351 
live-eighths of all the pepper that is produced in Malabar; and 
the price which they give absolutely regulates that of the whole. 
Since the French have been driven from Mahie, the whole of this 
has of course fallen into the hands of the Company.” 
44 In 1797 the Company exported four thousand one hundred 
and fifty five candies of Malabar pepper, of six hundred pounds 
each; which was the largest exportation duringseventeen years: since 
the capture of Mahie, in 1793, the Company has, according to 
Maccay, sent annually about four thousand candies to Europe 
direct, to Bombay, and to China. The remainder of the pepper is 
exported chiefly by native traders. The largest quantity goes to 
the Bay of Bengal; the next largest to Surat, Cutch, Scindy, and 
other ports in the north-west of India; and a considerable quan- 
tity goes to the Arabian merchants of Muscat, Mocha, Hodeida, 
Aden, and Judda. The demand from Seringapatam was the 
smallest, and used to amount to about five hundred candies a year. 
The pepper that went to Coimbetore came chiefly from the Cochin 
and Travencore dominions.” 
44 The Company have always made their purchases by a con- 
tract entered into with a few native merchants. In December 
and January, when the crops are so far advanced that judgment 
can be formed of the quantity of pepper likely to be obtainable, 
the commercial resident assembles the contractors, and a written 
agreement is entered into with them, settling the price, and the 
quantity that each is to deliver: at this time, sometimes the 
whole, and in general at least one half of the money is advanced 
to the contractors. The contract for pepper in 1800, was five 
thousand candies, at one hundred and thirty rupees the candy, of six 
