tS88 Report of the Great Trigonometrical Survey. [No. 4 



The East Calcutta Longitudinal Series Party was formed on 

 the 1st September, 1862, and placed under the charge of Lieutenant 

 Thuillier. The object of this Series is to become the basis for the 

 surveys of the districts of Nuddeah, Jessore, and on, via Dacca to 

 the Eastern Frontier, along a parallel of latitude slightly North of 

 Calcutta. The publication of the sheets of the Indian Atlas, which 

 embrace these districts, has long been delayed for want of this tri- 

 angulation. 



The party proceeded from Dehra Doon, by steamer and railway, 

 to Calcutta, where they took the field in November, on the termina- 

 tion of the rainy season. Operations were commenced at Chinsurah, 

 on a side of the Calcutta Meridional Series. Much assistance was 

 derived from a carefully executed Map, prepared in the Surveyor 

 General's office, by which Lieutenant Thuillier was enabled to lay out 

 his lines so as to pass through a minimum amount of property. In 

 working through forests and jungle, it is usual, in the first instance, 

 to cut a narrow glade, in a perfectly straight line, through all inter- 

 mediate obstacles, in the direction of the required station; when this 



" I must notice one peculiarity among the Kookies. They all assemble from 

 adjoining villages of the same tribe, and perform the work allotted to them, and 

 share the hire. If you want twenty men from a village, and there are sixty in 

 that village, all will come, whether you wish it or not. If they have to cut' 

 jungle, they will all do it ; if they are to carry loads, they will divide the twenty 

 loads into sixty, and each man will carry something. One man will never act as 

 a guide, or do any work singly ; he must have a companion, and both must be 

 paid. I have tried to break through this habit, but have been told that, if all 

 are not allowed to work, they will not come at all. One might suppose that 

 sixty men would, finish the work sooner than twenty, but this is not the case ; 

 they eat three times a day, will not begin work before nine, they work until 

 twelve, and then walk off, without asking or telling anybody. They remain 

 away two hours, cooking and eating, and then return and work till an hour 

 before sunset During the working hours, some are smoking, some making 

 drinking mugs from the bamboo, and others amusing themselves ; half are thus 

 occupied, while the remainder are working, and then they change about, and 

 those who are relieved smoke, making drinking mugs, walking sticks, or other- 

 wise amuse themselves. The Rajah's agents have no control over them, and 

 they do not alw r ays obey their own Sirdars. 



" A Kossyah coolie is really worth four Kookies. When a Kossyah carries a 

 light load, or is lazy, he is called a Kookie by his companions, which annoys 

 him so that he will carry the heaviest load, or tuck up his sleeves, and work in 

 right good earnest. I attribute the Kookie' s want of energy and inability to 

 carry loads to the excessive use of spirits, which are distilled in every hut, and 

 partaken freely by every member of the family. There are many Chiefs among 

 the Kookies in the Tipperah Raj. These are all called Rajahs ; they have their 

 Wuzeers, Nazirs, and Sirdars, and a number of servants of both sexes. The 

 Kookies have no written language. The Rajahs never pay visits, even to the 

 Maharajah, and their Wuzeers and Nazirs are sent to the Court only on very 

 important occasions.' ' 



