s, made by a common native village blacksmith, that could
not be surpassed in delicacy of finish by any English smith. It is
foreign to our ideas of the brawny blacksmith, to hear that he sits to
his work, but this is the invariable custom. Even carpenters and masons
squat down to theirs. Cheap labour is but an arbitrary term, and a
country smith at home might do the work of ten or twelve men in India;
but it is just as well to get an idea of existing differences. On many
of the factories there are very intelligent _mistrees_, which is the
term for the master blacksmith. These men, getting but twenty-four to
thirty shillings a month, and supplying themselves with food and
clothing, are nevertheless competent to work all the machinery, attend
to the engine, and do all the ironwork necessary for the factory. They
will superintend the staff of blacksmiths; and if the sewing-machine of
the _mem sahib_, the gun-lock of the _luna sahib_, the lawn-mower,
English pump, or other machine gets out of order, requiring any metal
work, the _mistree_ is called in, and is generally competent to put
things to rights.

[Illustration: CARPENTERS AND BLACKSMITHS AT WORK]

As I have said, every village is a self-contained little commune. All
trades necessary to supplying the wants of the villagers are
represented in it. Besides the profits from his actual calling, nearly
every man except the daily labourer, has a little bit of land which he
farms, so as to eke out his scanty income. All possess a cow or two, a
few goats, and probably a pair of plough-bullocks.

When a dispute arises in the village, should a person be suspected of
theft, should his cattle trespass on his neighbour's growing crop,
should he libel some one against whom he has a grudge, or, proceeding
to stronger measures, take the law into his own hands and assault
him, the aggrieved party complains to the head man of the village.
In every village the head man is the fountain of justice. He holds
his office sometimes by right of superior wealth, or intelligence,
or hereditary succession, not unfrequently by the unanimous wish of
his fellow-villagers. On a complaint being made to him, he summons
both parties and their witnesses. The complainant is then allowed to
nominate two men, to act as assessors or jurymen on his behalf, his
nominations being liable to challenge by the opposite party. The
defendant next names two to act on his behalf, and if these are
agreed to by both