CHAP. II COOLIES 17 



that the tiffin cooHe does not carry an ordinary load, but 

 accompanies his employer always, carrying a small tiffin 

 basket with his breakfast, a blanket to sit on, and any 

 miscellaneous things, such as a newspaper or book, he 

 may require. It is his business to be beside his master 

 when travelling or shooting, and to help in putting up the 

 tent, making his bed, bringing him his meals, etc., in fact 

 to act as a general body-servant. He has more mis- 

 cellaneous duties to perform than the other permanent 

 coolies, but he carries a much lighter load. Many men, 

 however, never employ such a servant at all, as a 

 temporary coolie is engaged for the tiffin, and the 

 shikari looks after arranging the tent. 



With the permanent coolies a number of temporary 

 coolies appeared, who swarmed on the luggage and 

 endeavoured each to appropriate the lightest loads. Here 

 Abdulla behaved with unexpected energy, and divided 

 out the baggage among the men. Chand had nothing but 

 my Kashmir blanket or lui, in which he wrapped my 

 tiffin basket, and a brief bag containing some papers and 

 writing materials. The tiffin basket was simply a round 

 leather-covered basket with a lid, about a foot in diameter, 

 which I had bought for a rupee in Srinagar. There 

 were of course no fittings. The lui was a rather thin but 

 very warm blanket, about 12 feet long and 5 feet wide. 

 Every Kashmiri who has anything to carry wraps it up 

 in his lui, and ties this diagonally across his back, knot- 

 ting it over his chest. This was how Chand carried his 

 load every day he was with me, and as it left his 

 arms free and the load was a light one, it answered 

 well enough. If the load had been heavy this method 



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