90 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 



structed Mr Miiller to ascertain the actual gains as nearly 

 as possible. He reports as follows : 



"I beg to submit a statement of what I ascertained 

 from the Koomaree people on the spot : 



EXPENDITURE. 



Rs. a. p. 



Assessment per 1J acre, ... 1 8 



Two men cutting for ten days, ... ... 3 



Ragi seed, nine seers, ... 4 



Clearing grass for one month, one man, ... 4 



Watching three months, at Rs. 2 per mensem, 600 



Gathering crop, ... ... 4 



Rs. 18 12 

 RECEIPTS. 

 Ragi, 28 mudas at R. 1, 28 



Profit, Rs. 9 4 " 



But as the Koomaree cultivators, who seldom break ground 

 singly, employ their wives and children for all except 

 felling, which they do themselves, the actual expenditure 

 is reduced to the assessment, and that, in secluded valleys, 

 is very often evaded. It is generally believed that one- 

 half of the profit goes to the coast saukar, who gives an 

 advance. The Koomaree cultivators live in wretched tem- 

 porary huts, and make a very poor livelihood, offering a 

 great contrast to the substantial homestead of the Canara 

 ryot, who is generally well housed, and lives in consider- 

 able comfort. 



' The system of the hill cultivators is nearly the same 

 in different countries. The Irulars and Kurumbars on the 

 Nilgiris, the Mal&i&lis on the Shevarais, the Karens in 

 Burmah, the Punam cultivators in Malabar, the Koomaree 

 Mahrattas in Canara, all endeavour to obtain a precarious 

 subsistence by scattering grain after burning the jungle, 

 and thus avoid the toil of careful cultivation. 



' In a thinly peopled country like Burmah, there is 

 little objection; but in the limited plateau of Yerk&d, 

 where the best land is almost all taken up for coffee 

 plantations or fruit- gardens, and in the balaghat taluks 



