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other occasions would yield upwards of eleven thousand rupees annually. There is no province in India, where a race of natives is fiscally as highly favored as the Coorgs in their principality. In former times they had, for their light assessment, to perform bodily service to their Rajahs, as has been stated in another place. These services have ceased with the accession of the Company to the Government of the country, but the great privileges of their ancient feudality have been continued to them. Under these circumstances they have every reason to be satisfied with their present condition, and I believe, they are fully aware, that the restoration, if it was possible, of the former Government would not be for their advantage, though, no doubt, the old men still feel something of the hereditary attachment to their own princes.

Coorg produces an annual rice-harvest of the value of upwards of seven lacs of rupees (7,00,000.) The rent paid for this produce of rice is under 1,20,000 Rupees. The whole net land revenue of the country, I have learned, amounted last year (1853) to a trifle above Rupees 1,26,000. The amount of the whole revenue of the year has been nearly Rupees 1,90,000. About sixty thousand Rupees accrue from the Abkári, the Sandalwood-sales, the Cardamom-tax, and other sources. The Rajahs used to make Rupees 80,000 per annum by the sale of Cardamoms which were considered Government property, like the Sandalwood. There were some Coorg-families, who cultivated Cardamom on their Jamma-lands, but they had to deliver their produce to the Government, which paid them at the rate of Rupees 20 per maund and sold it with the Government-Cardamom to the merchants of the western coast. The market-price of a maund of Cardamom varies from Rupees 25 to Rupees 40. This revenue under the Company's administration has dwindled

CORDAMOM-REVENUE. GENERAL ACCOUNTS. 71

down to Rupees 8,000. The Coorgs have managed the affair very cleverly. After the Company had established itself in the country, it was found, that the Rajah's mode of collecting the Cardamom by forced labour was not admissible. The labour was paid. Soon it appeared, that the whole business was attended with great trouble, losses were sustained, the produce was not good and fell off. A change of management was considered advisable. Orders were given to put the Cardamom-plantations to auction. Influential men became Cardamom-farmers, and paid about one-tenth of what might have gone into the treasury. They made of course vast profits. The secret oozed out and, after some years, another auction took place. Bidders were most eager. Men bid 300 rupees where only 30 rupees had been paid by the former occupants. Some offered even more. The former men made room for new renters. But the expectants were disappointed. The gardens did not bear what they had done formerly or were reported to have done. Some of them gained nothing, others lost much. Another auction is expected to take plare, and it is yet to be seen, what the result will be. Those, who formerly had to sell their Cardamoms to the Rajah at rupees 20 per annum, have hitherto made the best of the good thing. It was proposed to tax them, but they said, the Cardamoms grew on their Jamma-lands, and they had never been taxed under the Rajahs. Literally true, essentially false, their protest has been allowed hitherto. The above revenue-account shows, why Coorg does not pay what it might. This is a pity.

A heavy item, viz. 85,000 Rs. goes to Benares for the Rajah and his superintendent, I believe. The rest is absorbed by the Government establishment. Nothing remains for the garrison of Mercara. Coorg has not a single road, except the two good high-roads leading

from Hoonsoor to Mangalore and to Cannanore, which cut through Coorg, one from Fraserpett to Sampáji, the other from Titmatti to the Stony River. These roads have not been made for Coorg, and do not benefit Coorg very much. A great road, from Perambádi in the south to Kodlipett, or better to Manjarabad in the north, is required, to open to the country and connect its traffic with the other great arteries of trade running from east to west. A road from Mercara to Virarájéndrapett is now in course of construction. Coorg does not pay. One feels inclined to say: make it pay! Tax the Coorgs higher, as Hyder did the Gaudas, when he took the Manjarabad district. The people of that part of the Mysore, having no inclination to part with their money, had frightened Krishnarája into concessions. In order to get his dues, the poor Rajah raised exciseimposts upon every thing imaginable, butter and ghee, wood and grass, houses and doors, but the people ceased to pay land-rent. When Hyder seized the country, he abolished at once all the vexatious and troublesome collections of small sums, and doubled the ancient land-tax by a single stroke of the pen, telling the people, he was not inclined to be a gatherer of small taxes. "In former days," he said "you paid land-rent and had to follow the Rajahs into You may stay at home now. I keep the soldiery, you pay double the amount of the old land-tax, and we are both benefitted." Thus the Coorgs might now, for staying quietly at home, pay the common land-rent of Rupees 10, instead of Rs. 5. "That must not be ;

