19 



liim some capital to live ou. The money so advauced is charged to the 

 account of each individual, and is paid back when the tobacco is 

 brought in. All the rest of the exi)ense of getting the coolie over to 

 the island and any bonus he receives is not returned directh' to the 

 planter. The Chinese coolie is bound to sell the tobacco to the estate. 

 The manager gives him a field of laud, about 1^ acres, after it has been 

 cleared of the larger trees. He then gives him the necessary imi)le' 

 ments for clearing and cultivating the land, the actual cost of which is 

 charged up to his account. Further, on every i^ay day, that is, on the 

 1st and 16th of the month, he gets from 81. GO to 8- advance, according 

 to his standing. This is charged to his account- There is no Sunday 

 in Deli. These pay days are called by the coolies -'haribesaar,'- or 

 great day. On these days they are not expected to work in the field, 

 but are paid off about 11 o'clock in the morning and have the day to 

 themselves. The Europeans are paid by the month. 



The Chinamen from Singapore or Penang, who have been one or 

 more years away from China, and those who have worked one or more 

 years on the tobacco plantations and have been able to pay their debts 

 and reengage themselves for another year, are, of course, considered 

 the most desirable coolies to have. They si)eak a little of the native 

 language — Malay — and often a little English. It is almost necessary 

 to have a few of them on an estate to teach those who come from 

 China direct. They know exactly what is to be done and how to do it, 

 and the}^ understand, moreover, that it is to their own interest to 

 work well. There is one serious drawback, however, that they are 

 inclined to be a rowdy set. They are inclined to think that they 

 know more than they do and that they have more rights than others, 

 and they very often cause great trouble on some of the estates. 



PREPARATIUX OF THE GROUND BY COOLIES. 



Clearing the land of the largest trees usually costs about 84 for each 

 field. This is charged to the account of the coolie, but never more than 

 this sum is charged against him. When the coolie arrives, a field is 

 assigned to him from which the largest trees have been felled some 

 time before, so that they are well dried out and fit to be burned. The 

 Chinaman then gathers up the brush and wood and chops ui) the trees 

 and burns the land oft" until the growth is entirely reduced to ashes. 

 Sometimes very large trees are left lying on the ground and the planting 

 is done around them, as also around the stumps. Xo plows are used, 

 except in very rare cases. It would be imi)ossible to make any jjrogress 

 with a plow on land so full of stumps and roots and i)ieces of trees as 

 these newly cleared jungle fields are. Occasionally in grass land a 

 i:)low, drawn by two or more buffaloes, is used. The coolie is supplied 

 with an implement called ^'tjankol," with which to work the ground to 

 a depth of 12 inches. This takes the place of the plow in this country. 

 He must, of course, very often use his ax to cut the roots, which are 

 then exposed to the sun, and when dry are burned. 



