132 Miscellaneous. 



should observe that cattle are very scarce ; the few bullocks found being 

 evidently barely sufficient for the uses of husbandry, viz. tilling the 

 ground, and working the mills by which water is raised. These ma- 

 chines, which are invariably on the chain-pump principle, are worked 

 in an inclined position, some by cattle, but the greater number used 

 for raising water from the canals to the trifling height required for the 

 irrigation of the fields, by hand, the labourer standing in an erect pos- 

 ture holding in either hand a handle attached by a flat rod to a little 

 wooden crank fitted on the axle of the upper roller of the pump, and by 

 this means turning the chain with far greater ease and celerity than 

 when stooping to the work. The pump barrel is square, and the chain 

 merely twisted rope with square boards knotted on at intervals of nine 

 inches : there is of course much friction and escape of water, but when 

 worked with proper speed these irrigation machines appear to be ex- 

 ceedingly effective and economical. To raise water from wells in the 

 vallies where dry cultivation prevails, the pump is worked by a bullock, 

 turning a large wooden horizontal wheel with a pinion, on whose axle 

 the upper drum is driven. Of sheep there are none, but goats are plen- 

 tiful : pigs abound as also poultry of all descriptions. As it appears 

 however that the lower slopes and ridges of the hills produce a pas- 

 turage rich enough for sheep, while in some of the higher vallies and 

 meadows grass might be grown to any extent, there can be little doubt 

 that both these and bullocks of the best breed could be reared in suffi- 

 cient numbers to supply all the wants of a garrison, and such amount 

 of shipping as would be likely to frequent the port.* Peas and Beans, 

 Mangel Wurzel, Clover, &c. could also be grown, and horses be well 

 cared for in all respects.f 



The rice-crop which was standing when the Island was occupied by 

 H. M. Forces was cut in the month of August, and it was understood 

 that only one crop was produced during the year : owing however to 

 the difficulty of acquiring information, I was unable to produce evidence 

 regarding this, but should imagine from the abundance of water that 

 two could easily be grown. 



Roads. — There are absolutely none deserving of tbe name, the lines 

 of communication between the villages being kept up by means of sim- 

 ple footpaths along the banks of the paddy fields, which is accounted 

 for by the total absence of wheel carriages of any description whatever 



* The few ponies found in Ting-hae were evidently importations : no mares or foals were 

 seen. 



t Provided roads were made. 



