704 The VO T AGE of Francis Pirard de Laval Book I. 
Immediately the King fent for his Brother-in-law to fave 
what was on Board our Ship, though the Flats were fuch 
that no Boat could come near it ; yet they found a Way of 
getting at it by the Means of a Rope fattened at one 
End to the Ship, and at the other to the Rock * for tho’ 
the Waves waffied over them* they had faft hold by the 
Rope, and fo got to the Ship ; nay, they are fo ingenious* 
that they took out the very Cannon and the heavieft Goods, 
and laughed at any Advice we could give them. When 
We left the Ship* we brought with us about a thoufand 
Crowns in feveral Girdles, and buried it afhore for a com- 
mon Referve, to fupply our Neceffities ; but fome of our 
Men being in want of Subfiftence, digged up the Place, 
and offered the Natives Pieces of Money for Food, 
after which the Natives would never allow us Suftenance 
without Pieces of Money ; and in regard that the leaft 
Piece in the Bank was worth Twenty-pence, their Provi- 
fions were much over valued : Every Seaman hid from 
his Neighbour what he had got, and would not affile him 
even at the Point of ftarving •, nay, when any lay very 
lick the reft came and rifled him before he died. 
As for my own Part, I and two more were tranfported 
to the Eland of Pancow, the Natives of which being ac- 
quainted with what patted in the other Elands, and think- 
ing we had Money about us, refufed us Suftenance, till we 
gave them Pieces of Silver ; but, in reality, we had none 
of the Money, and were reduced to great Extremities. 
In the mean time, I made it my Bufmefs to learn their 
Language, and by being able to difeourfe with them, 
infinuated myfelf into the Favour of the Governor of the 
Eland, who fent me to Male with Recommendations to 
the King, and both the King and his Queens were fo well 
pleafed with my fainting them in their own Language, and 
according to the Cuftom of the Country, and with the Ac- 
count I gave them of the Things that were taken out of 
our Ship* the Manners of the French Ladies, &c. that 
they took particular Care of me in a Fit of Sicknefs that 
lafted for many Days : In a Word, I rofe, by the King’s 
Favour and Bounty, to a Competency ; and having, by 
Virtue of a long Stay in the Country, an Opportunity to 
infpedl their Conftitution, Cuftoms, Laws, &c. am now 
going to gratify the Publick with what I have learned up- 
on that Subject. 
7. The Maldives lie between one Degree N. Lat. and 4 0 
S. Lat. being two hundred Leagues in Length, and thirty- 
five in Breadth. They are diftant from Spain , according 
to the Courfe of failing 4500 Leagues, They are divided 
into thirteen Provinces, called Attollons , each of which 
comprehends a great many fmall Elands, and is of a circu- 
lar Form, containing about thirty-two Leagues in Circum- 
ference. Thefe Elands are furrounded with a great Ridge of 
Rocks, which breaks the Shocks of the Sea, and raifes prodi- 
gious Surges. ’Tis faid the Number of Elands amount to 
12000, a great Part of which are nothing but uninhabited 
Hillocks of Sand ; but the Inhabitants informed me, that 
the daily Incurfions of the Sea-Sand impaired the Number 
both of the Elands and the Inhabitants, and that the Ifles 
of one Attollon were formerly one continued Track of 
Land. It is plain, that the Seas which divide the Ifles 
of one Attollon are fo ftiallow, that, at Low-water one 
might eafily wade over, were it not that the Bottom is 
rocky and ffiarp, and apt to wound the Feet, and that 
thofe Seas are peftered with Fifh called Paimones , which 
break Mens Legs and Arms, and devour ’em. Another 
great Inconvenience that attends the going into the Water, 
proceeds from a rough, ffiarp, porous, hard and ponder- 
ous fort of Subftance, not unlike white Coral, which they 
call Aquicy , and make ufe of in boiling it with Cocoa Wa- 
ter, for ’tis that which forms their Sugar or Honey. A 
great Part of thefe Elands are uninhabited, and produce 
nothing but Trees and Grafs, others are only a moveable 
Sand, without any Green, and others again are overflowed 
at high Water. 
