310 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA 



to constitute any serious obstacle to the steady advance- 

 ment of population and tillage. 



I am not one of those who believe that Europeans can 

 ever labour profitably with their own hands in the " plains " 

 of India ; and even at this elevation I beheve that the power 

 of the svin, although much alleviated by the coolness of the 

 breezes, the low temperature of the nights, and the freshness 

 of the vegetation, would still be prohibitive of severe manual 

 labour by natives of a temperate region. But I think 

 that we have here a tract eminently fitted to yield results 

 from the application of European energy, intelligence, and 

 capital to the supervision and direction of native labour. 



The great difficulty would be to obtain the labour to. 

 supervise. I doubt if the regular Hindii cultivators of 

 the plains outside could be induced to move into these 

 wilds by any temptation, so long as they can obtain a 

 pittance where they are. The aborigines are too timid 

 and unstable to furnish rehable workmen. I would 

 rather look to the teeming millions of the coast districts 

 to furnish the needful supply of labourers, if these inland 

 wastes are to be reclaimed within any reasonable period 

 of time. It reaUy seems to be matter for astonishment 

 that these littoral races have for many years shown 

 themselves to be ready to cross the seas to the West 

 Indies, the Mauritius, and other distant countries, and 

 have actually been transported thither in great numbers, 

 while aU the time vast areas of the finest land are pining 

 for labour in the interior of their own country. There 

 cannot be a doubt which they would most willingly go to, 

 in order to escape from their densely crowded condition 

 at home, were the inducements offered to them the same. 

 What has tempted them to other countries has been the 

 superior wages which their industries could afford to offer ; 

 and in India, wherever, as in Assam, Cachar, and the 

 Wynaad, such articles of European demand as coffee, 

 tea, etc., have attracted European enterprise, and where 

 similar wages have been held out, an abimdant supply 

 of labour has been furnished by these fountains of popu- 

 lation. What appears to be necessary, then, to effect 

 the rapid reclamation of these wilds, is the introduction 



