July  i,  1895.]  THE  TROPICAL 
men,  wishing  to  push  their  fortunes  in  tea.  Wy 
adviie  has^  invariably  been,  and  is:  if  you  can  make 
a livelihood,  or  find  employment  of  any  kind  though 
poorly  paid  at  home,  by  all  means  remain.  _ Oidy 
leave  Britain  as  a last  resource.  The  difficulties 
of  making  rapid  fortunes  abroad  have  been  multi- 
plying, and  the  chances  over  the  world  are  now 
pretty  well  equalised.  If  one  finds  himself  com- 
pelled to  push  his  fortune  away  from  bis  native 
land  my  opinion  is  he  should  not  turn  to  India, 
unless  for  a good  Government  appointment  ; hut 
choose  some  country  as  New  Zealand,  Australia,  or 
perhaps  Canada  or  the  healthier  parts  of  South 
Africa,  more  congenial  to  the  European  constitu- 
tion, where,  if  a fortune  cannot  be  secured — which 
is  the  exception,  not  the  rule,  in  these  days — a home 
may  be  made  for  oneself,  which  cannot  be  done 
anywhere  in  India.  The  hill  districts  are  the 
pleasantest  to  live  in,  but  if  the  tea  garden  ranges 
in  elevation  more  than  2,000  ft.  (and  I resided  for 
twenty-eight  years  upon  one  which  varied  in  eleva- 
tion nearly  twice  that  I doubt  if  they  are  so  much  more 
healthy,  as  represented,  than  the  plains  districts,  airdl 
believe  the  statistics  of  mortality,  if  carefully  exam- 
ined, bear  this  out.  The  plains  districts  of  Assam, 
Cachar,  and  Sylhet,  though  more  unpleasantly  hot, 
especially  at  night,  than  most  of  Barjeeling  and 
other  hill  districcs,  are  more  imiform  in  tempera- 
ture, and,  as  I have  remarked,  little  if  at  all 
less  healthy.  The  Bhootan  Dooars,  being  a re- 
cently opened-out  plains- district,  is,  as  I have  said, 
still  unhealthy  ; and  all  aspirants  must  bear  in 
mind  that  though  Darjeeling  is  reputedly  a very 
fine  climate  (and  the  town  itself  is,  to  my  mind, 
as  fine  as  any  in  the  world),  the  Darjeeling  Terai 
— that  belt  of  forest,  or  what  was  till  recently 
forest,  at  the  foot  of  the  hills — is  about  the  very- 
worst  climate  in  India.  The  prospects  in  tea  are, 
I believe,  much  overestimated,  and  hence  appoint- 
ments are  much  rim  upon  and  difficult  to  obtain. 
"With  those  who  have  tried  the  tea  life,  the  rule  has 
been  to  retire  in  a few  years  disappointed  or  broken 
in  health,  or  to  drag  along  penniless,  and  often  in 
debt — life  being,  as  it  were,  a continual  struggle  to 
earn  a bare  subsistence  to  keep  body  and  soul  together 
— the  few  successful  men,  holding  on  too  long,  mostly 
finding  a grave  sooner  or  later  ; retiring  with  fortunes 
or  even  a competency  being  the  exception,  as  I have 
just  said.  No  doubt  a small  pn-oportion  have  come 
home  with  fortunes,  or  a moderate  competenejg  but 
those  have  been  obtained,  as  a rule,  through  the  pmr- 
chase  and  sale  of  land  or  investment  in  gardens  un- 
der advantageous  circumstances  ; but,  alas,  not  a few 
of  those  who  so  retired  lived  a very  short  time, 
and  seemed  never  to  enjoy  a day’s  real  health  after 
their  return  to  their  native  land.  Such  is  a fair 
though  unvarui.shed  statement  of  the  case,  from  a 
careful  study  of  the  statistics  of  eases  within  my 
own  knowledge  and  experience.  Still,  if  any  young 
man  suitable  for  the  work  and  life,  energetic,  indus- 
trious, p)ersevering,  and  determined  to  work  and  get 
on,  can  meet  with  an  appointment  in  a good  concern, 
he  is  likely  sooner  to  get  into  a position  to  support 
himself,  and,  if  economical,  even  save  a little,  tlian 
in  any  other  line  I know.  As  yet  tea  apiprointments 
have  not  been  thrown  open  to  compretitivc  examina- 
tion, nor  could  they  well  be,  as  the  tests  ought  to 
be  character,  industrious  habits,  and  physical  qualifica- 
tions. The  only  way  to  obtain  appointments  is  through 
knowing  proprietors,  directors,  managing  agents,  or 
estate  managers.  As  a proof  that  the  supply 
of  applicants  far  exceeds  the  demand  many  well- 
educated  young  gentlemen  join  tea  gardens  as 
what  is  styled  “ creepers,”  that  is,  giving  their 
services  for  nothing,  in  addition  to  paydng  their 
own  board — some  actually  paying  a good  round 
sum  in  shape  of  premium  for  permission  to  learn 
the  business.  Let  such  at  least  make  sure  that 
they  are  going  to  a good  climate,  and  not  find 
themselves  set  down  in  the  Darjeeling  Terai  in- 
stead of  Darjeeling  Hills,  as  has  happrened.  Tne 
main  qualifications  for  the  prost,  in  order  of  im- 
portance, arc  a thorough  practical  knowledge  of 
mechanical  engineering,  gardening  or  farming, 
building,  surveying,  accounts,  tea-tasting,  corres- 
AGRICULTURIST.  37 
prondence,  medicine.  But  uiecliauical  engineering 
is  not  now  of  such  importanc*  as  many  attach 
to  it,  because  in  all  districts  tkere  is,  at  the  piie- 
sent  time,  no  lack  of  thoroughly  qualified  engineers 
devoting  themselves  specially  to  that  branch— a 
smattering  of  engineering  being,  in  my  oprinion, 
worse  than  useless.  The  same  in  regard  to  medi- 
cine, as  you  can  understand,  a little  knowledge  is 
a dangerous  thing,  and  there  are  now  numerous 
qualified  practitioners,  with  native  doctors  under 
them,  on  tea  gardens.  From  this  it  may  be  gathered 
that  the  duties  of  a tea  planter  are  multifarious. 
