Page:Disputations on village business.pdf/20

A. D. 1710.

ON VILLAGE BUSINESS.

11 Pullam Raz owns a clerkship in Rāmēswaram : this Pullam Raz told me to carry his son Vencatachellum there until the (Cowle,) proclamation of pardon to the clerks should be given."

To this his reverence (Pantulu) answered thus:—'What right has Pullam Raz to the clerkship? in whose portion has he a share?'

To this, Pullam Raz g. and Calacata Sheshaya replied thus. 'When the (Tamballa varu) priests and the clerks were impleading each other, we gave [them the] money and they wrote and gave [us an acknowledgment]. We bought a quarter share out of the half share of the clerks. We and Timmaraz each of us gave money to buy a one-eighth share.

His reverence said 'Produce the writings concerning this.' They replied 'The documents are not here: he who knows the facts, is Coneru Timma Reddi: ask him.'

His reverence replied, 'Truly the lizard is the witness called by the hedge. This Timma Reddi is set upon carrying you along with him: what should [I] ask of him? [I] reconciled the Tamballas and the bramhans, and made [the clerks] write and deliver (samakhya) documents, [to the Tamballas] and settled that they should have one-half apiece: so [I] dismissed them and twenty-six years have since elapsed. Could not you, in all these years have gone and enjoyed [the Tack?] Have you come to raise empty disputes before my face? If I do not know the facts, who is to know them? I made the clerks execute documents to the (sthanicas) priests [prohibiting the clerks] from selling the tack to any one else, and also from disposing of [the tack] by gift or by daughters portion.

Then Kalacata Seshaya being an intimate friend to Accanna g and to (Pantulu) his reverence, began to speak earnestly thus.