Profits down

Journal entry: March 6th, 1836

 Well, I’ve missed the first, most profitable, harvest of the season this year…just like last year.  The coolies under my employment rebel, complaining of wages, working conditions and problems of the body.  My profits are only a fraction of what they were this time last year. All my beautiful tea leaves ripe for the picking remain on the vine.  What’s worse - four more of the coolies are with children, bringing the total to thirteen.  This increases the expense of the plantation moderately.

Though, as bad as the books look for the first part of this year, I can’t say I regret my investment in the tea trade…