THE PROSPEROUS "BANYAN" 277 



cope with the rapidly increasing volume of trade. 

 His master must perforce send to Bombay for a 

 relation to assist him, and makes a point of select- 

 ing one with a family of children, for, as he truly 

 says, " Small relations are cheaper than grown-up 

 strangers, and do almost as much." Thereafter 

 you shall see him from time to time engaging more 

 and more assistants, opening small branch establish- 

 ments all over the country, and getting gradually 

 into his hands the threads of a sound business 

 concern. It is now, however, clearly time for a 

 move in the direction of the nearest populous 

 town or trading centre. He must open a large, 

 important-looking, well-lighted shop, where, whilst 

 awaiting custom, he can lean over the counter 

 and estimate his profits as he eyes the towering 

 shelves fuU of valuable stock destined to supply 

 his far-flung branches. At this stage he begins to 

 remit surplus funds to India, to learn the European 

 language of the country (EngUsh or Portuguese, 

 as the case may be), and to acquire a working 

 knowledge of local law and custom. Thenceforward 

 a valuable stock, with many avenues for its dis- 

 posal, buttressed by a sufficient bank account, pro- 

 claims the success of a prosperous merchant ; and 

 should he not overstep the bounds of caution and 

 give reckless credit to persons incapable of meeting 

 their engagements (a weakness not altogether con- 

 fined to the Indian), he passes through life growing 

 richer and richer, and in the fulness of time returns 

 to beloved Bombay, and dies in the soul-satisfying 

 odour of distinguished commercial success. 



The foregoing outline sketches fairly accurately 