The reft are covered all over with great Crabs called 
Cacouue , and Cray-fiffi, or elfe with the Fowls called Pen- 
guins, infomuch, that one cannot place a Foot in any part 
without treading upon their Eggs and young ones, or up- 
on. the old Birds themfelves, which do not fly far upon 
the Approach of a Man. This Fowl is as big as a Pid- 
geon, with black and white Feathers, and is excellent 
Meat, tho’ the Natives do not eat it. The uninhabited 
fandy Elands appear at a Diftance as if they were covered 
with Snow; for the Sand, which is as fine as that of an 
Hour-Glafs, is extream white, and withal fo very hot, as 
to hatch the Penguins Eggs. Thefe fandy Elands afford- 
little or no freffi Water, but the covered Elands, whether 
inhabited or not, enjoy that Benefit, abating for a very 
few, the Inhaoitants of which are forced to have recourfq 
to the neighbouring Elands for Water, and make ufe oft 
certain Inventions for the receiving of Rain-Water. 
The Water of fome Elands is better than that of others ? 
their Well-Water is neither very fweet, nor very whoft . 
fome* but it is very plentiful, and very freffi, even within 
four Paces of the Sea- Sid e ; for they dig not above three 
or four Feet, and where the Sea makes' frequent Inunda^ 
tions.- This -Water is very hot in the Night-Time, a nd 
extream cold in the Day, efpecially about Noon. To re- 
turn to the thirteen Attollons , the firtt beginning from the 
North, is called Villa Bon Matis , i. e. the high Point $ 
in this lies the Head or Cape of the fame Name, called 
by the Portuguese , Cabexa des las il has , fituated in 8® 
N. L. The fecond is called Milla aone Madone , the third 
Padypolo , the fourth Malafmadon , the fifth Arafellon , the 
lixth Male Attollon , in which lies Male, the head Eland of 
the Maldives ; the ieventh Poulifdows , the eighth Molucque , 
the ninth Nilandous , the tenth (follow afons, the eleventh 
Aloumatis , the twelfth Souadon , the thirteenth Addon and 
Polo Molubque ; thefe two being reckoned but one, by 
reafon of their Smalinefs. Each Attollon is feparated 
from the adjacent Provinces by an Arm of the Sea, which 
is in fome Places narrow, and in others broad. There are 
only four of thefe limiting Channels, that being much 
broader than the reft, are navigable by great Ships, but 
not without Danger, efpecially in the Night, by reafon 
of their Flats and Rocks, which are marked very exacilv 
in fome Sea Charts, which I faw in that Country. The 
Natives have a wonderful Dexterity in avoiding thefe dan- 
gerous Places : I have feen them fail fo nicely, as to rub 
upon rocks on both Sides, without any Damage. 
Both the Rich and the Poor are inured to the Sea from 
their Infancy, and fear nor to encounter the moft turbulent 
and foaming Seas, in little Boats and Barks, the Number 
of which is unaccountable; for the pooreft Man that is 
has one, and the Rich have feveral. They never fail by 
Night, or out of Sight of Land, unlels it be when they 
undertake fome great Voyage; and accordingly, the Pro- 
vifions they have on Board, are calculated only for one 
Day. The greateft Part of the Elands comprehended in 
one Attollon , are furrounded with a common Flat or Bar, 
that is only paffable at one or two narrow Places, which 
are not eafily obferved, and for that Reafon it is neceffary 
for them to be very expert in the Management of their 
Boats, or Barks, flnee the leaft Slip is certainly followed 
with Shipwreck, and the Lofs of their Goods ; as for their 
own Perfons, indeed, they have no great Reafon to fear,, 
for all of them fwim admirably well. Notwithftanding 
that wonderful Dexterity in Sailing, they frequently lofe 
their Barks, which is cccafioned by the Currents called 
Oyvacous , which run Eaft and Weft, fix Months 
upon the Eaft Coaft, and fix Months upon the Weft ; 
but with fuch Uncertainty, that the Change happens 
fooner or later, at one Time than another : Though their 
Winds are frequently fixed, as well in the Currents in the 
Eaft and Weft Quarter, yet they fometimes ffiift to the 
North and Eaft. 
8. It is to be obferved, that the Attollons lie all in a Line, 
the End of the one facing the End of the next adjacent, 
and that they have two Entrances of acceffiable Places on 
each Side, which is a wonderful Conveniency ; for if there 
was only one Landing-place at each End, the Impetuofity 
of the Eaft and Weft Currents would break their Com- 
munication with one another, or, at leaft, it would be im- 
poffible to pradtife it at all Seafons. The Neceffity of four 
Landing-places. in each Attollon will be evident, if we con- 
fider the following Inftance ; fuppofe a Landing-place on 
the Eaft Coaft, almoft diredily oppofite to the Entry of 
the other Attollon , and another on the Weft, oppofite to 
that of the adjacent Attollon, , if the Current runs from Eaft 
to 
