Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/764

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THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL


There are other points to be taken account of—the unregistered movements of rupees in small vessels, and to and from Ceylon and Mauritius, due to coolies passing both ways, and the amounts carried by pilgrims to Mecca. The numbers of these coolies according to the Ceylon Blue-books are given below:—

1876. 1877. Nmnber of hn- migrants from India to Cey-, lon ............... ,481 �.98,7�.9 I Number of Emigrants from Ceylon to India ........... 149,6t I 27,990 1878. 1879. I 1880. 11881. I ! 105,862 82,669 45,343 {,204 { I 91,744 ,09317S,533 61,415 1882. 51,640 58,856 1888. 1884. 1885. { 39,055 !45,962 46,665 ' 1886. !1887. I I 39,907 '51,.�05 i50,128 ,5, 145,250 1888. 1889. 17'2,680 81,710 '64,459 I 55,121 55,380 52,016

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These labourers go across mainly for the season from Tinnevelly, Tanjore, and Madras, and take very little cash with them. After allowing for the earnings of women and children being less than those of the men, and for the fact that occasionally a labourer returns with the accumulated savings of several years, it is thought that twelve rupees is a reasonable estimate per head for those who come back and eight annas for those migrating. With regard to Mauritius, Mr. J. F. Trotter, the official Protector of Emigrants in that colony, writing to the Colonial Secretary, gives the following figures for silver specie declared by emigrants returning to India:—

1886 ... ... ... ... ... 76,409
1887 ... ... ... ... ... 49,832
1888 ... ... ... ... ... 66,657
1889 ... ... ... ... ... 52,784
1890 ... ... ... ... ... 22,579

These amounts being declared are of course included in the Custom-house figures. I have estimated Rs.20,000 as the amount returning to this country undeclared. Messrs. Thomas Cook and Son, in whose hands are the arrangements for the pilgrim passenger traffic, have kindly furnished me with the figures for 1889, in which year 11,544 pilgrims embarked for Jeddah. Their agent, who has had five years' experience of the traffic, informs me that 11,500 persons is about the average number. From what he says, I estimate Rs.80 a head for the quantity out-going and Rs.15 the other way. Half a lakh may be estimated for the un-