GONIlUCTORS AND THEIR WIVES. 
running after him in troops, as he left the estate, say- 
ing they were all coming after him next pay day, 
on the first situation he got, they did not care where 
or in what district it was. ^ ‘ Master was our master 
where\rer he was Master’s successor hearing the coolies 
were all going away after his predecessor, the very 
first opportunity, ^brings a good batch of coolies with 
him, and also takes a great deal of trouble in secur- 
ing otherwise as full a supply of labour as possible, 
and he congratulates himself on having taken this 
step, because go where he will, and every afternoon 
when work is over, the sound is dinned into his ears 
Shimiky Pora (going away to country). He gets so 
irritated and annoyed by this continual pest, that 
knowing his works are all well through and he is 
rather full handed, he procures money, calls the 
people who were always giving notice to leave, pays 
them up and off and tells them to be off sharp, as 
he wants their lines for more men who are engaged 
and coming- But the next day, they come up to the 
bungalow, and all say they were foolish. ** There is 
no master like our master, they are not going. Where 
can they goto.’’ He orders them off ; it was their own 
desire, they prostrate themselves at full length in 
the verandah. ‘ ‘ Master can give them no pay at all, ” 
master can beat them ; master can cut their throats ; 
only don’t send them away.” The writer has fre- 
quently come through these and similar experiences, 
which in onr present times of difficult labour supply, 
and coolie independence, will be difficult to imagine. In 
fact, we perfectly recollect, the great swing we had 
once over the coolies, was the threat of paying them 
up and turning them off. But we should think, better 
not try that little game now! The secret was that 
the coolies supposing they were people of very great 
importance, as indeed they were, but not so much 
so then, as now, because at that period, they could 
easily, or with little trouble, be replaced, thought to 
frighten and coerce the master, by giving notice to 
leave, while at the same time they had no such in- 
tention, and if their notice was acted upon, very 
great indifference shewn on the subject, they would 
be very much disappointed! We once most effectu- 
ally put a stop to this pest of giving notice .to leave, 
by 'promptly accepting it| and procuring another fufl 
and sufficient labour supply. When the people were 
all paid up, and off according to notice, after a few 
days, it was the old story. Three-fourths of them were 
not going away at all. We pointed out their place 
was filled up by others on the distinct understanding 
according to their own wish, that they were going 
away, and really a double labour force could not be 
kept on ; their services would be required during crop, 
