40 



Tlie Neilgherry Momiains. 



[No. 34, 



Thus in, and about the settlement of Ootacamund, the coolies em- 

 ployed are all emigrants from the plains of Canara, Malabar and 

 Coimbatore, or from the Mysore territory ; the Canarese and Myso- 

 reans being the most numerous. 



Their remuneration is commonly 2J annas per day, or 3Jd. 



In the vicinity of Burgher villages, and especially about Coonoor 

 and Kotergherry, Burgher labour is available in abundance at the 

 rate of 2 annas per diem, and they are extensively employed by set- 

 tlers to cultivate their gardens and to work on plantations. Carpen- 

 ters and bricklayers are mostly people from Paulghaut in Malabar, 

 or from Coimbatore ; their rates of pay vary according to their ex- 

 pertness, from 8 annas a day to 6. Stone cutters work by the piece, 

 receiving on an average, for smoothed granite slabs, steps, coping 

 stones, &c. 8 annas per running foot, of about 1 foot by 6 or 8 inches, 

 breadth and depth ; sawyers in like manner work by the piece, at the 

 rate of about Rs. 2- per 100 feet of surface cut. It is difficult to 

 obtain the services of this class of artizans on the Hills, as they all 

 resort to the teak forests at Musneum Coil and Tippacadoo, near 

 Seegoor, where they always find abundant employment. 



Brick makers and tile makers work of course by contract, at the 

 rates already specified under the head " Prices of principal pro- 

 ducts." 



There are several tolerable blacksmiths, silversmiths, and abun- 

 dance of tailors settled in Ootacamtmd and the minor stations; 

 while on the eastern side of the Hills the Kothers are generally em- 

 ployed as artizans for rough smith's and carpenter's work. 



These Hills possess a great advantage in regard to labour, which 

 is, and always must be, abundant; because as soon as the seed is put 

 into the ground in the adjacent low country, the poorer class, or la- 

 bouring men, are thrown out of employment until harvest time is 

 past, unless some extensive public work happens to be in progress, 

 and therefore come to the Neilgherries for work in preference to 

 wandering away to Ceylon and other parts to search for it, whenever 

 a demand exists here for their services. 



The common rate of pay to all such labourers employed on plan- 

 tations is 4 rupees a month, and for this sum they labour content- 

 edly for 9 hours a day, performing work which, though it cannot be 

 compared with negro labour, must nevertheless be pronounced cheap- 

 ly remunerated at the rate quoted above. 



