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the fact that no one is responsible for the provision of suitable dwel-
lings falls most heavily on the new coolies. An ordinary coolie line
to casual observation usually appears to be a more or less straggling
collection of thatched huts with walls composed of thin layers of thatch
grass interlaced with bamboo. More careful examination shows,
however, that houses may be differentiated; and it soon becomes
possible to pick out the houses of the more permanent residents from
those of the newer coolies. The house of the settled coolie, while
mainly composed of material similar to that of the other houses, is
generally provided with a raised mud plinth extending below the
eaves which are widened in front to form a small verandah. The
house too generally contains two compartments and is plastered with-
in and frequently on the outside also. The thatch also is generally
of a thickness sufficient to afford ample protection from heavy rain,
It will be seen that the old settled coolie can take care of himself very
well as regards housing. But in the case of the new arrivals and a
large proportion of the less settled coolies things are far different; and
as a part of the general principle of leaving the coolie to make his own
arrangements, it frequently happens that such people are exposed
to very great hardship. The custom universal throughout the greater
part of the Duars is for coolies to be given on their arrival a certain
amount of material, usually bamboos and thatch grass, and to be
allowed several days to build their own houses, either where they
like or in parts of a line allotted to them. In other cases where
labour is short the houses are built by contract; and in some instances
steps have been taken to prevent the houses being built too close to-
gether. In the main, however, with few exceptions the houses provid-
ed throughout the Duars conform to one type. This type, except
to superficial view and as regards the primary materials used, is very
different from the houses of the settled coolies even in the same line-
It is built with a bamboo framework on the ordinary level of the
ground, with a minimum of thatch on the roof and a thin screen of
the same materials to the four sides to form the walls. It may be
built of single compartments ten or twelve feet square, or a house twenty
by ten may be divided into two compartments, in each of which
from two to four single coolies are accommodated. The door-ways
are usually closed with movable thatch or laced bamboo screens.