1847.] 



Laccadive Islands. 



33 



With regard to tobacco the Islanders generally take a few maunds 

 from the Government godowns for form's sake, but the principal 

 consumption on the islands is of Bengal tobacco. On this point the 

 Islanders were more reserved, and though I could not thoroughly 

 trace its introduction, it seems to be through the Beeby of Canna- 

 nore. She probably has some traffic with Bengal, and supplies her 

 own island, and from them it is introduced into ours. The prices 

 are about J of the Government prices and sufficiently low to induce 

 consumers to prefer it. This also has been frequently reported by 

 the local officers, and Bengal tobacco stopped, but it has been tolerat- 

 ed under the same considerations as influenced the directions with 

 reference to salt, and the tobacco returned to the Islanders with a 

 warning not to smuggle in future. It would be still more difficult to 

 put a stop to this ; less bulky than salt it is introduced in small 

 quantities from the neighbouring islands and often about the person. 

 ^.^^ ^ The management of the island is entrusted to a 



Sibbendy. Monegar with the powers of an Ameen of Police, whose 

 station throughout the greater part of the year is Ameendevy. He 

 has 5 peons on pay of 5 rupees per mensem, of whom two are with 

 him in Ameendevy and the rest distributed, one in each of the other 

 islands. The Monegar sees that there is no clandestine traffic in 

 coir from the islands, but he has nothing to do with the accounts, 

 weighing, &c. of the coir and his duties are exclusively police. He 

 has the assistance of one of the Islanders as a Karany to take down 

 depositions, and to read them, for the character used is the Arabic. 

 In addition to these duties the Karany has those of the Shanbogue or 

 accountant ; he keeps the accounts of the trees and the coir in the 

 islands, and makes out and delivers the accounts of coir brought to 

 the coast, in short he is the working man of the islands. His remu- 

 neration is 18 mooras of rice per annum worth about 27 rupees or 

 little more than 2 rupees per mensem, and less than half of a peon's 

 pay. It has always been an ill-paid office, but under the Beeby's 

 rule the Karany, besides this nominal remuneration, had several per- 

 quisites which of course he does not now enjoy. 



The expenses of the Sibbendy are entered in the margin, show an 





Rs. 



A. 



P. 



1 Monegav per mensem... 



17 



8 



0 



5 Peons at 5 Rs. do 



25 



0 



0 





42 



8 



0 



Per Annum. . 



510 



0 



0 



average for 10 years of 535 rupees 

 per annum. The Karany's allow- 

 ance is included which being paid 

 in rice and varying according to the 

 market value of the article, causes 



