Vol 



iN.8A 



'f 



107 



instance tlie work done would be comparable at least with At- 

 water's ' moderate work ' standard, and is probably bigber- If we 

 argue direct from tbese figures, the standard of our Assam coolie 

 •diet is very deficient in albuminoids, but not otherwise a low one. 



But it seems that we are not justified in so calculating. On 

 the whole a man of the coolie classes, which in the district we 

 are considering are chiefly composed of Mundas, Oraons and 

 •other Chota-Nagpui* tribes, is considerably lighter in weight 

 than a European or an American. Hence the amount necessary 

 for maintenance, as distinguished from energy expended in work, 

 will be less than that required in America. What correction 

 should be, however, introduced on this account is nnknowu. The 

 correction, in terms of food, necessary to bring the food value 

 under the higher temperature conditions of India into relation- 

 ship with that of America or Europe is also quite unknown. 



' I have explained that this is a diet which is given to coolies 

 who are weakly, and it does not hence quite represent that 

 normally consumed hy the people. In the fii-st place the 

 amount of rice is greater; a coolie in full work in Assam eats 

 normally about 12 chitaks of rice per day only, or 22 seers 

 8 chitaks per month of thirty days. In other respects the diet 

 is fairly closely followed except that potatoes are only used at 

 certain times of the year, their place being much moi*e normally 

 taken by jjotherbs, or other vegetables whicli are often available. 

 Thus it may be said that the above dietary represents, except in 

 the matter of rice, almost the normal standand of food for a 

 coolie in Upper Assam in respect to quantity. Under usual con- 

 -dirions, however, in their own houses, the coolies only eat one 

 cooked meal each day, this being in the evening. In the moz^ning 

 only parched rice is consumed. 



There is only one seriously doubtful factor in the above diet 

 as applied to Upper Assam coolies. This is the amount of fish 

 which may be obtained. I am assured, however, that among tea 

 o-arden coolies, for by far the greater part of the year, the amount 

 is negligible. Milk is not used, nor ghz\ 



The actual cost of the diet I have given above per head per 

 month will alter very considerably with the time of year and the 

 circumstances. The present year has, even apart from rice (which 

 as I have said is by law supplied at Rs. 3 per maund), been one 

 of notoriously high prices. Though not perhaps of the same 

 permanent value as the remainder of the figures, it may be interest* 

 ing" to ^ve the prices at which the materials were actually bought 

 in the bazar at the time the present notes were made. They were 



^s follows: 



Rs. A. P. 



Dal (both kinds) ... 4 12 per maund. 



Salt ... ... 3 13 „ 



Spices ... ... 6 per seer. 



Mustard Oil '... 18 per maund. 



Potatoes ... . * . 3 ^ „ 



Onions ... ... 3 13 „ 



