328 COFFEE. 



taking my sun-hat and an umbrella, I went out in the broiling 

 sun (19th of J!^ovember), to prospect. I found the long train 

 occupied, with the exception of our car, entirely by natives in 

 third-class carriages, myself and two friends, with the engineer, 

 being the only Europeans on the train. The native conductor 

 was in vain trying to induce the lazy blacks to expedite their work, 

 but without effect. I never saw such deliberate mortals in my 

 life, although I could hardly blame them, for the temperature was 

 over 100°, and much exertion, for a European at least, was neither 

 comfortable nor safe. On consulting with the engineer, however, 

 I found that the engine was steaming out the water faster than 

 it was being put into the tender, and that something would have 

 to be done or we would never get to Madura. There were plenty 

 of men, but they were dawdhng up and down the steps leading to 

 the well, each one filling his own jar and occupying about half an 

 hour in carrying it from the well to the engine. My first step 

 was to promise them, through the conductor, three rupees, " back- 

 sheesh " (gift money), if they would submit to my orders ; and 

 then ranging them in line, I soon had a continuous stream of jars 

 passing rapidly from hand to hand between the well and the 

 engine. As soon as they caught the idea they entered into it with 

 a will. Baising a strange, weird song or chorus, they gradually 

 accelerated their motion until it grew into a positive enthusiasm, 

 and no line of buckets at an American fire ever circulated faster 

 than did those earthen water-jars at that station in Southern India. 

 In ten minutes the reservoir of the tender was filled, and we were 

 again en route for Madura, where we arrived at 9.30 p.m., hot, 

 tired, and dusty. 



At this place, as at many others in India, the only hotel is a 

 " travellers' bungalow," which is a small, one-story house built by 

 the English Government and placed in charge of a native, who is 

 obliged to provide meals and other conveniences at a fixed tariff. 

 Tlie only furniture is a bedstead or two, with mattrasses, and 

 generally two or three chairs, together with a table. Every trav- 

 eller is supposed to provide his own bedding, soap, and towels. 

 The same system is in vogue in Ceylon, and, as a curiosity, I ap- 

 pend a scale of charges, which I copied from the tariff, which is 

 posted up in every bungalow : 



