oct. — MIR. 1859-60.] Report on the Laccadive Islands. 257 



60. In her 3 " Odies" and 1 Barque she employs probably 

 about 100 men monthly: she pays (for collecting the fallen cocoa- 

 nuts) about 400 women and for various odd work 50 youths, thus 

 about a quarter of the population receive more or less from her. 



61. The following are the chief products : 

 Cocoanuts, Mean Shakrai, 

 Sugar, Arreca Nuts, 



Coir, Betal vine Shalam Maze, 



Cowries. Warrago, 

 Mass fish, Shark Kotah Sugar-cane, Plantains, 



Terendy (large Skates), Edible root, called " Hithala 



Turtle, Kilang." 



Note. — A Barque of about 400 tons and " Odies" under 200 tons : 

 the smaller vessels " Bandodies" are of about 70 tons burthen. 



62. Trade. — The people of Menakoy are great traders. At 



the time I visited the Island all their vessels 



Beelee's property, b 2 absent, and it was not very readi- 



Bnrque none ' J 



Odies 3 ly that they mformed me how many they had. 



Bandodies 3 j believei however, I shall not be far wrong 



Mass boats 3 . ° 



Boats ... none m saymg they have 6 or 7 vessels fit for the 



Bengal trade, and 3 or 4 which go to the 



Coast and the Maldives. 



63. The usual course of trade is as follows : 



They go with money and sometimes (but rarely) with mass fish 

 and sugar to Goa for salt , and to Mangalore for rice, returning 

 with these to Menakoy, they usually transfer the goods to a larger 

 vessel and start laden with cocoanut, coir, sugar, mass, &c. for 

 Bengal : they usually touch at the Maldives and Galle on their 

 way ; to the Maldives they take Goa salt, Menakoy sugar and (if 

 any remain from last year) Bengal rice and Coringa cloths ; here 

 they take in mass for the Galle aud (.'alicut markets, cocoanuts, 

 cowries and coir for Bengal, at Galle they take in more cocoanuts 

 and sail foi C.dcutta. 



65. On the returning voyage they bring from Calcutta (for sale 

 in the Maldives) cloths, silks, &c. and sugar from Balasore, and 

 Oomrah, kc. (for sale at Galle and in the Maldives), rice from 

 Coringa (for home consumption and the Maldives) white cloths, 

 kc, 



