There are two kinds of land in this village, one termed wet land," as being capable of irrigation by means of the water collected in the village tank; and the other, dry grain land," being rendered productive by rain. The land is divided as follows: Wet land......... Cânies. 211 157 Total arable land ... 368 The total land in the village register amounts to 548 canies; there being 38 cănies of land alienated by custom or by grant, and 142 cănies of entirely unproductive land, the particulars of all which are detailed. The village occupants, however, retain possession of, and cultivate, the whole of the alienated land; the grantees of this land receiving no more than the sovereign's share of the produce indeed, in order to keep on good terms with the cultivators, the grantees generally take less than the sovereign would take, that is, less than one-half the produce. It is thus evidently advantageous to cultivate what is termed" alienated land." There is a fluctuation in the amount of revenue, according to the season, but no alteration in the rates of division between the cultivator and sovereign. If the amount of the produce of the land in this village be assumed as 100, it will be divided in the following proportion: Previously to the setting out of the produce the various village. servants, &c. receive in fees The cultivators retain ... The grantee receives as revenue 10 38 514 100 The grantee pays all charges of collection, and of keeping the tank in repair; and when the cultivators are impoverished by bad seasons, loss of cattle, &c., he is obliged by custom to assist them by advances of money, to be repaid out of the next crop. Although the cultivators relinquish so large a proportion of produce as revenue to the sovereign, yet they possess advantages which, though not capable of being accurately estimated, are of considerable value to them. These advantages are, to a certain extent, specified in this paper. The land privileges of the original settlers are held in four principal shares, each of these being subdivided into sixteen parts, making in all sixty-four shares; and by the custom of the village, a principal share cannot be sold, because it contains the property of many, but it may be subdivided under certain limitations. The land here is cultivated by ploughs drawn by oxen, one pair to each plough; part is ploughed in a dry state, and part worked into a puddle of mud. Part is sown broad-cast, and part transplanted with rice plants previously raised in beds, and planted in the prepared slush by the women of the families of the labourers and slaves. One plough is considered sufficient to cultivate from four to five canies of land+ during one season. The price of ploughing cattle varies of course: a pair of strong bullocks, for heavy wet-land work, cost about £5. 12s. Buffaloes would be much cheaper, but they are only used by the poorest cultivators, as they do not work well in the heat of the sun. In * A căni is 57,600 square feet. In an account given to Mr. H., the average annual expense of ten ploughs and their drivers is calculated at £4. 3s. per plough. The common plough is of so slight a construction, that one man can easily carry two or three on his shoulders to the fields. When field labour is paid in money, which is not often the case, the rate is about eight, or at the most, ten shillings a month for an able-bodied man. The manner of allotting the various portions of land in this village is peculiar to villages where wet or rice cultivation prevails. The names of the different lots and shareholders are written on pieces of palm-leaf, and the names of each division of land to be lotted are placed in a row. A child, selected for the purpose, draws a leaf with the name of a principal shareholder, and places it under a number; this shareholder, with his under-shareholders, thus becomes entitled to cultivate the share of land lotted under that number. When the principal shares are disposed of, the holders of these shares proceed in like manner to divide them amongst the under-cultivators, till all the sixty-four shares are disposed of. There are three kinds of labourers in this village, viz. 1, slaves of two different castes; 2, bondsmen, who may redeem themselves; and 3, hired labourers. There is not much difference in the treatment of these labourers, except that the free-men receive a larger portion of their wages in money, and find themselves in clothes. Mr. H. observes that, so far as his observation extends, the cultivators in India are kind and considerate masters. Having thus exhibited the interests of the village cultivators, Mr. H. refers to the interests of the grantee; and in an appendix to the paper, exhibits a statement of the extent of cultivation, gross produce, government share, reserved rent, and net profits of this village, for a period of thirty years. This statement shews the great fluctuation in the net amount of profit received by the grantee. The largest amount exhibited is in the 21st year of possession by the grantee, being 654 star pagodas. The next year but one exhibits a very different result; being a loss of 140 star pagodas, owing to an almost entire failure of