1 66 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



moss or wisdom. On the other hand, inde- 

 cision and willingness to overlook culpable 

 carelessness and slackness w r ill never do. Use 

 the velvet glove, but let the grip, if kindly, 

 still be sure and firm. With further refer- 

 ence to the feeding of the men, care must 

 be taken to provide such foods only as they 

 are used to. Prejudice in this respect is 

 manifold and varied and must be respected. 

 In the first place, the men will not thrive on 

 food they are not used to, and all sorts of 

 disturbances and dissatisfactio'n will arise if 

 they are forced to eat it. It is no use what- 

 ever to offer maize or flour to a rice-eating 

 race of people, nor a meat diet to vegetarians ; 

 meat causes diarrhoea to those who seldom if 

 ever eat it, and should certainly be avoided. 

 Having found out the exact standard dietary 

 of the natives, let it by all means be given to 

 them of good, clean and sound description ; 

 the small extra price incurred stands in no 

 ratio to the trouble and bickerings which will' 

 be avoided, whilst ill-will, desertion and strikes 

 will be prevented. For be it noted that the 

 strike-microbe has penetrated to and spread 

 over the uttermost confines of the Far East, 

 and whether it takes the form of passive 

 resistance or open riot the trouble is none the 

 less trying to those needing the labour. 



All clearing work should be taken in hand 

 towards the end of the big rains, in order to 

 give the felled wood the maximum of a dry 



