oct. — mar. 1859-60.] Report on the Laccadive Islands. 259 



72. All the " Odies," " bandodies," " Massboats" and smaller 

 ones are built in Menakoy (the smaller pegged and the two first 

 nailed) partly of cocoanut and partly of woods brought from the 

 main land. 



73. Their Massboats sail excellently both before and against 

 the wind, but for the larger vessels they complain that they have 

 no good model, and I know nothing that would tend more to the 

 prosperity of this community of sailors and traders, who already 

 use English instruments, charts and nautical tables than by open- 

 ing to them a way of awning better built, better rigged vessels : 

 they find it hard work in their tubs of vessels with large crews to 

 hold their own in a trade where they now find many competitors, 

 and are most anxious to avail themselves of any means of placing 

 themselves more on a par with others : whether this would best be 

 done by giving them working models, or by presenting Hussan* 

 Malikan with a small properly built vessel (cutter or schooner) as 

 a lasting and useful memorial of the sense entertained by Govern- 

 ment of his loyalty, or in what other way it is unnecessary for me 

 to suggest. 



Miscellaneous notes on Menakoy. 

 Prices on the Island and elsewhere. 



74. Sugar. — 7 adubas Us: 1. 



= j its bulk in Bengal rice. 

 = J at the Maldives. 



1 pot of it superior = 12 Mass fish r In Mai- 

 inferior = 8 do. ( dives. t 



75. Coir. — 4 polies = 1 Mayna of rice ') 



— about 1 Anna. I 



>In Menakoy. 



1 maund= lis. 3 



= Us. 5 in Bengali J 



* See remarks on him in the Report on the Magisterial enquiry. 



f A good market always to be found, also at Galle and in Malabar, 

 but the latter too small 



% They formerly got Us. 16 per maund, the price sunk to B«. 3 per 

 maund and is now rising again. 

 Vol. xx. o, s. Vol. til w. s. 



