[476] Cleghorn's Forests and Gardens of South India, pp. 126-44, where the official correspondence respecting kumari will be found.
[477] Cleghorn, p. 11. Poon spars are also obtained from Stercula fœtida, a tree with brownish flowers, emitting a most horrible smell.
[478] Hooker's Flora Indica, i. p. 126.
[479] The inhabitants of the Laccadive islands are Sooni Mussulmans. They have some songs commemorating the introduction of Islam 500 years ago, but do not know when the Beebee of Cannanore got possession. Menakoy, the largest island, is a mass of coral 5½ miles in diameter. The land is less than a mile wide, the rest being a reef encircling a large lagoon. Within a hundred yards of the reef there is no bottom. The lagoon, which abounds in turtle and fish, has three entrances from the sea, one of which has a depth of two fathoms. The soil of the island is a coarse powdered coral, with a little vegetable matter. It is quite flat, no part being destitute of vegetation; the south thickly covered with cocoanut-trees and underwood, and the north more sparingly. Rats abound, there are some cats, a few cows and goats, large grey cranes, ducks occasionally, and the mosquitos are fearful.
The population is 2500; of these 116 are Malikans, the aristocracy of the islands, who own vessels trading to Bengal. The Koornakar, or agent of the Beebee, is generally a Malikan; he collects rents, and superintends her traffic. The Malikans have the exclusive privilege of wearing shoes, live in large houses built round courtyards, and possess English quadrants, charts, compasses, and telescopes. Below them are 180 Malummies, or pilots, a rank obtained by merit. Then 1107 Klasies, forming the bulk of the population, who are small landed proprietors, go to sea for regular wages, but are very independent. Then 583 Maylacherries, or tree-climbers for hire. The head-men are elected by the people. The islanders have six or seven vessels fit for the Bengal trade, and three or four for coasting. They go with money to Goa and Mangalore for salt and rice, with coir to Bengal, with cocoanuts to Galle, and bring Calcutta cloths home.—Mr. Thomas's Report.
[480] The gross exports of cotton from the ports in the various districts of the Madras Presidency in 1859-60 were as follows:—
| Vizagapatam | 40,758 | lbs. | Valued at | £783 |
| Gosavery | 3,000 | " | 36 | |
| Krishna | 198,670 | " | 1,591 | |
| Nellore | 21,075 | " | 230 | |
| Fort St. George | 7,960,368 | " | 128,648 | |
| Tinnevelly | 18,562,546 | " | 274,380 | |
| Malabar | 2,509,132 | " | 49,900 | |
| N. and S. Canara | 33,264,498 | " | 504,905 | |
| Total | 62,560,047 | " | 960,473 |
In 1860-61 the total export of cotton from Bombay amounted to 355,393,894 lbs.; of which 278,868,126 lbs. went to Great Britain.
In the same year the ports of Malabar and Canara sent 55,182,181 lbs. to Bombay.
[481] In lat. 15° N. the western ghauts are not more than 1100 feet above the sea.