On the Indian Hills

FOR the next few days I was entirely alone on the clearing, D--- being away picnicking at Palghaut, and L--- and "Charlie" visiting on other estates. It happened that at this time our pay-sheet contained the names of more men than had probably ever before been in these jungles since they first sprouted up, and certainly of the largest number under any one leader. My own personal coolies, living in the huts round me and within fifty yards, numbered a little over three hundred men, women, and children, and besides these there were two hundred "contract coolies" encamped in the middle of No. 1 clearing, making in all over five hundred natives under my orders. Such a condition of things is not usual on an estate of the size of ours, but we had been very desirous to force things on at a rapid pace, in order to get a large acreage planted during the season to tickle the imagination of the shareholders at home, and this accounts for the small army mentioned.

The "contract coolies" were not so much trouble to me as the others. They came up from Madura under their own maistries, and had been lodged in two parallel rows of huts among the coffee in the north-west clearing. Their chief headman was named Yaneta, a venerable, grey-bearded old patriarch, and every morning he stalked out with his flowing white garments and a long staff in his hand, to lead his men to the work, which he had contracted to finish by a certain date. The only concern which I had with this division was to visit them two or three times a day, and see that the operations -- chiefly "pitting" -- were conducted well and up to regulation standard. They also visited me in considerable numbers to be doctored every evening, and seemed to have considerable faith in my prescriptions, though I must confess these were more distinguished for simplicity than depth of medicinal knowledge.

But the coolies lodged around me, who belonged to the estate, were a great anxiety. First of all, they lived fearfully crowded -- some three hundred human beings squeezed into five "lines" of low huts all close together, and only a few yards above the stream from which we got our drinking water. Inside, I am bound to say, the natives keep their huts very clean, and the constant pattering about of bare feet smoothes and hardens the mud floors until they shine like marble; but, unfortunately, the tidiness ceases at their doorsteps, and beyond this their habits are horrible and knowledge of the plain rudiments of sanitation very slight. In fact, the "settlement" was in the most atrocious state of neglect. There had been no attempt at drainage or any necessary arrangements, and, having been inhabited by large numbers of the lowest orders of India for two years, its condition may be better imagined than described. I several times proposed to turn our attention for a spell to building better "lines" in a more elevated and healthy spot, but the reply was always to hurry forward the planting operations, and when those were completed to look after the coolies, -- undoubtedly the right plan to follow when the first object is to get a dividend as big and as soon as possible. This is the worst of the best of "Corporations," -- they have no souls to be saved and no bodies to be kicked. So there we were still, and as the weather grew hotter, the danger of an epidemic became greater. Already there were five or six deaths every week, and the jungle round about was becoming thickly marked with the little hillocks which denoted the last resting-place of the poor wretches.

The coolies seemed to be very callous to suffering, and even to the death of their nearest relations. It may not be so in reality, but their conduct appeared such to an outsider like myself. For instance, one very hot day I appointed myself sanitary inspector, and went through the "lines" to see if anything might be done to render them more healthy. The coolies were at work, but from one hut rose a thin wisp of light blue smoke, not from a chimney, needless to say, but percolating through the thatch. Approaching to see who was inside, supposing it might be some sick person too ill to work, I went up to the low door, and, stooping down, looked in. There was a fearful odor about the place, and, accustomed as I had grown to strong smells, it was as much as I could do to keep my place. In the center of the floor was a low stone fireplace, and