LADY HAYTER'S EXPERIENCES IN INDIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2766, 5 April 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

LADY HAYTER'S EXPERIENCES IN INDIA.

Lady Hayter has sent home some interesting particulars of her visit to India, whither she went at the beginning of the winter in company with Sir Arthur Hayter, for the benefit of her health. NATIVE STUDENTS OF ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. Several of the native States were visited, including Buroda, which is governed by a very enlightened Prince, who has been in England, and who has much .more sympathy with English laws and customs than with the primitive ones of his native States. His college for young natives, which is affiliated with the Univemty of Bombay, whs inspected, the principal and several of the masters being English, and a new master had just comc from Cirencester to teach agriculture, an innovation which they hoped would be very useful. Lady Hayter and her genial husband conversed with several of the students, who seemed intelligent and spoke English, but it was curious to hear that most of them, who ranged from twelve to eighteen years, were almost all married, just as when they went over a girls' mission school, girls of twelve were either engaged or married, or in one or two cases were widows who could never

marry again. TUB PEASANT'S WIFE AT WORK. If the Hindoo lady lives a hopelessly dull and useless life, it is not so with the peasant's wife. She works hard—harder than her husband. Often one sees them on the road—he a few paces ahead of her, carrying nothing, and she with a baby on her hips and a heavy load on her head. She works in the fields, she weaves, she digs, and very seldom begs. And here one cannot help admiring the kindness which the natives show to each other. They never allow their older or weaker relatives to want, but share their last penny with them. This accounts for there being* hardly such a thing as a workhouse The people are able to livo on very little, owing mainly, I suppose, to the climate; grain, rice, and a bread of pea are their mainstay, and five or six rupees a month, which are good wages on an average, they share amongst their relatives. This comes to about 8s per month, and it is incredible from our English experience.