DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4651#0140
130 JOURNAL OF A RESIDENCE
jesty, and took Mr. Moncourtuse with him. At
noon the prince of Bassim's family paohen*, with
several gilt-boats, and war-boats, passed by to the
northward, said to be going to join the army going
to Vizalley. I observe also that the fly of the
king's large tent is struck. About two P.M., the
rayhoon and Mr. Moncourtuse returned from the
palace ; he informed me that his majesty had or-
dered the rupees to be assayed, and found that
one kind was fifteen per cent, worse than pure
silver, and the other ten per cent, (this, by-thc-by,
proves what excellentmetallurgiststhcy are, for one
kind has in fact seventeen per cent, alloy, and the
other twenty-two and a half per cent.) and that,
as it was his royal intention, that none but pure
silver should pass current in bis dominions, he
had therefore ordered the 20,000 rupees to be re-
turned to me. I expressed my astonishment in
unequivocal terms at this determination, and told
the rayhoon his majesty was very ill advised in
adopting such measures; that the rupees were
coined at the request of his ministers, and were
exactly of the quality and pattern of those sent
by Captain Symes to Calcutta; that no charge
had been made on the coinage except for the in-
cidental expenses of labour, ^-c, which, including
the value of the alloy, did not amount to 350ticals ;
* A kind of accommodation-boat.
jesty, and took Mr. Moncourtuse with him. At
noon the prince of Bassim's family paohen*, with
several gilt-boats, and war-boats, passed by to the
northward, said to be going to join the army going
to Vizalley. I observe also that the fly of the
king's large tent is struck. About two P.M., the
rayhoon and Mr. Moncourtuse returned from the
palace ; he informed me that his majesty had or-
dered the rupees to be assayed, and found that
one kind was fifteen per cent, worse than pure
silver, and the other ten per cent, (this, by-thc-by,
proves what excellentmetallurgiststhcy are, for one
kind has in fact seventeen per cent, alloy, and the
other twenty-two and a half per cent.) and that,
as it was his royal intention, that none but pure
silver should pass current in bis dominions, he
had therefore ordered the 20,000 rupees to be re-
turned to me. I expressed my astonishment in
unequivocal terms at this determination, and told
the rayhoon his majesty was very ill advised in
adopting such measures; that the rupees were
coined at the request of his ministers, and were
exactly of the quality and pattern of those sent
by Captain Symes to Calcutta; that no charge
had been made on the coinage except for the in-
cidental expenses of labour, ^-c, which, including
the value of the alloy, did not amount to 350ticals ;
* A kind of accommodation-boat.