CO885-11 — Page 453

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TEC.O.882/11

| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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After this meeting I was shown a very interesting demonstration of lacquer making. The lacquer is applied only to wood, and the process is quite different from that used in Japan. Excellent work is produced, but unfortunately the industry is dying out, and the art is confined to one or two families who work solely for the Sultan and nobles. This demonstration was followed by an exhibition of stick dancing, remarkable only for the quaintness of the costumes and equipment of the performers. I inspected one of the Government Arabic Schools (where the education given appeared to be predominantly of a religious character), the Court House, a large tank for the collection of rainwater, the construction of which was urged by Sir Henry McCallum but is not yet complete, the City wall, and the Bodu Baderi Ge or Government offices. The Court-house is quite a small building; justice is administered from the verandah. The implements used for the infliction of corporal punishment are fairly flexible leather thongs about one foot in length, about half-an-inch in thickness, increasing in width from about three inches at the end to which a wooden handle is attached to about four or five inches at the other end; the corners at the latter end are rounded off; the leather near the wider end is inlaid with a few flat-headed metal (copper or brass) studs; these are flush with the surface of the leather; the blows are applied only to the buttocks, and I should say that less brutality was involved than in judicial floggings of the ordinary type. Malé is a very small island, about one mile in length and half a mile in width. Practically the whole of it is covered with houses, mosques, shrines and burial grounds. Most of the houses, except in the bazaar, stand each in its own garden compound. These are of varying size, and each is, as mentioned above, sur- rounded by a high cadjan fence. There are numerous wells for drinking-water, and several small bathing tanks. The water in the latter was very unappetising in appear- ance and odour, and I should surmise that in the former it would be subject to con- The large rain-water tank siderable pollution. Latrines appear to be non-existent.

which I inspected has for years been left uncompleted, in consequence presumably of oriental lethargy. Very little work remains to be done, and the Ministers assured me that they would now push on with its completion and with the erection of the necessary standpipes. The water supply from this tank, if made available and properly main- tained, should have a beneficial effect on the public health. The City wall encircles the township, or in other words the whole island, except where the coral reef precludes The wall is a fine, crenellated structure of any possibility of access from the sea. white coral, erected, no doubt, originally for purposes of defence. A portion of it, which had collapsed, has recently been restored. There are two solidly-built white The forts, the larger at the jetty, the smaller at some little distance therefrom. Government offices consist of a very few small meanly-furnished rooms in a shabby bungalow. The Government workshops, a long open shed equipped with tools, lathes, anvils, bellows and carpenters' benches, all of primitive appearance, are in the same compound, as also is a store; a compartment at one end of the store is used as a lock-up for persons awaiting trial. There was only one occupant at the time of my inspection. He was at large in the lock-up. It contained two or three sets of stocks; these are used for prisoners who are thought likely to attempt escape. There are no prisons in the islands, the usual modes of punishment being by way of a flogging or a fine, or in bad cases by deportation to another island. There is said to be very little serious crime and practically no homicide. The population of Malé at the last census was returned at about 6,000. It has probably increased since then. During my visit it was supplemented by a large influx of spectators who had come in from other islands by sailing-boat and rowing-boat. There are no European residents. The Maldive group consists of many thousands of islands (all of coral formation) and extends for about 475 miles from north to south. The soil is sandy but appears to be fertile. The coconut palm is ubiquitous. Malaria and ankylostomiasis are universally prevalent; there is leprosy on some of the islands, and on one there is said to be a serious incidence of elephantiasis, due possibly to bad water.

17. In the afternoon I visited the island of Hulule and saw a typical Maldivian village, and the island of Fonadu. where are the graves of Captain J. C." Overend, 36th Regiment, who was wrecked on one of the islands and died at Malé in 1797, and of Trivate Victor Luckham. R.M.L.I., who was drowned as the result of a bathing accident on the occasion of the visit of H.M.S. Proserpine in 1909. The latter grave is in good order, and the inscription on the headstone is clearly legible. The headstone on the former grave has collapsed. and the inscription has become completely obliterated. The graves are tidy and reasonably well cared for. They are looked after by the headman of a neighbouring island. Fonadu is quite small and, I think, uninhabited. Hulule is larger than Malé, but is sparsely populated. A small landing- stage had been specially constructed for us. It was attractively decorated. A broad path had been cleared through the jungle and strewn with white sand from the landing-

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stage to a shelter from which we were to witness what the programme described as the catching of fish en masse in the lagoon. A seine net was put into the water

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und a number of men and boys entered the lagoon and advanced towards the net in a semi-circle line, shouting and beating the surface with sticks and plantain leaves. Ilad there been any fish, they would, no doubt, have been driven into the net, but the state of the tide was unfavourable, and the first draw was blank, while the second yielded only five exiguous specimens, of which the largest could not have weighed more than four ounces.

