habitually asks far more than he expects to
get, the new-comer naturally begins by paying too much. But after he
has become aware of this he is apt to go into the opposite extreme,
and he begins to pride himself on his cleverness in making bargains
with the natives, and he often ends by paying too little, both for
what he buys and for work done. There are even mission workers who
have got their influence discredited in this way. The strength of his
standing as a European makes it almost impossible for an ordinary
native to get redress, if he has been wronged in his dealings with an
Englishman. Servants often suffer a good deal from petty injustice.

CHAPTER XXXIII

EAST AND WEST TRAVELLING

Indian railway travellers. English rudeness; instances of
this. Seeing off the Collector; his exclusiveness. The
"white man's ship." Courtesy of Indians. The European and
Eurasian compartment.

It is when travelling by train that East and West are most liable to
tread on each other's toes. Formerly first and second-class carriages
were used almost exclusively by Europeans. Of late years the number of
Indians travelling in these classes has greatly increased. This is
partly because at one time all passengers were subject to medical
inspection, in order to see whether they were suffering from plague or
not, but those who were not travelling third-class got many exemptions
in the process. Also the well-to-do Indian has gradually got into the
habit of travelling second-class in order to escape the mixed crowd of
the Indian third-class, where he may find himself compelled to sit
next a low-caste man whose touch may defile him.

On the other hand, they often meet with a great deal of rudeness from
certain English people, who resent the intrusion of a "native" into
their carriage. Even some men who ought to know better are guilty in
this respect. But it should also be remembered that men of very little
education or refinement come out to India for the sake of the higher
pay and position which they can secure in a variety of spheres. Some
men of this stamp are apt to give themselves great airs, and they
think to show their importance by their rudeness to the people of the
country.

I once saw a man of this type in a railway carriage shove an Indian to
one side with considerable violence, and take his seat. The Indian was
a refined gentleman, much his superior both by birth and education,
and speaking Engli