1839] Journal of a trip through Kunawur. 923 



Rarung with their burdens, joking to each other as they passed the 

 astonished mutineers, who little expected to see me thus far from 

 home so speedily supplied with carriage. In fact they had somewhat 

 reckoned without their host, and thought that as I was so far ad- 

 vanced into the hills, they might safely dictate the terms on which 

 they wished to be retained. Five of the number afterwards repented 

 and followed me to the next stage, begging to be reinstated, which 

 I granted, but fourteen others went back sulkily to Simla. 



In Kunawur the women often carry quite as much as the men, and 

 several of them marched along with apparent ease under burdens 

 . which the effeminate Simla coolies pronounced to be too heavy. One 

 fine stout Kunawuree, whipped up in the scramble four bags of shot, 

 amounting in weight to 56 seers, or 112 lbs, and carried them on his 

 back the whole march, which is hilly and over the worst bye paths I 

 ever saw, even in the hills. Two men had previously brought these 

 same bags from Simla, and grumbled at the weight which was allotted 

 to them, namely 28 seers each. The hardy Kunawuree demanded 

 only two annas for his work, while the Simla men had refused to 

 carry half the weight for three annas a day. While on this subject 

 it may not be amiss to inquire why, since throughout Kunawur and 

 all the neighbouring districts, the coolie demands but two annas per 

 diem for his labour, those of Simla are allowed to refuse to take less 

 than three ? For two months and a half I had occasion to hire daily 

 a number of these men at every stage ; not one ever dreamed of 

 asking more than a paolee, or two annas, nor was there hesitation and 

 grumbling in lifting their allotted loads ; each took his burden on his 

 back and trudged merrily along with it to his journey's end. On 

 returning to Kotgurh not a man would move under three annas, and 

 all objected that the loads were too heavy, although the same had 

 often been carried for long and fatiguing stages by the women of 

 Kunawur. The weight allotted to each coolie is, by order, not to 

 exceed thirty seers, but when was a coolie hired within the British 

 rule, who did not hesitate and often refuse to carry twenty seers ? 

 They will come and lift the load, pronounce it too heavy, and walk 

 off, and as far as I know, there is no redress for it, or at least I never 

 heard of any one getting it. It is childish to fix a load at thirty seers 

 and yet leave the coolies at liberty to reject half the weight if it 

 so please them. The Kunawur coolie carries more, carries quicker, 

 and demands less for his labour, than those within our rule; with 

 whom the fault may lay, I do not presume to say, but it seems to me 

 that a remedy for the evil might easily be found, by an order from 



