Buchanan, Francis: A Journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar ... (Band 3) (London, 1807)

160

A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH

g the



I

y

CHAPTER manured in the following manner. In the month succeedin
v^^^, vernal equinox, a hole three or four inches above the ground is
Feb. 25. made into the trunk of any very large tree that is situated near the
top of the hill. Into this are put some burning coals, and, for an
hour, a fire is kept up with fresh fewel. After this, the tree will burn
inwardly for two days, and is then killed. A large insect imme-
diately takes possession of the trunk, and works its nest into the
wood. In the next rainy season, the whole falls down into a rotten
dust, which the rain washes away, so as to disperse it over the face
of the hill below. The crop season commences about the winter
solstice, and it continues rather more than two months. A man
can in one day gather three Colagas, farmer's measure, or almost
one peck of the amenta. These are dried three days in the sun, and
then are rubbed with the feet on a piece of smooth ground, to se-
parate the grains; which, having beeu cleared from the husks and
foot-stalks, are again dried two days in the sun, and tied up for
sale in straw bags or Morays. Seventy-five Colagas of amenta are
required to make one Bazar Moray (bushel 1TV) of dry pepper,
which weighs 3 Maunds (about 84lb.); so that a man daily collects
about 3v§- lb. of dry pepper. These hills were formerly valued;
and, according to their extent, each paid as a land-tax so many
Maunds of pepper, the Maund containing 60 Seers. The same valua-
tion is now continued ; but the Maund is reduced to 40 Seers, and
converted into money, at the rate of a Pagoda, which is in favour of
the proprietor. Still one half of these hills is waste, owing to a want
of hands to cultivate them ; and on that account three-fourths of
the revenue are remitted to the proprietors, who are also favoured
by having all the rice-ground lying among these hills free from
tax. This has been given them, on a supposition that its produce
was only adequate to feed the people who are employed in culti-
Produce of mating the pepper.
the forests. So far as I went, no Teak grows in these forests; but I am told, that

'Teak.

|