They themselves prefer receiving the whole of their wages in cash.

With that fondness for mere hard money which marks a half-educated Oriental, they will, as a rule, hoard their wages; and stint themselves of food, injuring their powers of work, and even endangering their own lives; as is proved by the broad fact that the death-rate among them has much decreased, especially during the first year of residence, since the plan of giving them rations has been at work.

The newcomers need, too, protection from their own countrymen.

Old Coolies who have served their time and saved money find it convenient to turn rice- sellers or money-lenders.

They have powerful connections on many estates; they first advance money or luxuries to a newcomer, and when he is once entrapped, they sell him the necessaries of life at famine prices.