Page:Life in India or Madras, the Neilgherries, and Calcutta.djvu/218

190 beach, all lost within two or three hours. In some cases almost whole crews perish within a stone's throw of those who, standing upon the shore, see all, and yet can give no assistance.

Leaving the beach and taking a drive through the purely native parts of the city, you feel somewhat troubled by the fact that, as there are no sidewalks, every one is walking in the middle of the street. It seems quite impossible to make any progress without running over some of the easy, careless, heedless men, women, or children who throng the way. Your horsekeeper, however, with his shrill cry of “Hey! hey!" gives warning of your approach, and they side off toward the houses. Occasionally, he leaves his hold upon the buggy, and running before, clears a way for you through the thick groups of pedestrians. The cavady-man, with his two earthen water-pots balanced from a bamboo pole upon his shoulder, is on the lookout for you, lest his paneys (water-jars) should suffer by a collision. But there is a poor woman, so intent on gathering cow-dung, (to be mixed with chaff and dried for fuel,) that she does not hear the horse-keeper's outcries. You are just upon her, when he nimbly leaps forward and gives her a helping hand, and a hint