SUGAR CULTIVATION. 191 



The canes must be cut and transported from the fields at the 

 expense of the contractor, half a doit per bundle being paid by 

 him for cutting the canes and forming them into bundles. The 

 coolies, or workpeople, are supplied {i. e. compelled to work) by 

 the Government. For transporting the canes from the field to 

 the mill the sugar fabricant generally makes contracts with 

 cartmen at the beginning of the year, paying them from 1£ to 2 

 doits* per bundle, according to distance. 



Coolies are supplied by Government both for cutting the canes 

 and for the work in the mill : this is not obligatory on them by 

 contract, but from the natural indolence of the Javanese great 

 difficulty would be experienced in procuring work-people without 

 the assistance of the Government.f Fifteen doits (2%d English) 

 is paid a daily labourer by fabricants who have old contracts, 

 20 doits by those of later date. Daily coolies are obliged to 

 work from six o'clock in the morning to six in the evening. 

 For night-work they generally receive double wages. 



Mills have generally two sets of cylinders, and if well supplied 

 with water (which is the only motive power used in Java), and 

 with good method and management will take off 7000 or 8000 

 bundles of canes in the twenty-four hours. 



Besides contracting for his carting, the fabricant makes ad- 

 vances and closes contracts in January for baskets, pots, &c. 



In all the contracts with Government, advances are made to 

 the fabricant in January, and a further advance in June, and 

 after the whole crop has been delivered a final settlement takes 

 place. 



* The doits mentioned in all agricultural transactions are 

 copper doits of 120 to the silver guilder, which is valued at 20 

 pence English. Therefore a doit = £th of a penny sterling. 



f The meaning of this is that the people are compelled to 

 work by their rulers, native and Dutch, and to receive such 

 wages as they may choose to order them. If not a system of 

 slavery it is one of the most complete serfdom. — J. B. J. 



