The Indian Bearer.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 April 1914, Page 8

The Indian Bearer.

Tf there is one thing more than another essential to the Englishman in India it is his bearer. A bearer, be it known, is a personal servant somewhat akin to a valet at home. He is supposed to look after one personally, bat one is often inclined to think that this is a secondary consideration, his principal occupation being to disgorge commission from all and sundry on every imaginable thing— oneself included. For instance, your sugar and tea are disappearing very rapidly, and as he has two wives, ten children, and 12 rupees (165.) per month, one naturally has suspicions. On being accused, he assumes an air of injured innocence, and unless you have definite proof you feel that you are a very unjust man. Having definite proof, however, he is finally "cornered," when he will calmly tell you that unless he is allowed to rob you he will leave your service. When one gets experience it is found to be much the better plan to allow him, within bounds, to have these perquisites (besides many others). In this case it is his particular care that nobody else robs you. On the other hand, if you have objections all the servants—and there are usually eight to twelve in an Indian bungalow—will extract their quota. In Calcutta and the larger towns the native servants are carefully protected by law, but in the mofiessil (country)—where magistrates are scarce, and some distance- away —they are very liable to get a thrashing, or a boot thrown at their heads on the slightest provocation, particularly by people who have been in India for many years—and who possess a "liver." The first night I slept in India I gave my bearer orders to awaken Ime at 6.30 in the morning. I Was awakened by having my toe pulled. I opened my eyes, looked around, and, seeing nothing, came to the conclusion that it was imagination. I was just closing my eyes to go to sleep again, when I saw a Mack face slowly appearing at the bottom of the bed. An arm then appeared, stretched itself through the rails, shook my big toe, and quickly if bobbed" down out of sight again. On inquiry, I found this was quite usual, and a measure of precaution on the part of the bearer in case there were any books, boots, etc., lying handy. On the first occasion on which I had to assert my authority my bearer made a point of telling me that the men had arranged to kill me. This,, by the way, is quite a usual thing, and when one has just arrived in the country fresh from home one is apt to pay some .attention to information •of this kind. In the middle of that same night I awoke with a start, feeling certain that someone was in the room, and it flashed across my mind that I was to be killed. It was intensely dark, but on Listening intently I heard someone creeping round the bottom of the bed. I quietly loosened the mosquito net on one side, and, awaiting a favourable opportunity, leapt out, and got him. After beating his head on the ground and knocking him about otherwise, I realised that he was making very little resistance, so T made him get up—holding on all the time by his clothing—and light the lamp. To my amazement 1 found it was my hearer. Ho had come in for some matches. He knew there were some on the table by my bed-side, and having had experience with other sahibs, had been afraid to awaken me. I gave him a lecture, and two rupees, which entirely satisfied him, although his haltered face was a reproach to me for weeks afterwards. When travelling it is the general rule for the bearer to accompany his master. He attends to luggage refreshments, etc., while travelling. In the hotel he sloops on his blanket outside one's bedroom door. On the whole the bearer, apart from his thieving propensities—and these are the ways of the country, and born in him—is not a bad sort of chap, and we should really get on very badly without him.