Description of the 



[No. S3, 



shoals great quantities of the holothuria or sea slug, of a better des- 

 cription than that found on the other islands, is found. During the 

 fishing season, a good many of the Islanders are employed by coast 

 Moplah merchants in the manufacture of what the Islanders call coke 

 of this sea worm. Found on all coral formations which rise near 

 the surface, it is here collected in great quantities, and half boiled 

 in the water which it has imbibed, it is then laid out and dried in the 

 Bun, and in this state it is in good demand for the Chinese market at 

 Bombay. The shark also abounds about these shoals, and several 

 candies of fins are yearly exported from these islands chiefly taken 

 in the neighbourhood of Bitra. 



In each of the islands there are so called Circar gar- 

 dens which consist of lots of trees held by Islanders on 

 a darkasi or agreement to supply certain quantities of coir yearly to 

 Government. These have been Circar gardens since the time of the 

 Cannanore rule, when it was usual to confiscate property in place of 

 penal punishments, for instance that entered third in the list of 

 Ameendevy was confiscated for a murder committed by its owner. 

 The history of them all seems to be well known to the principal in- 

 habitants, and were in future any system adopted under what it would 

 be advisable to return these, properly assessed, to the descendants 

 of the original proprietors, their heirs might easily be traced. 



The following statement exhibits the number and value of the 

 Circar gardens in each of the islands. 



Circar Gardens, 



Gardens in A.meen 

 devy, 



Do. in do. 



Do. in Kiltan, 

 Do. in Kada- 



mat, 



Do. in Chetlat, 

 Hossagamy Trees 

 in Ameendevy, 



Total Trees. 1 



1 Bearing Trees. 



1 Past Bearing. j 



j Young Tree* and Plants.! 



j Bread Fruit Trees. 



j Supary Trees. 



j Government Share per 



1 Annum. 



1 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



Mds lbs 



391 



291 



0 



0 



0 



0 



18 





410 



299 



0 



0 



9 



10 



18 





380 



228 



0 



148 



0 



0 



6 



0 



152 



US 



0 



0 



0 



0 



9 



0 



206 



142 



0 



61 



0 



0 



9 



14 



539 



402 



30 



107 



0 



0 



19 



0 



2,078 



1,510 



30 



316 



9 



16 



79 



74 



Page 18. 



I'age 20. In this gurdfn there 

 are 120 youiif plants which 

 will soon be in bearing. 

 Pasre 2ri. 4 chouk tiees are 

 deluded. 



Page'23. 



Page 26. Chouk trees are ei- 

 ciuded. 



Page 20. 



