. Jn, which always occurs in May, then com* 

 meiires. In this opt raticn both sexes perforin 

 their })art, ihe men pn ceding hi iiaes with a stick 

 in eitlier hand, with which thejf make holes of 

 two inches in depth and at the distance of nine 

 or ten inches apart, wliilst the women follow in 

 iheir footsieps witli a bamboo measure contain- 

 ing the padrly and, drop three or Ibnr grains 

 into c-ach hole, closing them directly by a sharp 

 tap of ihe bamboo. 



Vegefa'ion being so luxuriant here, lite field 

 reqnircs weedini^ a fortnight after the J?€ed is 

 sown, in order that ihe infant crop may not be 

 choked, and much care is also requisite in order 

 to gnard nganistthe depredations of the numerous 

 small birds, and the more sweeping devastanon 

 occasioned by the incursions of the wild elephants. 

 As a bamer to the ravages of these huge and 

 powerful animals, trees are felh d all round the 

 plantation, care being taken that ttiey shall fall 

 with their branches pointing ontwf»rds; and, inside 

 of these, a moie regular ft nee of jiickets covered 

 with thorns is erected. The sagacity and the 

 strength of the elephant are, liowever, some- 

 limes an overmatch for these obstacles ; in which 

 case, a ruined field and blighted hopes are the 

 portion of the unfurlunate peasant on the follow- 

 ing morning* 



Should the crop escape its numerous enemies, 

 it is reaped in the manner pecuhar to many parts 

 of the East. The task is performed by women, 

 who go into the fields with a small knife which 

 they hold between the middle and fore fingers, 

 the edge of the blade being turned inwards. By 



