8 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



seat and a pen, a formidable rival. The baboo is cheaper, his 

 attainments are quite as good, and it is to be feared that the sahib 

 prefers his services also because he can be "jumped upon" with 

 a better conscience. In small shopkeeping the native undersells 

 the Eurasians because he can underlive them, and has almost the 

 whole of the trade of Calcutta which is not controlled by larger 

 European firms, in his hands. A few of the women are employed 

 as nurses in European families, but a Eurasian nurse is an expen- 

 sive luxury, as she must be fed as well as paid at a higher rate than 

 an ayah, while she often demands a native servant to assist her. 

 Here, however, she offers a quid pro quo — her services are more 

 valuable than an ayah's. The Eurasian has no chance against the 

 native, however, in any other department of domestic service. The 

 native is fitted by nature and education to serve the sahib ; the 

 position is one of dignity, and rather enhances the respect he 

 receives from his fellow, however high his caste. He does, as a 

 rule, only one thing, whether it is the work of a bearer or a kit- 

 mutgar, or a mussalchi, or a syce, and, as its performance leaves 

 him ample leisure to attend to his private comfort, he does it well. 

 His whole habit of mind, moreover, is one of deference to his su- 

 periors ; his own self-respect is bound up with it ; " Turn bai-adab 

 hai I " is a keen reproach. No European would dream of employ- 

 ing a Eurasian servant in preference for reasons of pure comfort. 

 But, curious as it may seem, Eurasia scorns household service, and 

 declines to compete with the native on what is so obviously his 

 own ground. In fact, however poor, the Eurasian reckons one or 

 two servants among the necessities of his own existence. The 

 beggar of this race will approach your gates in a palki borne by 

 four of his muscular Bengali cousins. The Eurasian " lady " who 

 implores a little pecuniary assistance often sends her appeal by a 

 peon — and on scented paper. Poor Eurasian lady ! she is denied 

 even the resource of her sex the world over — her needle — for the 

 durzie sews better and cheaper than she. 



It goes without saying that the East Indian is unable to 

 work all day in the sun with the scantily clad coolies at the road- 

 side or the docks, even if a man with any strain of European 

 blood in him would consent to give the strength of his arm under 

 such conditions for f ourpence a day. ' Behind " belati " counters 

 he holds his own, and so does she, by reason of their superior 

 knowledge of the wants and tastes of the sahib and the mem sa- 

 hib. The railways are an invaluable source of employment for 

 them, and they are found more useful than the natives in posi- 

 tions of minor responsibility — in warehouses, docks, and the cus- 

 toms. A small and very respectable proportion of them also find 

 employment as teachers ; and some make their way to the up- 

 country tea and indigo plantations, where a certain number sue- 