cultivation, from the effects of drought. As the culti vators pay the revenue in kind, and in proportion to the net produce, their real loss was only that of labour and seed. Mr. Hodgson enters into further details, and in conclusion expresses his willingness to give every information in his power to any person who may feel an interest in the subject of his paper. The thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. Hodgson. This being the last general meeting for the season, it was announced that the Society would meet again on Saturday the 3d of November, at the usual hour. It was further announced that the Rev. Mr. Wolff would deliver a lecture to the members of the Society, on matters of interest connected with those eastern countries which he has visited, on Saturday the 23d. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. SLAVES AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPF. (Printed by Order of the House of Commons, 1st March 1827.) Number of Manumissions effected by purchase, bequest, or otherwise, between 1st January 1821 and 31st December 1825, viz.—Males 100; females 127; total, 227. Statement of the Expenses attending Manumission,-1. The memorial to government, which is usually written on a stamp of four shillings and nine-pence.-The permission of Government was formerly granted on a stamp of one rix dollar (1s. 6d.); but for some time past no stamp has been used for this permission. 2. The payment of fifty rix dollars to the funds of the reformed church, in addition to which two persons must bind themselves that the slave so manumitted shall not become burthensome to the church within the period of twenty years; if the slave, however, has been baptized, the payment is not made to the church funds, nor is security demanded; and latterly also, in the case of heathens, the Governor has been pleased to dispense with the payment to the Church, upon security being given that the emancipated slave shall not become a burthen to the church funds during his or her life-time. Number of Marriages legally solemnized between slaves during the same period, viz.-14. Number of Slaves taken and sold in execution for debt, by the Sequestrator's department, between 1st January 1821 and 31st July 1826, viz. Males, 528; females, 344; total, 872.-Note. Husband and wife, mother and child, appear from the return to have been sold to the same purchaser, except in seven instances, where the child and the mother were sold in separate lots. RETURN of the Free Black and Slave Population from 1st January 1821 to ult. December 1824.* RETURN of the Number of Births and Deaths that have taken place among the Free Black and Slave Population, from 1st December 1821 to ult. December 1824. The return for preceding years may be seen in Asiat. Journ. Vol. XXII. p. 64. MAURITIUS SUGAR. (Printed by Order of the House of Commons, May 1, 1827.) Statement of Colonial Sugars exported during the years 1812-25; as extracted from the Books and Documents of the Custom-House of Port Louis; but the Records for 1811 not being forthcoming, and those for 1812-13-14, being incomplete, the quantities stated as exported during those years may possibly not be strictly accurate. An Account of the quantity of Sugar imported into Great Britain and Ireland, from the Mauritius in 1825 and 1826. Note-No account can be rendered of the imports of Mauritius Sugar prior to the year 1825, in which year the Act was passed, placing the article on the same footing, with regard to duty, as the Sugar of the British plantations. Previously to that period, it was chargeable with the same duty as Sugar of the produce of the East-Indies, and both were indiscriminately entered at the Custom-House under one denomination. COTTON EXPORTED FROM THE SEYCHELLES. Statement of Cotton received from Seychelles during the years 1812-25, as extracted from the Books of the Custom-House of Port Louis; but the Records for 1811 not being forthcoming, and those for 1812-13-14 being incomplete, the quantities stated as received during those years may possibly not be strictly accurate. An Account of the quantity of Raw and Waste Silk imported into this country, in the years ending 5th January 1826 and 1827. France. Italy. Turkey. East-Indies. From all parts. Year 1825...lbs. 885,334......724,464.........341,107.........1,029,346.........3,113,446 1826...lbs. 266,662......153,427.........240,840.........1,803,039.........2,487,009 An Account of the quantity of Thrown Silk imported into this country during the same period. Year 1825...lbs. 168,241......600, 366......... 1826...lbs. 164,152...... 9,825......... 769,603 174,667 MANUFACTURED SILKS. An Account of the quantity of Silks, manufactured and other than manufactured, exported from this country in the years ending 5th Jan. 1825, 1826, and 1827. Manufactures of Silk only, and mixed with other Materials. Other than Manufactured. An Account of the Number of Pieces of Bandannoes imported into this country from the East-Indies and China, and exported to foreign parts, from 5th January 1814 to 5th January 1827. An Account of the Number of Pieces of Bandannoes in the East-India Company's Warehouse on 5th January 1827. |