1847.] 



Luccadive Islands. 



except Kiltan. To them is referred every case of the nature of a 

 civil dispute, and though not always impartial, and generally dilatory 

 in their work, they are a valuahle body of judges where custom and 

 hearsay rule almost every question ; for until very lately the use of 

 documents was unknown in these islands. As much bus iness as is 

 possible of this nature should be referred to them for decision, and 

 will be decided more to the satisfaction of the parties generally than 

 could be done by officers holding local civil jurisdiction. Hitherto 

 the Collector has taken cognizance of all cases in which rights were 

 concerned, and referred them to their Karomars for decision. As long 

 as this body exist to appoint MoonsifFs or any civil authority would 

 be to entail expense, tf nothing worse. It has been the custom of 

 these assemblies or koots as they are called to impose small fines 

 paid in coir to Government on members who absent themselves with- 

 out sufficient cause, as well as on those who do not appear before 

 them when called, and this excellent custom has always been recog- 

 nized by . the Magistrate, and such fines confirmed. 



The Karomars stand bail for all persons charged with crime, for 

 which it will be necessary to bring them to the coast, and undertake to 

 deliver them before the Magistrate ; and in cases of fines, some one 

 of them undertakes to levy the amount of coir and deliver it on the 

 coast according to the Monegar's list. No coir is ever collected by 

 the police. To these Karomars with the Karony is left the whole 

 coir management, and it may be said that the generality, of the 

 Islanders are the dependants of some one or other of them. By im- 

 memorial custom they are required to furnish boats and rowers gratis, 

 to take the Monegar the tour of the island once in the beginning of 

 every season, to make inquiries into what has happened during the 

 monsoon and examine any cases that may have accumulated. 



The state of crime in these islands for the last 8 years is shown 



by the marginal statement to be on 

 the whole increasing, but I attribute 

 this to greater vigilance in bringing 

 ofienders forward. The most fre- 

 quent crimes are petty assaults and 

 theft of nuts from the trees, but there 

 is from time (o time a case of steal- 

 ing from houses and slight house- 

 breaking. Great difliculty is. ex- 

 p' rienccd ill making out a case which 





Ji 



s s • 





Amount 





CO 



'S 







of coir. 





















O 0) „' 











Year. 



o ^ 



0. of p 



confin 

 stocks 



C! 



6 



•SpUTE 



CO 



T3 









Z 



;z; 



o 







1837.. 



79 



7 



72 



0 



16 



0 



1838.. 



7G 



7 



G9 



0 



19 





1839.. 



SI 



0 



34 



0 



8 





1810.. 



107 



29 



138 



2 



17 



1841.. 



165 



45 



120 



2 



8 



■n 



1842.. 



105 



19 



8(5 



2 



11 



7 



1813.. 



118 



31 



87 





11 



0 



1844.. 



93 



18 



75 



1 



13 



(J 



