I gadlya (or 24 minutes.) I ganta (or English hour). I jamu (or watch). can be cleared in one day by one katti or billhook. This extent is said to be about an acre.
English minutes and hours are well understood and are used equally with the native measures of time. The latter are: — 60 vigadiyas ... 2 2 gadlyas 3 gafitas
Of these, the vigadiya is rarely, if ever, used, the term being only known to the educated. Periods shorter than twenty-four minutes are generally expressed in English minutes or in terms of fractions of the gadiya.
In telling the time of day or night a native calculates the number of gadiyas or jámus that have elapsed since 6 A.M., or 6 P.M., as the case may be. Thus 7 12 o'clock, whether A.M. or P.M., would be 'three gadiyas,' and 9 o'clock would be 'one jámu' or 'seven and a half gadiyas.'
There are also, however, in this as in every other district, a number of expressions in common use which denote various times of the day. Those which occur most frequently here are 'the rising of the star Venus' (tsukka podichétappudu), which is of course variable;' the time when the first cock crows' (3 A.M.); 'the time when the second cock crows' (4 A.M.); 'the time to begin ploughing' (6 A.M.); 'cock-crow time'; 'the time to sprinkle cow-dung-water' and 'the time to make butter-milk,' both of which indicate 6 A.M.; 'the time to milk the cows' (7 A.M.); 'the shepherds' breakfast time' (9 or 10 A.M.); 'the time to let the cattle out to graze,' which is very variable; 'the time when the feet burn' (midday); muppoddu vela, ' when three jámtis have passed' (about 3 P.M.); 'time to begin cooking' (4 P.M.); 'sanda játnu,' about three hours after nightfall, from sanda, evening ; and ' the thief time ' or midnight. A variation of the last, found in the Agency, is ' the time when the cock crows at the thief.' The Agency people also use the phrase java vein, or ' kanji time.' for 10 A.M. or breakfast time ; and sometimes call it muntlia vela, or 'porringer time,' from the vessel in which they eat it.
Besides the ordinary currency, cowries (gavvalu) are very commonly used in making small purchases throughout the low country, except in Pithaáuram and Tuni. They are imported from Bombay and sold by weight. Ninety-six cowries make one three-pie piece; but there are a number of terms denoting smaller numbers. Thus 4 cowries = I punjam; 3 pimjams = I toli; 2 tolis = I dammidi (three-quarters of a pie); 2 dammi- dis = égáni (or 1½ pies); 2 égánis — I dabbu, káni, or kotta
