138 Account of a Journey from Kurrachee toHinglaj. [No. 98. 



The only towns comprised within it are Beila, Oothul, 

 Soumeanee, and Lyaree, the former being the usual residence of 

 the chief. Soumeanee is the only port, and the customs on its 

 imports and exports form the principal item of revenue. It is 

 described as having been in former days but a mere village in- 

 habited by fishermen, called as all such places are on this coast, 

 iC meanee." Its bay affording more protection to their boats than 

 they could find on the open coast, its population naturally 

 increased, and as trade began to flow through it, the epithet 

 "Sou" was prefixed par excellence. A small mud fort was 

 built on the sea side to check the rapacity of the Gulf pirates, 

 and many Noomreeas from the jungle located themselves 

 there. At present it contains upwards of two hundred houses, 

 Population of soumeanee built as usual of wattle and mud, and the num- 

 ber of inhabitants is said to amount to a thousand families. 

 Of these the greater proportion are Noomreeas, who earn their 

 subsistence by transporting merchandise to the northward, and 

 fishermen. The Hindoo portion of the population does not 

 exceed three hundred, a few being agents of traders at other 

 ports, and the rest artisans and shopkeepers. The Yam exercises 

 the supreme authority, but as the present incumbent is a child, 

 his power is in the hands of two Dewans, a Mahomedan 

 and a Hindoo. They are however controlled by his mother, 

 who has the reputation of being a woman of sense and dis- 

 cretion. The former regulates the police, and the latter the 

 revenue, the total amount of which is about 45,000 rupees per 

 annum ; of this sum from rupees ten to twelve thousand is deri- 

 ved from the cultivation round Beila, Oothul, and Lyaree, where 

 Revenue. soowaree, oil seed (shungruf), &c. is raised, and the 

 gum of the googhul tree found. The customs collected at 

 the port of Soumeanee and the transit duties of Beila and 

 Oothul are farmed by a Kwaja and a Hindoo for rupees 

 34,000 per annum ; a few years ago the sum paid was rupees 

 30,000, and before that only 26,000 — a pretty convincing 

 proof of the increasing prosperity of the port. Two thousand 

 rupees of this amount are said to be derived from the tax on 

 fish. The contractors pay part of the amount of their agree- 

 ment in advance, and the balance at the end of the year. 





