Page:Imperialgazettee030583mbp.pdf/16

x Burmese and some of the languages on the frontier of China have the following special sounds:


 * aw has the vowel sound in ‘law.’ ö and ü are pronounced as in German. sy is pronounced almost like ; in ‘jewel.’ ky is pronounced almost like ch in ‘church.’ th is pronounced in some cases as in ‘this,’ in some cases as in ‘thin’ w after a consonant has the force of uw. Thus, ywa and pwe are disyllables, pronounced as if written yuwa and puwe.
 * }

It should also be noted that, whereas in Indian words the accent or stress is distributed almost equally on each syllable, in Burmese there is a tendency to throw special stress on the last syllable.

The names of some places-e.g. Calcutta, Bombay, Lucknow, Cawnpore-have obtained a popular fixity of spelling, while special forms have been officially prescribed for others. Names of persons are often spelt and pronounced differently in different parts of India; but the variations have been made as few as possible by assimilating forms almost alike, especially where a particular spelling has been generally adopted in English books.

As the currency of India is based upon the rupee, all statements with regard to money throughout the Gazetteer have necessarily been expressed in rupees, nor has it been found possible to add generally a conversion into sterling. Down to about 1873 the gold value of the rupee (containing 165 grains of pure silver) was approximately equal to 25., or one-tenth of a £; and for that period it is easy to convert rupees into sterling by striking off the final cipher (Rs. 1,000 = £100). But after 1873, owing to the depreciation of silver as compared with gold throughout the world, there came a serious and progressive fall in the exchange, until at one time the gold value of the rupee dropped as low as 1s. In order to provide a remedy for the heavy loss caused to the Government of India in respect of its gold payments to be made in England, and also to relieve foreign trade and finance from the inconvenience due to constant and unforeseen fluctuations in exchange, it was resolved in 1893 to close the mints to the free coinage of silver, and thus force up the value of the rupee by restricting the circulation. The intention was to raise