Foreign Labour. 75 



gang is most required by the planter for opening 

 up new land, the different classes of labourers 

 enumerated are employed in the cultivation of the 

 rice-fields. In order, therefore, to meet this diffi- 

 culty,, the planter has to fall back on contracts, 

 undertaken by natives from the adjacent coast of 

 Malabar. These contracts, although usually made 

 at high rates, are nevertheless sufficiently remune- 

 rative when successfully carried out. Unfortunately, 

 however, but too often the contractor, after having 

 obtained a large cash advance, fails to carry out his 

 undertaking, and, in some cases, absconds with the 

 advance at the outset. Such are some of the diffi- 

 culties the Wynaad planter has in the meantime to 

 contend with, arising, as it will be seen, for the most 

 part, in connexion with the labour question. 



A coffee company formed some years ago, with 

 the object of cultivating land in the Wynaad on an 

 extensive scale, being fully convinced of the impos- 

 sibility of proceeding without some additional labour 

 supply, tried the experiment of introducing coolies 

 from the same districts of S. India, whence the 

 Ceylon, Mauritius, and W. India labour markets 

 are supplied; but notwithstanding every effort to 

 render the imported labourers comfortable and con- 

 tented, the Tamils could not be induced to settle 

 down. The climate did not seem to suit them ; 

 numbers were attacked by fever, and in the end 



