THE SAl forests. 385 



can ever labour profitably with their own hands in 

 the " plains " of India ; and even at this elevation I 

 believe that the power of the sun, although much 

 alleviated by the coolness of the breezes, the low 

 temperature of the nights, and the freshness of the 

 vegetation, would still be prohibitive of severe manual 

 labour by natives of a temperate region. But I think 

 that we have here a tract eminently fitted to yield 

 results from the application of European energy, 

 intelligence, and capital to the supervision and direction 

 of native labour. 



The great difficulty would be to obtain the labour to 

 supervise. I doubt if the regular Hindu cultivators of 

 the plains outside could be induced to move into these 

 wilds by any temptation, so long as they can obtain a 

 pittance where they are. The aborigines are too timid 

 and unstable to furnish reliable workmen. I would 

 rather look to the teeming millions of the coast districts 

 to furnish the needful supply of labourers, if these 

 inland wastes are to be reclaimed with any reasonable 

 period of time. It really seems to be matter for 

 astonishment that these littoral races have for many 

 years shown themselves to be ready to cross the seas 

 to the West Indies, the Mauritius, and other distant 

 countries, and have actually been transported thither in 

 great numbers, while all the time vast areas of the 

 finest land are pining for labour in the interior of their 

 own country. There cannot be a doubt which they 

 would most willingly go to, in order to escape from 

 their densely crowded condition at home, were the 

 inducements offered to them the same. What has 

 tempted them to other countries has been the superior 

 wages which their industries could afi'ord to offer ; and 

 in India, wherever, as in Assdm, Cachar, and the 



2 c 



