10 Description of the [No. 33, 



allowed to resume this equivalent, the islands still remaining un- 

 der Mysore and attached to Canara. In the bond executed to the 

 Honorable East India Company by the House of Cannanore in October 

 1798, these islands are specifically excluded and no mention of an 

 equivalent is made. 



" The Laccadivies being thus attached to Oanara, came along with 

 " that province under the dominion of the British ; but as they had 

 *' constituted a part of the Mysore possessions at the close of the war 



in which Tippoo fell, and the Beeby had not previously the slight- 

 " est prospect of recovering them, her claim in 1803 to the north- 

 " ernmost, not being ruled by the laws of nations, stood in need of 



indulgent consideration, the result was, that the claims were 

 *' declared inadmissible on the ground that she had no right to be 

 " placed by the conquest of Mysore in any other situation, than that 

 ^' in which she would have stood had no such event taken place. 

 " In addition to which it was thought inexpedient to vest the 

 " Beeby with authority over the Laccadivies, under the declared 



aversion of the islanders to her Government."* 



Notwithstanding this determination the claim must have been per- 

 sisted in, for a remission of revenue of 1,500 Pagodas (5,250 Rupees) 

 was, I believe, sanctioned by the Court of Directors in compensation 

 under date 27th June, 1 822, and is now remitted as enam-jaree 

 from the- assessment paid by the Beeby to Government in Malabar. 



The salary of the Kavilgar of the Beeby's island is I understand, 

 a nominal one still, of 12 to 15 moodas of rice per annum, and the 

 appointment is conferred for a natter of 50 to 70 Rupees. His 

 household and other expenses are probably found by the islanders, 

 and he is allowed to exact a considerable per centage on all that is 

 introduced into the islands, and on the small surplus produce which 

 they export; besides appropriating all the tortoiseshell and am- 

 bergris got by the islanders, with various other little perquisites 

 given up by us on assuming the management of the northern islands 

 in 1805. 



The condition of the islanders attached to Canara is perhaps as 

 good as it could be, where the soil is so poor; and the advantages of 

 their condition is the more felt by our islanders from the contrast 

 being so near. Entirely exempted from direct burdens on the land 

 and all official interference, they have a ready and never failing 



* Hamilton's Gazetteer. 