war.

Well, then, make

the Coorgs would not like it." Rs. 80,000 by the Cardamoms, as the Rajahs did. That will not do either. We only get Rs. 8,000 now. If the Government took Rs. 80,000, the Coorgs would not like it." I suppose, they would not. Well, then lay a tax upon Coffee. About half a lac of maunds,

STATISTICS.

CARDAMOMS.

73

are annually exported. Charge the maund half a Rupee, in lieu of land-rent and you will have Rs. 25,000 per annum to expend upon roads. "Dreadful idea! The Coorgs paid nothing for Coffee in ancient days (for there was none). They would not like to have a new tax." To be sure, they would not like to part with their money; but why they should be taxed so lightly, compared with other subjects of the Company, I cannot understand. If their like or dislike is to be the rule, you had better tax them not at all, and pension them for making salaam to you. This arrangement they would no doubt like well enough. I feel assured, if the country were taxed more heavily, and if the larger revenue were spent upon improvements, the Coorgs would be gainers every year in hard cash for their additional payment to Government. The greater part of the country might be turned into a Coffee garden, and produce 5,000,000 of maunds of Coffee instead of 50,000, as it now does. A number of good roads would draw trade and population into the interior of the principality. The value of property would rise, the indolent would be stimulated into industry; the industrious and enterprizing would rise to wealth, the waters of Coorg would be turned to account during the dry season, morasses and other unhealthy localities would be cleared and turned into fruitful and pleasant gardens. The country would scarcely know its own face after twenty years.

The Cardamom-plantations have been mentioned. Few persons are acquainted with the particulars of this singular branch of jungle-horticulture. A description of the establishment of a Cardamom-garden may be acceptable. The natural history of this grateful and aromatic spice has attracted much attention of late years. The Coorg Cardamoms, known as Wynaad Cardamoms, are most esteemed.

G

In the fair season, some time in February a party of Coorgs, in some western Náđu, (all the people that can be spared from home) will start for the western mountains. They select some convenient place under a large tree for their abode during the working season. Having arranged every thing at the halting place, they set out early next morning for the chosen Cardamomground. The steepest declivities of the mountains are chosen. The slope must face west, or still better, north. Eastern or southern slopes are two much expos ed to the east winds and the sun. One of the largest trees is marked. There are gigantic specimens to be met with in those forest solitudes. Some tree of 150 or 200 feet in height having been fixed upon, the ground at its foot is cleared of brushwood and thorns to a length of 250 or 350 feet, according to the height of the giant, and to a breadth of thirty or forty feet. This preparation being completed, the party sets out next morning very early, carrying four good adzes. A platform is erected between the stem of the tree, at a height of some twelve feet, and the side of the mountain rising behind. Upon this platform a pair of cutters stand, hewing with all their might into the tree right and left, until, they are exhausted. Then they change places with their comrades, until these also must descend for rest. Thus they cut the tree to a sufficient depth. Their work must be finished by noon-tide, or they are unlucky. At noon the front-part of the tree is cut, and at last some strokes are given to the side facing the mountain. The tree now shakes, bends, sinks, and falls from the height of its trunk down the side of the mountain, head foremost, carrying down in the great crash a number of smaller trees and rushing on a long way towards the deep valley below. The sound of the tree striking the ground resembles the discharge of cannon or a loud peal of thunder, the

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