36 The Amlahs. 



his behaviour is, in many cases, aggravating^ insolent, 

 in such a way as to render it difficult to the young 

 hand to curb this tendency to " cheek." In some fac- 

 tories in Behar, where there is not always an Assist- 

 ant in charge, the jemadar who acts in that capacity 

 loses his head, and the next Assistant finds he has 

 a most difficult task. Generally the remedy is drastic, 

 and the jemadar gets turned out. If the Manager 

 objects to this, and does not even substitute some 

 punital equivalent for the " sack," the Assistant who 

 still remains does so as a nonentity, and is not 

 worth the salary he gets. But I am glad to certify 

 that the Manager seldom or never lends a deaf ear 

 to the Assistant's grievance, nor is he slow to afford 

 redress. 



The lalla, or munshi as he styles himself aping 

 the title of the real munshi, who resides at the head- 

 factory, and who works some of the legal and other 

 wheels of the concern is the most important servant 

 the Assistant has. He looks after the accounts of 

 the outwork. 



He is sometimes hand-and-glove with \hzjemadar ; 

 the nazri lalla forming the corner-stone of a confe- 

 deracy rich in loot to the worthy partners. When 

 the parties are not on terms of amicable commerce, 

 there is a certain amount of friction which the Assist- 

 ant must overlook or watch silently ; then the acute 



