'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎30] (59/524)

XXX
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
number of prisoners in jail at one time may be about fifty,* AU ^
cases are open to appeal to Mauritius. Landed titles, like other m at .
ters on the plea side, are subject to French law the old Code Napoleon
I believe. About twelve judicial transferences of land have been
registered in five years : the estates transferred varying in value from
1,000 Dollars up to a maximum of o,000 Dollars. No land tax is
levied; all land being held in fee simple. All correspondence passes
through the Commissioner, and is liable to his remarks, as head of the
local government.
The old French mark passes as the common small currency of the
island. Its value may be about three farthings. The rupee and the
dollar, especially the Maria Theresa, or black dollar, (still struck at
Vienna from a die preserved for use on the east coast of Africa I believe)
are also current.
The inhabitants of Mahe assert, that they suffer from being a depen
dency of Mauritius. They would prefer that Seychelles should be a
separate government, so that their Commissioner might enjoy more real
power, especially in financial matters, and for the prosecution of work
of public utility. They consider further, that the desired change would
preclude references and consequent delays; that justice would be
brought to their doors ; and that there would be a greater incentive to
development of the resources of the islands on the part of the local
government. They would like also some degree of Municipal Govern
ment to he initiated in the more considerable islands, such as Praslin,
so as to save the necessity for reference in minor matters to Make.
They would wish their coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. to he imported direct from India
instead of through Mauritius* Indeed, they complain much of the
want of labour, although Captain Oldfield brought them a supply of
nearly 400 emancipated slaves from the east coast of Africa. These
are now carefully registered, protected, and provided for. I talked
with one man, a runaway slave of His Highness Syed Burghesh. The
fellow^ told me his wages were six dollars a month, that he was saving
money, and that he intended to return to Africa directly he had made
a hag.
Defective
complaint.
titles to some of the estates is another alleged ground of
It appears that, in the first instance, French immigrants set-
* I
m 51 * SU1G u ' ^ ia t some of these fifty may have come from Mauritius.