The Indians of the North Western District. 329 
excuse for turning him adrift or degrading him if he retains him 
in his employment. The coming to the district of married people 
in leading positions accompanied by their wives has had a marvellous 
effect upon the people and where anarchy once reigned in regard 
to the labour-supply, order and fidelity now rule. The mistress, all 
honour to her, like the master is watched, served and imitated with 
devotion. Her children are especially cared for and great broad- 
shouldered men deem it an honour to take baby for a Sunday afternoon 
ramble and to begin his education as a swimmer as soon as he can walk. 
This contrast in masters accounts for the anomaly we find in bushmen, 
one denouncing the Indian as a worthless labourer and another main- 
taining that, though he has his limitations, the Indian properly and 
masterfully handled, living in touch with his wife, family and farm, is the 
most satisfactory workman obtainable in the district. But apart from 
his wife and farm the Indian is not much good. In the gold-fields and 
the rubber and balata bush or as a boathand however well paid, he spends 
all he gets and sends nothing or little home, and the too well-paid Indian 
seldom survives the ordeal of the monthly pay-day with sobriety or 
without a breach of the peace. Once a boathand always a boathand 
seems to be the order, and they drift around in a vicious circle from one 
employer to another after each outbreak ; indeed when the employees of 
two persons join forces, on such an occasion the masters perforce only 
exchange workinen as soon as their mutual dismissals have become 
effective. When working in company with negroes, as is well known, 
many evils are the result; not the least, in my opinion, being that the 
healthy negro apparently can be the host of malarial germs so virulent 
that they infect, with frequently fatal eftect, his Indian comrades. I am 
afraid that repeated experiences have made this generalization as certain 
as it can be without a bacteriological investigation. 
With regard to the drinking customs of the Indians who live on Crown 
lands, I have heard of but little disorder, so little indeed that, compared 
with civilised society, it is a negligible quantity. The drunkard is a 
marked man, One who was quite friendly when sober, though he was 
aware that I knew his habits to be irregular, used to propose to shoot me 
whenever he was drunk. A careful watch was therefore kept on him 
by the men on such occasions and the women held themselves in readi- 
ness to come and warn me if he broke loose. Indeed on one occa- 
sion when | was away from home, the warning was actually delivered 
at my house, and it was by this means that it came to my knowledge. 
Such men are rare and are not welcomed effusively though the rules of 
hospitality forbids their exclusion. But the drinking sprees that take 
place on homesteads and grants are of quite another nature. Strong ale 
is present to aid to the disorder with not infrequently bush-rum 
smugeled from Venezuela, and whisky for the higher class guests who are 
so foolish as to frequent these orgies. Men, women and children of all 
races and classes get helplessly drunk and innumerable abuses follow, 
