CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 43 



rolling of the thunder, re-echoed by these wooded 

 gorges was very fine. Later in the evening 

 one of those scenes took place which are the 

 perpetual worry of a planter's life. A cooly 

 has to go twice a week into Kandy to fetch our 

 provisions, which he has to cany home on his 

 head in a ventilated tin box. The orders are 

 all written by us in a book called a "beef 

 book," this he takes with him. Obviously we 

 must have food, but we are sixteen miles from 

 Kandy, the nearest market, and it is not an 

 enviable task to walk thirty-two miles, return- 

 ing with a heavy load, and the coolies much 

 dislike it. On this particular evening the 

 "beef coolie" flatly declined to go, and threw 

 the beef book on the floor of the kitchen. Of 

 course, such a breach of discipline could not be 

 allowed. My son was told, he sent for the 

 delinquent, who could not be found in his Lines. 

 Messenger after messenger having been 

 despatched without any result, at last Rob 

 said, "Well, if he doesn't come to-night he 

 will be punished much more severely to- 

 morrow." 



Soon after he appeared having been in hiding 

 in the branches of a jak tree. Needless to 

 say, he was punished, and ended like a naughty 

 child in being very repentant, andsaying he would 

 never refuse to go again. These natives have 

 to be treated exactly like children, and managed 



