80 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



of some European firms ; nor was it owing to simplicity : 

 the subtle Eastern intellect would never let itself be over- 

 reached. 



Malabar law is said to be one of the most intricate of 

 systems, the law of inheritance being specially strange to 

 our notions ; for property passes, not to a man's own 

 children, but to his nephews, his sister's children, or to an 

 adopted son. Instead of paper or parchment the leaves 

 of a palm tree are used. On these, title-deeds, memorable 

 events, and so forth, are inscribed with a sharp-pointed 

 pen or instrument, and then the leaves, having been reduced 

 into a regular form — strips some twelve inches long and 

 two inches wide — are tied up between two pieces of polished 

 wood. 



No Moplah ever enters European service as a house 

 servant, though other natives of the west coast do — the 

 men, that is, never the women — making the very perfection 

 of servants. They are clean beyond praise ; bathing before 

 meals is an integral part of their religion faithfully observed 

 by all, old and young, no matter how occupied or how 

 poor they may be. And here I must admit, without 

 meaning any offence to our many missionary friends, that 

 in my experience (some years ago) Christian servants were 

 at a discount, excepting in mission households. The rest 

 of us made no secret of our preference for the unconverted, 

 whom we found honest and loyal. These people do live 

 up to their beliefs with whatever motive, be it fear, super- 

 stition, or what not, and though ' heathen ' were far and 

 away above the level of the ordinary native, or ' biscuit ' 

 Christian convert. The term ' biscuit,' as thus used, 

 explains itself, implying that a man has become a Christian 

 only for what he can get by it. Such a one, if he thinks 

 he is likely to be engaged, will certainly say when asked of 

 what religion he may be, ' Same like master,' in order to 

 ingratiate himself, having already found out of what ' like ' 



