PUUTHEIt EXPERIENCES OF MS. STAtE. 
2iot SO sure about it, for possibly wheu lie called for 
a fire, the answer would be, Kitchen coolie not here 
to light it,” so, he would be off in search of the 
coolie, whom, of course, he would not be able to find, 
and by the time either, or both of them had returned, 
he would have gone to bed. All the boy seemed to 
understand of this rather cutting remark was something 
about going to bed, so he said, “Yes sar, very good sar, 
but must bring master’s dinner first. If the kitchen 
coolie would only come and make the curry, Master 
must get some other coolie, that man is al- 
together too lazy, and make too much work 
for me.” We know not what may be the case now, 
but, in the olden times, there was always great diffi^ 
Gulty in getting a kitchen coolie, out of any of the 
gangs : the occupation seemed to be extremely unpo- 
pular, and the reasons were various. In the first place, 
the coolie bad tw^o masters to please and propitiate — 
master and the boy both of whom had conflicting 
interests. He was a sort of scapegoat, upon whom 
the boy laid tUe blame of everything that was done 
wrong. The boy would send him off, on his own 
personal affairs, and he dared not refuse to go, vihile, 
very p robably, if master found he had gone away any 
where, he would receive a good rating, which he 
was obliged to accept, and say nothing. Although 
the work he had to perform was light and easy, as 
compared with most of the estate occupations, still 
it was constant, and he must be always on the spot, 
in event of being called, and just at four o’clock, when 
his fellows in the lines hnd finished their day’s 
work, and had the rest of the evening to themselves, 
bis chief work was just commencing, in pounding 
Gurry-stuffs, washing rice, and blowing up the fire to 
cook master’s, dinner and then, after master had dined, 
the dishes W’ere all to wash up, chatties to scrub and 
clean, hia own rice to prepare and eat, as also food 
for the dogs, if an,' . If there was a horse on the 
estate, during the absence of the horsekeeper he w'ould 
be sent to cut grass, carry up paddy and gram 
from the bazars j it W'as also his duty to cut 
and carry fire- wood, in all weathers. Sunday, 
the great gala day of the coolies, was no gala 
day to him, for the boy had generally some 
very pressing private business, which took him away, 
on that day, leaving the coolie to do the whole of 
kitchen work himself, as he best could; He must get 
up very early in the morning, before dawn (but that 
parhaps is no hardship to the coolie) in order ffe 
kindle the fire, and boil water, for master’s cobfee, 
while the boy was sound asleep, and just at a little 
before six, when the shout was given, ^‘Boy, bring 