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I returned to H.M.S. Effingham in time to receive His Highness the Sultan, who came on board to pay a farewell visit. He was conducted round the ship by the Naval Commander-in-Chief; among other things he was shown the crew of a 755 gun at drill and an anti-aircraft gun being fired; he promptly expressed a desire to purchase a similar gun; I understand that he appeared to be much interested in all he saw; he asked for a photograph of the ship, which it was happily possible to supply. 1 received him in the Admiral's cabin in white uniform and had a short talk with him mainly of a complimentary nature. I took the opportunity of asking him to co-operate in the taking of the census in 1931. He again asked me to convey respectful messages to the King and Queen. I promised to convey them to Their Majesties and I shall be grateful if they can duly be submitted. I then conducted His Highness to the quarter Before deck, where the Naval Commander-in-Chief and I said good-bye to him. leaving, he presented the Admiral and myself with some lacquer work, some shells, and some Maldivian mats; he also gave my staff and the officers of the ship presents of mats, and he sent on board for the crew a large consignment of beef, chickens, eggs, and fruit. The beef unfortunately had achieved so advanced a state of maturity that it had to be removed forthwith to a secluded part of the ship, from where it was 1 arrived at Colombo thrown overboard as soon as we were out of sight of the land.

on the morning of the 4th October.

19. I can only hope that my visit may produce some useful results. It appears to have had the effect of stimulating the Ministers to a decision to acquire a steamboat of the type suggested, and to run it between the islands and Ceylon. Abdul Hamid Didi informed me that, after my interview with the Sultan, a sort of cabinet council was held at which this decision was taken, and he anticipates that it will really be acted upon without delay. I discussed figures with him, and I am satisfied that the capital expenditure involved would not be beyond the resources of the Maldivian Government, and that the enterprise ought to prove directly remunerative as well as of great benefit to the islands. It would not only reduce the cost of freight, but it would also, by accelerating transport, enable the Maldivian exports of dried fish to be marketed much more advantageously than in the past, and it might be expected to release the islanders in some measure from the strangle-hold of the Indian merchants upon their trade. Such a project has long been under consideration, hut hitherto the influence of the Indian merchants has been strong enough to prevent its execution. My representations may possibly have decreased this risk of obstruction, but Maldivian lethargy still remains a factor to be taken into account. The distance from Malé to Colombo is about 415 miles, and the voyage by buggalow takes several weeks. It is probable that, if a 300-ton auxiliary steamboat is acquired for the Ceylon service, the proposal to build two small steam or motor boats for inter-island traffic will also be proceeded with. I believe that I succeeded in shaming the Ministers into a deter- mination to complete, and make available for use, the two rain-water tanks at Malé. As regards the other matters which I mentioned to the Sultan, I await developments without any very sanguine expectations. On the Sultan himself I build no hopes. He has, I fear, become incapable of any sustained effort or any active participation in the work of administration. I have not seen or heard anything indicative of actual misgovernment, and I do not consider that any intervention by the Suzerain Power is called for at present. The succession to the Maldivian throne may eventually cause some trouble. The Sultan's son, even if he survives, is not likely to be fit to succeed. The best successor probably would be a brother of the Sultan, who is now resident in India. He is said to be a man of estimable qualities, but some prejudice may exist against him in consequence of his marriage to an Indian wife. It may be desirable to watch the situation, but at the moment no action beyond this would seem to be expedient or indeed possible.

20. I cannot conclude this despatch without recording my great obligation to Vice-Admiral B. S. Thesiger, C.B., C.M.G., for his kindness in enabling me to visit the islands in his Flagship and for all the courtesy and helpfulness which he showed to myself and the members of my staff. It was a pleasure as well as a privilege to I am also much indebted to Captain Travel under such very agreeable conditions.

P. Macnamara, R.N., and the other officers of H.M.S. Effingham, and I should be glad

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