924 Journal of a trip through Kunawur. [Nov. 



those in authority regulating the fare of a coolie to be two annas 

 a day, marching or halting, and that any man plying as a coolie and 

 refusing to lift a load not exceeding the regulated weight, shall be sub- 

 ject to punishment, or be turned out of the bazar, and not allowed to 

 ply again. For the purpose of seeing these orders carried into effect, 

 a coolie mate or police Chupprassee could be appointed from out of the 

 many idle hangers on, of the Political Agent, and the coolies might be 

 ticketed or licensed to ply. From Simla to Bhar, which is in reality 

 but three marches, a greater imposition still exists, for no coolies will 

 go either up or down under twelve annas, which is at the rate of four 

 annas a day, and often the demand, when Simla is filling or 

 people are returning to the plains, is one and even two rupees. In 

 former days things were much better managed, for there are those still 

 living in the hills who remember a coolie's hire to have been two 

 annas inarching, and one and a half halting. Now, however, every 

 coolie talks of non-interference, and the rights of a British subject ! 

 and threatens you with his vakeel and a lawsuit, and many other 

 combustibles besides. 



There is perhaps no bazar in India where the European is more at 

 the mercy of the native than in that of Simla, for there exists no 

 Nerick of any kind, and I have heard it maintained by those in autho- 

 rity, " that a man may demand what he pleases for his labour or his 

 goods ;" which is in other words to say, that the native may be as 

 exhorbitant as he pleases, and the European must pay the piper ! 



No one can more warmly advocate the strict administration of jus- 

 tice between man and man, than I do, whatever be his colour, what- 

 ever be his situation in life ; but it appears to me by no means either 

 just or necessary to uphold the native on all occasions, or to consider 

 the European as always in fault. Such a system tends materially to 

 lower the dignity of the British character without in the least increas- 

 ing the popularity of him who adopts it, for the shrewd native is ever 

 willing to join with the European in the cry, '• 'Tis a very bad bird 

 that befouls its own nest !" 



But to return, — " The high road across the ghats from Punggee to 

 Leepee being impassable from the depth of snow in which it was buried, 

 I was obliged to change my route and proceed by a lower and more cir- 

 cuitous road to Rarung. On leaving the main road, we followed a bye- 

 path which dipped so suddenly and abruptly down the glen that it 

 was with the greatest difficulty we could keep from sliding down the 

 slope, so slippery was the ground from moisture and from the pine 

 leaves strewed around. In some places indeed a single false step, or a 



