NO ASSISTANTS. 
our old planters would no doubt have been alive and 
hearty at this day. Of course they had not the 
means, and more certainly not the opportunities 
afforded now for ‘patching up.’ Even a trip to 
Colombo was considered as something a good deal 
out of the way, and requiring a great deal of serious 
consideration and preparation, and likely to affect 
one's pocket in such a way, that it would take a 
good many months’ pay to tide over the cost. As 
for a sea voyage that was out of the question 
altogether. There was no overland route, or, if there 
was, where could one lay hands on a hundred pounds 
for passage money ? A hundred pounds! What super- 
intendent ever saved a hundred pounds, or even a 
hundred pence, in these times ? He might consider 
himself a very lucky fellow indeed, and quite an 
exception to the general rule, if he was not a hun- 
dred pounds or a hundred pence in debt, that is 
to say if he could get any one to give him credit, 
but there would not be much difficulty about getting 
credit, provided, and provided only, it was at a Kandy 
general store. They read the order, sent it out, prob- 
bably by coolies waiting for the loads, and never so 
much as asked who Mr. So-and-so was, or where 
was the estate, or even if he was on an estate at all. 
Well was it for us, we were then all young, fresh, 
and strong; the climate on the mountain sides was 
healthy, or, at all events, had not had time to induce 
any bad effects, for nothing could be more miserable, 
deplorably’ miserable, than illness on a coffee estate, 
or even anywhere, at that period of time. But, at 
that time, those who were owners, or in a superior 
charge of estates, never seemed to take into account 
the contingency of illness or depression of health of 
the resident superintendent, not even any temporary 
indisposition, because no provision was made, in event 
of this, to relieve him of his duties, or even assist 
him. It was quite a common state of affairs to find 
only one superintendent on three or four hundred 
acres of coffee or even more, with only a native con- 
ductor, or perhaps ev^en only a head kangani, to assist 
him in the work. Not only this state of matters 
prevailed, but supposing even there were, which was 
often the case, some other assistants on a large estate, 
if they left to undertake some other charge, and so 
improve their position in moving on, the head 
superintendent would represent he did not require 
any further European assistance, he preferred native, 
and it was cheaper also for his employers. No 
doubt it would be very much additional trouble 
and work to himself, but what of that, he liked 
