ON A SUGAR ESTATE. 233 



to provide a physician and to keep a large stock of 

 drugs constantly at hand. The Coolie is protected by 

 government to such an extent that the planter is really 

 the slave of the " laborer." Upon the slightest pre- 

 text the Coolie can call his manager before a magis- 

 trate. If he does not choose to work, he can remain 

 in his house on plea of sickness ; if the manager or 

 overseer uses force in trying to make the laborer per- 

 form his task, he is at once summoned before the 

 governor, imprisoned or fined. For a few years the 

 Coolies worked well ; they are sprightly intelligent 

 people ; and if the anti-slavery party, in power in 

 England, had not hedged the planters about with so 

 many restrictions, prosperity might have attended their 

 efforts, ruined estates might have been reclaimed, and 

 these fertile islands once more have blessed the world 

 with their products. But the result has shown how 

 a party of fanatics can pervert power that, used 

 judiciously, might have brought about a new era of 

 prosperity. 



The Coolie, though naturally docile, was intelligent, 

 and saw his opportunity ; and the planter now is not 

 much better off than when he was wholly dependent 

 upon negro labor. Wages, to be sure, are ridiculously 

 low, though the profits of cane culture do not seem to 

 warrant the payment of much higher rates. Twenty 

 cents per day ; for women sixteen cents ; for children 

 four cents and six cents per day. Some male la- 

 borers, by extra work, can earn thirty-six cents, and 

 those who have " tasks " assigned them as a day's 

 work can finish by noon, and prefer lying idle the 

 rest of the day to increasing their wages. 



Even upon this small pay the negroes live com- 



