sugar-cane is wa-
tered by the machine which the Mussulmans call Puckally, and the
natives Capily. It consists of two bags of skin raised by a cord
passing over a pulley, and drawn by two oxen, or buffaloes, de-
scending on an inclined plane. The great imperfection of this
contrivance seems to be, that the cattle are forced to reascend the
inclined plane backwards ; but it appears to be a manner of raising
water very capable of being improved, so as to become highly va-
luable. One man manages both the cattle; but these work only
one half of the day; so that the Puckally requires the labour of
one man and four beasts. The cultivators here reckon, that one
Puckally will raise as much water as nine men working with the
largest Yatam, on which two men work the lever; or as seven men
each working a single Yatam. This seems to confirm my opinion
of the superiority of this last mentioned machine. The cost of the
cattle is not reckoned to be more than that of one man, as they get
no other provision than the straw of the farm, which they convert
into manure, and which would otherwise be lost. Those who raise
•sugar-cane have two fields, on which they alternately raise that
plant and Ragy. If they use the Capily for watering their cane,
they pay a money-rent, which is reduced in proportion to their
trouble ; but if they obtain a supply of water from a reservoir, the
government takes one half of the crop.
Above the Ghats asses are a kind of cattle much used. Every
washerman keeps three or four females, and a male. The super-
fluous males, as I have had occasion to mention, are sold to various
kinds of petty traders. The breed is very small, no pains being
taken to improve it; nor indeed to keep it from growing worse,
unless it may be considered as having already arrived at the ulti-
mate degree of imperfection. For the purpose of breeding mules,,
lilsll
&•:■;;;■
356
CHAPTER
VI.
July 19, 20.
Puckally, or
Capily, a ma-
chine for
raising water.
Breed of
asses.
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
Heringapatam. He says, that the manner of refining the raw sugar
is by boiling it with milk; which, by its coagulation, would no
doubt answer the purpose, but the process must be expensive.
In some places of this vicinity, the ground for sugar-cane is wa-
tered by the machine which the Mussulmans call Puckally, and the
natives Capily. It consists of two bags of skin raised by a cord
passing over a pulley, and drawn by two oxen, or buffaloes, de-
scending on an inclined plane. The great imperfection of this
contrivance seems to be, that the cattle are forced to reascend the
inclined plane backwards ; but it appears to be a manner of raising
water very capable of being improved, so as to become highly va-
luable. One man manages both the cattle; but these work only
one half of the day; so that the Puckally requires the labour of
one man and four beasts. The cultivators here reckon, that one
Puckally will raise as much water as nine men working with the
largest Yatam, on which two men work the lever; or as seven men
each working a single Yatam. This seems to confirm my opinion
of the superiority of this last mentioned machine. The cost of the
cattle is not reckoned to be more than that of one man, as they get
no other provision than the straw of the farm, which they convert
into manure, and which would otherwise be lost. Those who raise
•sugar-cane have two fields, on which they alternately raise that
plant and Ragy. If they use the Capily for watering their cane,
they pay a money-rent, which is reduced in proportion to their
trouble ; but if they obtain a supply of water from a reservoir, the
government takes one half of the crop.
Above the Ghats asses are a kind of cattle much used. Every
washerman keeps three or four females, and a male. The super-
fluous males, as I have had occasion to mention, are sold to various
kinds of petty traders. The breed is very small, no pains being
taken to improve it; nor indeed to keep it from growing worse,
unless it may be considered as having already arrived at the ulti-
mate degree of imperfection. For the purpose of breeding mules,,