340 



such cases, the worst is never told. For the greater 

 satisfaction of the credulous however I add the fol- 

 lowing extract from the Annual Report on the 

 Administration of the Bengal Presidency for the 

 years 1861-62. 



" The system under which the Tea plantations of 

 Assam and Cachar are supplied with laborers from 



Bengal has attracted the serious 



Emigration of Coolies ,. ~ , -, 



to Assam and Cachar. attention or Government during 



the year. It was reported that 

 in almost every shipment of laborers from Calcutta a 

 fearful amount of mortality occurred from Cholera 

 and other diseases during the journey. In one case 

 the mortality was said to have reached even to 50 per 

 cent. From enquiries which were made, there 

 seemed to be too much reason to believe that this 

 fearful mortality was attributable chiefly to great 

 want of foresight and care in the despatch of labor- 

 ers, especially in the River Steamers. A Commit- 

 tee of gentlemen of much experience in the work- 

 ' ing of the Emigration Department was accordingly 

 appointed to report upon the arrangements in 

 force for importing labor into Assam. The opinion 

 at which they arrived after careful enquiry was, that 

 Coolies were shipped in large batches without any 

 arrangement to secure order and cleanliness ; that 

 uncooked food was issued without cooks to prepare it, 

 that the Medical charge of the Coolies in many 

 cases was left to ignorant Chupprassies, who were 



