The planter usually takes a pride in the well-cultivated appearance of the garden in his charge; but how can one be proud if the weeds overtop the bushes?
It may be appropriate here to note that eighty-five per cent.

of the twenty-four hours' growth of plants occurs between 12 p.m.and 6 a.m.; during the noon hours the apparent growth almost entirely ceases.
Garden coolies are generally Hindoos and are imported from far-off districts.

The local peasantry of Bengal are mostly Mohammedans and do not work on tea-gardens, except on such jobs as cutting jungle, building, etc.

They speak a somewhat different tongue, so that we had to understand Bengali as well as Hindustani.

I may mention here that as Hindoos regard an egg as defiling, and Mohammedans despise an eater of pork, our love for ham and eggs alienates us from both these classes; what beasts we must be! The Hindoos and the Bengal Mussulmans are characterized by cringing servility, open insolence, or rude indifference.