STEAMER AND LAUNCH TO HOORIE CREEK. 149 



including his food. On his arrival the immigration agent 

 assigns him to a certain estate, where his term of indenture 

 is five years, his wage being increased as his capacity for work 

 becomes greater. During his term of service he can leave 

 the estate only by permission, and he must never be found 

 at large without his pass book. 



At the end of five years the coolie is free to work where he 

 pleases, or to take up a grant of land of his own. After five 

 years more of residence he may return to India free of charge 

 if he so wishes. As the coolie is very thrifty and can live 

 on threepence a day, his menu being rice and water, at the 

 expiration of his ten years, in addition to having earned his 

 living and supported his family, he has often saved up as 

 much as two thousand dollars. 



Throughout his term of indenture the English government 

 looks after him. He always lias good medical care free, and 

 the law watches over him with scrupulous vigilance, seeing 

 that he is justly treated by his employer, and that no advan- 

 tage is taken of his ignorance and inexperience. When the 

 coolie leaves India he, of course, loses caste, but as they all fall 

 proportionately, each moving down one in the social scale, 

 a proper balance is preserved. The coolie returning to India, 

 however, finds himself a disgraced outcast. To re-gain his 

 position in society he must pay large sums of money to the 

 priests; and so it is that lie returns to his native land only 

 to be robbed of his hard-earned savings, often returning to 

 South America as a re-indentured man, to start life again. 

 In order to discourage his return to India, the government 

 offers him the money equivalent to his return passage. Many 

 of the coolies take advantage of this and make South America 

 their permanent home, taking up grants of their own and 

 living in greater peace and prosperity than would ever have 

 been possible for them in India. 



The population of Morawhanna is composed of coolies, 



