TRADERS AND COMMERCE 253 



— often forcing them to accept things they do not require 

 — falsify accounts, and even resort at times to acts of violence 

 for which they have incurred punishment at Port Blair. 



The merchants arrive in various kinds of vessels, from large 

 barquentines, brigs, brigantines, and schooners, to the baglas 

 of the Indians and Burmese kalhis of 20 or 30 tons. These 

 come mostly from Calcutta, Bombay, Negapatam, and Moulmein. 

 The Chinese, of course, come in their national junks, via Singa- 

 pore, Acheen, or Penang. 



Trade is always carried on by barter ; coconuts are the 

 standard of value, and although dollars and rupees change 

 hands, they are employed by the natives more as ornaments 

 than mediums of exchange. 



The annual production of coconuts is believed to reach at 

 the lowest estimate, 15,000,000; about one-third of which are 

 exported and the remainder consumed and planted. 



Except in the northern islands, there are very few paths, 

 and those merely tracks through grass and jungle ; local transport 

 and intervillage communication at the central and southern islands 

 are largely carried on by canoe. 



