[Following the Equator<br> Part 1 by Mark Twain]@TWC D-Link book
Following the Equator
Part 1

CHAPTER VI
3/19

All this is clear enough; but the thing that is not clear is, what there is about it all to persuade the recruit.

He is young and brisk; life at home in his beautiful island is one lazy, long holiday to him; or if he wants to work he can turn out a couple of bags of copra per week and sell it for four or five shillings a bag.

In Queensland he must get up at dawn and work from eight to twelve hours a day in the canefields--in a much hotter climate than he is used to--and get less than four shillings a week for it.
I cannot understand his willingness to go to Queensland.

It is a deep puzzle to me.

Here is the explanation, from the planter's point of view; at least I gather from the missionary's pamphlet that it is the planter's: "When he comes from his home he is a savage, pure and simple.


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