Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/251

 SEYCHELLES 199

Revenue, expenditure and debt for 6 years : —

Year. Revenue. Expenditure. DeM.

1913 (pre-war)

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

£

£

£

37,144

37,245

13.26^

25,419

31,196

12,006

27,998

80,160

11,348

31,10:!

29,038

10,692

27,206

29.416

9,978

38,243

41,790

9,265

The surplus funds invested on December 31, 1919, amounted to 12,s491.

Chief items of revenue, 1919 : Customs, 13,834/. ; Crown lands, 1,357/. licences, excise, and internal revenue, 3,9747. ; taxes, 2,952/.

Chief products, coconuts (over 23,000 acres under cultivation : 26,000,000 coconuts produced in 1919) and vanilla (4 tons exported in 1919) ; about 184,000 plants of Paia rubber are growing ; on some islands mangrove-bark is collected and phosphate deposits are worked. A good deal of attention is being given to the distillation of oil from the leaves of the cinnamon tree, which grows profusely in the island. Live-stock at end of 1919 : Cattle. 1,000 ; goats, 500 ; sheep, 200 ; horses, 150. Fishing is actively pursued, chieflv for local supply, but will probably be extended.

Imports 1919, 75,021/. ; 1918, 65,662.'. Exports, 1919, 140,093/. ; 1918, 41,500/ Principal imports, 1919 : Rice and other foodstuffs 27,400/. ; cotton goods, 14,400/. ; haberdashery, 870/. ; spirits, beer and wine, 2,490/. The chief exports, 1919. were copra, 96,382/. : vanilla, 2,342/. ; c conut oil, 0.257/. Total imports from United Kingdom, 1919, 17,027/. ; India, 35.977/. ; exports to France, 74,253/. ; United Kingdom, 47,028/. ; Mauritius, 7,039/.

Shipping entered and cleared (1919), 132,734 tons, mainly British. The British India steamers call once a month from Bombay on their way to Mombassa. There is fairly regular communication between the islands.

There is a good road system in Mah£, and further road-making is in progress in Mahe and in Praslin and La Digue. In 1919 the post office despatched and received 73,000 letters and postcards, 57,500 news- papers, Arc, and 2,050 parcels. There is telegraphic communication with Mauritius and Europe, but no internal telegraph service.

On December 31, 1919, the Savings Bank deposits amounted to 6,772/. to the credit of 41*5 depositors.

Current money in the islands consists of rupees.

References.

Anuual Reports on the Seychelles. London.

Belcher (Sir Edward), Account of the Seychelles.

Fauvel (A. A.), Ribliographies des Sevchelles. Published by the Seychelles Govern- ment. 1908.

Gardiner {J. Stanley) The Seychelles. Geographical Journal, Vol. XXVIII., and also proceedings of the Linnaean Society.

Lucas (Sir C. P.), Historical Geography of the British Colonies.

Murat (M.), Gordon's Eden, orthe Sevchelles Archipelago.

North (Miss), Leaves from a Happy Life.

Sierra Leone. See West African CoLONise, Sokotra. See Aden.