He  should  have  a practical  head,  and  adaptabilit}^ 
so  to  speak,  and  it  will  be  well  if  he  can  turn  his 
handto  anything,  as  will  be  illustrated  later.  To  bo  a 
Slice  ssful  prlanter  a man  need  not  necessarily  be 
muscularly  strong,  but  he  should  be  endowed  with 
a ccstitution  sound  in  every  fibre,  and  have  good 
powers  of  resistance  to  fatigue  and  contagion.  He 
had  well  also  be  a good  pedestrian  and  a fair  horse- 
man. The  hours  of  attendance  are  long,  though  not 
always  exhaustive,  throughout  the  whole  time  of 
the  operations ; from  5 a.m.  to  9 or  10  p.m.  dur- 
ing busy  and  anxious  times;  but,  as  a rule,  the  more 
a man  can  be  at  his  post,  or  at  readiness  to  drop 
into  it,  and  the  closer  his  supervision,  the  better. 
During  five  to  six  months  of  the  year  Sunday 
labour  and  suprervision  is  unavoidable  in  connection 
with  manufacture.  The  life,  as  a rule,  is  a retired 
and  solitary  one,  beset  with  peculiar  temprtatious, 
and  often  wanting  in  plain  comforts.  To  resist  the 
climate,  worries,  and  monotony-  of  the  life,  a sound 
mind  in  a sound  body  is,  in  short,  absolutely  neces- 
sary ; and  no  one  can  be  a success  unless  he  has 
his  mind  and  heart  in  the  work,  and  understands  and 
has  syunpathy  and  a fellow-feeling  for  the  natives. 
The  management  of  the  natives — which  depends 
as  much  iipron  knowing  not  only  their  language 
but  all  their  little  idiosyncrasies  of  mind  and 
habits — is  a most  important  matter.  On  tea 
gardens,  all  Europreans,  in  relation  to  social 
standing  and  age,  have  the  welfare,  haprpiness,  and 
comfort  of  numerous  fellow-creatures  in  their  hands 
to  an  extent  to  which  there  is  no  parallel  in  this 
country.  Their  influence  and  respionsibility  for  good 
or  evil,  is  therefore  prroportionately  great.  Every 
planter  ought  to  remember  his  duty  and  respoisi- 
bility  towards  a subject  race  in  a heathen  land,  and 
so  long  as  he  is  iinsw-erving  in  the  conscientious  dis- 
charge of  his  own  duties  to  his  employers,  just, 
honourable,  and  considerate  in  all  his  dealings  with 
his  people,  and  impresses  upon  them  the  dignity  of 
all  honest,  faithful  labour  (a  proint  in  regard  to 
which  I fear  the  missionary  is  not  always  so  suc- 
cessful as  could  be  desired,  any  more  than  modern 
teachers  in  this  country),  his  influence  and  example 
cannot  fail  to  be  immensely  for  good,  and  whatever 
befalls  he  will  have  at  least  the  satisfaction  of  having 
tried  to  do  his  duty. 
The  lecturer  was  warmly  applauded  at  the  close, 
and  his  exhaustive  account  of  all  that  concerns  tea 
should  do  much  to  make  the  public  better  ac- 
quainted with  all  that  concerns  the  growth  and  use 
of  the  product. 
During  the  evening  Darjeeling  tea,  of  excellent 
flavour,  pn-ovided  by  Mrs.  Ghristison,  was  enjoyed 
by  the  audience.— 7/.  and  C.  Mail. 
now  TO  MAKE  HEAVY  BOOTS  SOFT  AND 
WATERTIGHT. 
To  make  heavy  boots  soft,  well  soak  them  with 
warm  v/ater  before  a fire,  seeing  first  that  there  is  no 
dirt  on  them.  When  the  water  has  soaked  right  through 
the  leather,  work  it  about  in  the  hands  to  make  it  as 
soft  as  piossible.  Then  give  the  boots  a coat  of  neats- 
foot  oil,  let  them  be  a respiectable  distance  from  the 
fire  and  keep  turning  them  round  so  that  the  oil  nniy 
tPiL-y  in  all  oyer.  As  the  water  dries  out  the  oil  dries 
Pi2,  and  as  it  gets  absorbed  more  oil  should  be  appjlied. 
If  tbc  boots  are  very  bad,  let  them  lie  by  a day  or  two, 
aid^  then  i cpeat  the  above  process  with  both  water  and 
oil,  working  the  leather  well  with  the  hand.  Towater- 
pj^-yof  them,  after  the  oil  Jiaa  >veU  dried  in  give  thenp 
