fURTHER EXPERIENCES OF MR. FRESH. 
task was done ; but tbe result was it took nearly 
double the number of coolies to carry the sticks that it 
would have done had they been cut to the proper 
size. But that was not the worst, for after they had been 
carried and found too long they were cut to the 
proper length, and the ends or pieces so cut off, in- 
stead of being preserved as likely to come in useful 
for some future work, were just pitched into the 
stream, and carried away by the first flood. Shortly 
afterwards master would have some other work on 
hand which required sticks, so he would exclaim, 
^‘How lucky! just the very thing; go down to the 
place where all those pieces of sticks were cut off, 
and bring them up.” But upon inspection there was 
not one to be found, so a gang of men would be told 
off next morning to carry more sticks, with probably 
the same ultimate result as has already been described. 
■^‘We must put a bridge over that river before the 
monsoon sets in,” says the master to the conductor 
at morning roll-call ; “ send off a dozen coolies into the 
jungle to cut sticks, and mind they are good long ones, 
and as thick as my leg.” The result of this very 
easily understood order was that the sticks were brought 
down about as thick as master’s wrist, and one-quarier 
in length longer than the order given. The coolies, 
doubtless wished to make up for deficient diameter 
by a considerable increase in the length ; on being found 
fault with, that the timber was too light in girth, 
in extenuation they triumphantly point out 
the fact, that they were a quarter length longer \h.2^>YL 
the order given ; this would probably, instead of ap- 
peasing, increase the wrath of master, seeing which 
the simple cooly would suppose he was not Mieved, 
and would carefully take from his waistcloth a piece 
of coir string which had been given him as the 
necessary length to which the stick was to be cut. 
One end of the string he fastened on a a splinter on 
the thick end of the stick, walking along the side of 
which, with the other in his hand, the string would 
of course be run out before reaching the other end 
of the piece of timber ; he would then pause and 
look up into master’s face, confident of approbation, 
and perhaps with some sort of a feeling that now a 
favorable opportunity to ask for a cumblie or an 
advance either of or on wages. And it would alto- 
gether depend upon the general character of the 
master how he received this appeal ; some would get 
angry, and beat or threaten to beat the cooly, and 
the cooly of course would be altogether unable 
to account for why he was beaten; and the report 
would soon spread, “Our master is a very bad 
master. ’ Some would be unable to contain their 
