Chapter COWRY of C by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

Vernon.”—In Long, 41.

1762.—“The trade of the salt and butty wood in the Chucla of Sillett, has for a long time been granted to me, in consideration of which I pay a yearly rent of 40,000 caouns² of cowries.…”—Native Letter to Nabob, in Van Sittart, i. 203.

1770.—“…millions of millions of lires, pounds, rupees, and cowries.”—H. Walpole’s Letters, v. 421.

1780.—“We are informed that a Copper Coinage is now on the Carpet…it will be of the greatest utility to the Public, and will totally abolish the trade of Cowries, which for a long time has formed so extensive a field for deception and fraud. A greviance (sic) the poor has long groan’d under.”—Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, April 29.

1786.—In a Calcutta Gazette the rates of payment at Pultah Ferry are stated in Rupees, Annas, Puns, and Gundas (i.e. of Cowries, see above).—In Seton-Karr, i. 140.

1791.—“Notice is hereby given, that on or before the 1st November next, sealed proposals of Contract for the remittance in Dacca of the cowries received on account of the Revenues of Sylhet…will be received at the Office of the Secretary to the Board of Revenue.…All persons who may deliver in proposals, are desired to specify the rates per cowan or cowans of cowries (see kahan above) at which they will engage to make the remittance proposed.”—In Seton-Karr, ii. 53.

1803.—“I will continue to pay, without demur, to the said Government, as my annual peshkush or tribute, 12,000 kahuns of cowries in three instalments, as specified herein below.”—Treaty Engagement by the Rajah of Kitta Keonghur, a Tributary subordinate to Cuttack, 16th December, 1803.

1833.—“May 1st. Notice was given in the Supreme Court that Messrs. Gould and Campbell would pay a dividend at the rate of nine gundahs, one cowrie, one cawg, and eighteen teel, in every sicca rupee, on and after the 1st of June. A curious dividend, not quite a farthing in the rupee!”³—The Pilgrim (by Fanny Parkes), i. 273.

c. 1865.—“Strip him stark naked, and cast him upon a desert island, and he would manage to play heads and tails for cowries with the sea-gulls, if land-gulls were not to be found.”—Zelda’s Fortune, ch. iv.

1883.—“Johnnie found a lovely cowrie two inches long, like mottled tortoise-shell, walking on a rock, with its red fleshy body covering half its shell, like a jacket trimmed with chenille fringe.”—Letter (of Miss North’s) from Seychelle Islands, in Pall Mall Gazette, Jan. 21, 1884.