The import and export trade of Ceylon is, in normal times, almost entirely financed by remittances from London to India by means of the sale of Indian Council drafts, and exchange finance in Ceylon is thus dependent upon conditions in India. 16 34---20 ( 106 ) In Ceylon the rupee is divided into 100 cents, and the following fractions of the rupee are coined: (1) silver 50-cent piece, or half rupee; 25-cent piece, or quarter rupee; 10-cent piece, or one-tenth rupee; (2) nickel 5-cent piece, or one-twentieth rupee; (3) copper 1-cent piece, or one-hundredth of a rupee; copper-cent piece. The chief medium of exchange in Ceylon is the currency notes issued by the Government of Ceylon. They are of the following values: Rs. 1,000, Rs. 100, Rs. 50, Rs. 10, Rs. 5, Rs. 2, and Re. 1. The last two notes were issued during the war to release the silver rupee for export to India to pay for imports, chiefly of rice, and very few silver rupees are now to be seen in Ceylon. The native usage of pound" "shilling " 66 tuttu = = 50 cents, 66 satali = 12 cents, may be noted, 66 Rs. 10, pataga = 75 cents, 9 cents, fanam = 6 cents, 66 The approximate amounts of coin and paper currency in circulation on June 10, 1922, were : There is no issue of private paper. accounts are kept in rupees and cents. . 771,737 25 1,089,805 77 Private, as well as Government, The sovereign is not now legal tender in Ceylon. The silver rupee is coined in India, while the subsidiary silver and copper coins are minted in England and elsewhere. Standard Measures. SECTION 6.-WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. THE law on the subject of weights and measures in the Colony is found in the Ordinance No. 8 of 1876, which established the Imperial standard yard as the standard measure of extension, the Imperial standard pound avoirdupois as the standard measure of weight, and the Imperial standard gallon as the standard measure of capacity. In measuring distance and length, the mile, chain (= 22 yards), yard, foot, inch are in general use by all classes, European and native. A peculiarly native usage is that of "fathom" (Sinhalese bamba, Tamil pakam), being the length of the outstretched arms usually taken as equal to 6 feet. The cubit (Sinhalese riyana, Tamil mulam) is equal to 18 inches, the span" (Sinhalese viyata, Tamil chan) is the breadth of the outstretched fingers, the " gaw is about 4 miles. A common native measure of distance is that from which a cry of "hoo ( 107 ) 66 line" is perhaps about mile. In the Public Works Department a equal to 100 lineal feet. In measuring weight, the ton, hundredweight, and pound are in common use, but it may be noted that a candy" of 'maund" of tea copra or cinnamon chips is ton, a seed is 82 pounds. Weight. 66 In measuring capacity, the principal dry measure is the English bushel, but in conjunction with this is used a number Capacity. of native measures, of which the connotation is sometimes uncertain and the usage variable. The most common Sinhalese usage appears to be that an amunam is taken as equal to 5 bushels, 1 bushel equal to 32 cut seers, serus, measures,' nali, or quarts ("cut" signifying levelled with the top of the measure), or 28 uncut seers or measures. One amunam is also equal to 4 pelas or 40 lahas or kurunis, or 8 parrahs, and we accordingly get the following table : 66 66 1 pela equal to 5 pecks. Do. 40 quarts, or seers, or nali. 1 laha equal to 4 quarts, or seers, or nali. 1 parrah equal to 5 lạhas or kurunis. 1 parrah equal to 20 quarts, or seers, or nali. 1 cut seer equal to 4 cut chundoos. In the measurement of rice, a bag" is 2 to 4 bushels; a bushel is 32 cut measures, or 28 uncut measures. are measured by the bundle. Firewood, grass, and straw For measuring liquid capacities, the English measures of the gallon, the reputed quart (6 to the gallon) and the pint (2 to the quart) are in general use. The leaguer (150 gallons) is in common use among the arrack distillers. The bottle". -6 to the gallon-is a common measure of milk, kerosine, coconut, and citronella oils. Area. 66 In measurements of area, the acre, rood (4 to an acre), and perch (40 to a rood) are in general use, but the native practice of using the dry measures also to denote the area of lands which can be sown with that quantity of seed is still common. Thus, the amunam, besides being a dry measure of about 5 bushels, will represent the acreage which could be sown with that amount of seed. This is evidently a somewhat varying amount, but is generally taken at 2 or 2 acres, according to the practice of the district. If we take it at 24 acres, we get the following table : |