I saw an advertisement one day in an Indian newspaper saying that a certain firm in Madras would where in the world 1m return for " number of rupees don't remember how many, but it seemed very few taels with exchange as it was then at well over 300 rupees to " 100 fuel (it's only about 250 nuw)—a tin case containing about fifty each of " number of kinds of cigare made in Madras, and it struck me as being such a conve arrangement that I sent the rupees and in time cane. It was must entisfactory 5 exch partition in the tiv bad the ind price of the cigars on it, so that my friends knew exactly, when it was handed to them, the cost of the cigar they took. Since that time I have constantly smoked Madras cigars, and I like them much better than Mouilas; and if my friends have no cigars of their own in their pocketa, they lave to smoke Madras cigars tuo; but I am not sure that all of them like them much better than Manilas, bu that is because they are such creatures of hibit.
Every few months I get a fresh supply from Diadras, wud Tam regularly delighted at the wonderful precautions that are taken with the package. It is not a large one, and it is not really costly, for an ins voice of three thousand cigars of various kinds only comes to something over eighty rupees with all charges, and this includes 10 rupees which the British India Navigation Ca., Ld., charge for promising tw bring it to Shanghai. lu return for the ten rupees they give what is called " Bill of Lad which has as much printing on itas a whi column of this paper. This printing details every possible accident that will prevent wy getting the box. It appears that my pour box isthrestened with "the Actuf God, the Queen's enemies, Restraint of Princes or Rulers, Pirates or Robbers by Sea or Land, Accidents" (as if there could be any ether accidents that are not enumerated here). "Loss and damage from Vermin, Burratry, Jettisen, Collision, Fire but it is tedious to go through all the dan-ud Lam sure that if nervous passengers once read a Dill of lading, they would never again sleep in peace ova steamer. T learn that my box is subject to peril from the insuficiency of tie steamer's tackle and boilers, mud "all kinds of mistakes on the part of the officers of the ship and the pilots; that they are always trying to deviate, avd to tow and assist vessels, that ete., ete. and the most surprising they want to put it out at wrong ports,
thing is that though the Company take my ten rupees, they disclaim: all responsibility for nearly all these accidents, an thnt it is my box that is in the wrong, if anything happens to it, and I don't see how it is escape all these dangers, Some of them i is protected against by insurance, for which Thave to pay 14 annas which I believe is equivalent to 1s. 2d. Chexp enough, sidering the length of the Policy, whicl is very serious document, for it begins with "Inthe Nawe of God: Amen," and calls my trifling commission an adventure." The next thing that strikes me is the loose-ess with which steamers and their captains appear to be named; for my Policy gives the name of the steamer, with w blank for the name of the master, and then says, or by whatsoever Name or Names the said be named or galled. ed." Do steamers and captains go about with " string of almses, or dyes this refer to their pet names? Perlnps it means, for instance, that if she i really the Bellerophon, Cuptain Pitkins, it won't invalidate my Policy if frivolous pov call her the Bully Ruffian, Captain Pigskin? But this la digression, For fourteenpenco 1 find I am, or rather my box is, protected against the Sens, Cire, Pirates, Rovers, Thieves, Jettivons" (I wonder how miny times' they could jettison my box between Madras and Shanghai "Barcatry of the Master and Mariners (I had no idea before that sailors were prone to this enormity), "and all other Perils, Losses and Misfortunes," ete., etc., etc. Farther £ am comforted to find that if my box becomes the victim of one or all of these perils, I and my Factors, Ser-vats, or Assigns" are allowed "to sue, labour, and travel for, in, and rib: Defence, Safeguard, and Recovery" the charges whiereuf the company bute. If my box got jettisoned in the I Ocean, how much would the company contribute if Laud my Factoro travelled to Maras to try and reonver it? Ther is " great deal more than this on the Policy, but there is one clause that makes me always Lam going to got my box, and i be in when it does come. It is agreed that grounds ing within the limita of the Suez Gxnal shall not be deemed a stranding under the terms of the Policy." How can my poor box on its way from Madras to Shanghai run the risk of grounding within the limite of the Suez Canal
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.