e really
handsome, and the girls, with red hibiscus blossoms stuck in their
jet-black hair, and their merry, laughing faces and graceful figures,
were altogether quite attractive to the Sahib Log.

But to return to tea. Our bungalow was of the usual type, consisting of
cement floor, roof of crossed bamboos and two feet of sun-grass thatch,
supported by immense teak posts, hard as iron and bidding defiance to
the white ants. The walls were of mats. Tea-gardens usually had a
surface of 300 to 1000 acres; some were on comparatively level ground,
some on hilly (teelah) land. These teelahs were always carefully
terraced to prevent the wash of soil and permit cultivation. The plants
were spaced about three to six feet apart, according to whether they
were of the Chinese, the hybrid, or the pure indigenous breed, the last
being the largest, in its native state developing to the dimensions of a
small tree.

I may as well here at once give a short sketch of the principal features
of tea planting and manufacture, which will show what the duties of a
planter are, and how various are the occupations and operations
embraced. One must necessarily first have labour (coolies). These are
recruited in certain districts of India, usually by sending good
reliable men, already in your employ, to their home country, under a
contract to pay them so much a head for every coolie they can persuade
(by lies or otherwise) to come to your garden. The coolies must then
bind themselves to work for you for, say, three to four years. They are
paid for their work, not much it is true, but enough to support them
with comfort; the men about three annas (or fourpence) a day, the women
two annas (or threepence). As they get to know their work and become
expert, the good men will earn as much as six annas a day, and some of
the women, when plucking leaf, about the same. This is more than
abundant for these people. They not only have every comfort, but they
become rich, so that in a few years they are able to rest on their
earnings, and work only at their convenience and when they feel like it.
They are supplied with nothing, neither food nor clothing; medicine
alone is free to them. The native staff of a garden consists of, say,
two baboos, or book-keepers and clerks, a doctor baboo, sirdars or
overseers, and chowkidars or line watchmen. A sirdar accompanies and has
charge of each gang of coolies on whatever branch of work. One is also
in charge of the fac