7% Cooties, 
to work every day, he can earn enough to feed a 
family of 4 or 5 people. Of course, if they want 
extra clothes or jewelry, it is different, but 
many of the coolies are covered with jewelry 
either gold or silver and are altogether too well 
off, There may be a few gardens where the 
lalsour supply is scarce, through being close to 
Darjeeling or the manager being disliked, or in 
unhealthy situations where it is necessary to pay 
highly, but if a few gardens would combine the 
rates could be reduced all round. Some few gar- 
dens are always short of labour for some reason 
and coolies bolt in the most unaccountable way. 
Where kyehs live on the estate the coolies are 
invariably in debt and when their debts get very 
heavy always run away to Nepál. It is a mis- 
take to allow the kyehs on the estate at all, as 
it is a great temptation to the coolies to buy un- 
necessary clothes &ec., if they have not to pay 
ready money, Theso shop-keepers charge most 
exorbitant rates of interest, generally 1 anna in 
the rupee per month, or 75 per cent., and work 
the interest up in an extraordinary way, so that 
