nches; yet all this precipitation takes
place during the six or seven wet months, the rest of the year being
absolutely dry and rainless. These measurements are recorded at the
Government Observatory Station and need not be disputed. It may readily
be supposed that the wet season, summer, with its high temperature and
damp atmosphere, was very trying to the European, and even to the
imported coolies. Imagine living for six continuous months in the
hottest palm-house in Kew Gardens; yet the planter is out and about all
day long; nearly always on pony back, however, an enormously thick solah
toppee hat or a heavy white umbrella protecting his head. The dry, or
cold season, however, was delightful.

Close to Lucky Cherra Garden was a tract of bustee land on which some
Bengali cultivators grew rice and other crops. Our Company's boundary
line in some way conflicted with theirs, and a dispute arose which soon
developed into a series of, first, most comical mix-ups, and afterwards
into desperate "lathi" fights. The land in dispute was being hurriedly
ploughed by buffalo teams belonging to the Bengalis; to uphold our claim
I also secured teams and put them to ploughing on the same piece of
ground. This could only lead to one thing--as said before, terrific
lathi fights between the teamsters. For several days I went down to see
the fun, taking with me a number of the stoutest coolies on the garden.
The men seemed to rather enjoy the sport, though a lick from a lathi (a
formidable tough, hard and heavy cane) was far from a joke. Finally the
bustee-wallahs agreed to stop operations and await legal judgment.

After eighteen months I was suddenly left in sole charge of all the
Company's gardens, the Burra Sahib having finally succumbed to drink;
but I was not long left in charge, being soon relieved by a more
experienced man. Shortly after I was ordered to Scottpore Garden in
Cachar, the manager of which, a particularly fine man and a great
friend of mine, had suffered the awful death of being pierced by the
very sharp end of a heavy, newly-cut bamboo, which he seems to have
ridden against in the dark. He always rode at great speed, and he too,
in this way, was a victim of drink. The tremendously high death-rate
amongst planters was directly due to this fatal habit.

Scottpore was a new (young) garden, not teelah, but level land, having
extremely rich soil. The bushes showed strong growth and there were no
"vacancies"; indeed it