132 EVERYDAY LIFE ON 



the muster tom-tom. From long practice he 

 had become quite expert, and rattled off a 

 tattoo with great effect. He died from that 

 illness so fatal to coolies — pneumonia, because 

 he would not stay in his " lines," but insisted 

 upon being helped into the sunshine and even 

 the wind. I must say I rather sympathise with 

 him in his desire to escape from the dark, 

 windowless room. I have always thought how 

 pleasant it would be to die out in the open, 

 with nothing between you and the blue canopy 

 of heaven. 



July 16th. — All appearance of the monsoon 

 has passed away, we are again panting for rain, 

 and what is still more important so are the 

 cocoa and coffee bushes, and we tremble for 

 the fate of the eight thousand young supplies 

 that were so lately planted, in full expectation 

 of the customary rains. So far this has been 

 a year of drought, which has materially dim- 

 inished the amount of crop and consequently 

 the returns which ought to go into the pockets 

 of the owners. There is ever a pleasing 

 uncertainty attending tropical agriculture, and 

 for this reason eight or nine years purchase is 

 considered a sufficient price to pay for planting 

 property, excepting under very exceptional 

 circumstances. For example, the land being 

 situated close to a railway, or in a good res- 

 idential neighbourhood with an unusually 



