STEIKING AN AYSSAGE. 
there were only thirty days in the past month and 
five Sundays, so that £70 must be quite sufficient, 
ample. “ Meek, you are such a dull fellow.” 
Mr. Perean had often remarked that Meek took a 
very long time to pay the coolies, in fact upwards 
of an hour, sometimes even two ; and he was quite 
confident lie could do it himself m ten or fifteen 
minutes. In order to prove this, he undertook the 
duty of paying when next pay-day came round. 
Having seated bimself at the table, he looks over 
the pay-list, and finds the balance due to a number 
of names to amount in various sums, chiefly six, seven, 
and eight shillings. There were, of course, sums both 
above and below, but he had calculated that this 
was the average. “Now,” says he, “Mr. Meek, pay 
strict attention to my system, and you will observe 
the great benefit of it is no small money is required, 
nothing under a shilling. We don’t even require to 
call out their names. Call the people all here ; call 
the roll, as at morning muster. Yes, they are all 
present ; very well, take this bag of money. We 
will both stand up, so as to formas it were a gate- 
way through which the coolies will be marched, and 
each, as he passes by, without being allowed to stop, 
or pass any remark, seven shillings will be put into 
his hand, from which there is to be no appeal ; it 
is the aver jge. Coolies, of course, don’t understand 
anything at all about averages, so it is quite useless 
explaining it to them, and, by the bye, have a few 
sticks ready in the corner of the verandah, in case 
it may be necessary to use them. I hope not. How- 
ever we must be prepared, as in their ignorance 
they may kick up a row.” But they kicked up no 
row ; only next morning, it was found the first-class 
coolies had gone away, as it is called, “run off,’* 
and the lazy idle fellows seemed to be very pleased 
with their i 'ay : they even went so far as to say it was 
not defici nt : (kuraivdna i led). Mr. Perean was qu'ie 
enchanted with the success of his experiment in pay- 
ing. True, some of bis best men l)ad run off. “But 
it was all owing to that fellow Meek, who no doubt 
had marked them absent by mistake, or to gratify 
some private spite. But you know we must just 
put up with that sort of thing ; you can’t get a 
perfect man in every respect ; besides all new systems 
are disliked at first. Next pay day we will do 
better.” Mr. Meek declared be had no doubt of it, 
and that a few more pay-days like the last would 
be even more successful than it, and leave them with 
nobody to pay at ail. 
Our readers will now ea^^ily conceive how the pre- 
judice amongst superintendents and coolies againsi 
