84 MADRAS, PONDICHERRY, TRAVANCORE 



There is plenty of elbow-room, no crowd, little 

 noise and a general atmosphere of repose, but it 

 is essentially old India, and therefore attracted me. 



I left Madras that evening at about 7 o'clock 

 and travelled through a country which reminded 

 me somewhat of the Karoo Desert in South Africa. 

 I reached Kodaikanal, which is the terminus of 

 the South Indian Railway, about midday on 

 Sunday, and at once started in a bullock cart, or 

 transit as it is called locally, having ordered relays 

 of bullocks all along the fifty-seven miles' drive 

 which I had undertaken to face. Soon after 

 starting, the rain came down in sheets and the road, 

 never a very good one, became atrocious, which of 

 course delayed me. We had to cross two or three 

 small rivers, but we got over them without any 

 disaster. At 10 o'clock at night I reached the 

 Taine River and found it in flood. All my 

 chattels were on the other side of the river, having 

 crossed earlier, and I found myself held up by a 

 broad and raging torrent 10 or 12 feet deep and 

 quite impassable. I had to pass the night in a bare 

 " rest " room. Until next day I had nothing to 

 eat but some chocolate. I never remember a 

 more miserable night in my life. I said the room 

 was bare, but it was fully populated. Amongst 

 other visitors I had a swarm of dragon-flies. If 

 I lighted a small bit of candle which I had with 

 me, they dashed at it and my face. If, on the 

 other hand, I tried darkness, numberless cock- 

 roaches took their walks abroad all over me. 

 Numberless fleas and their first cousins were 

 touchingly attentive. 



On Monday morning about 12 o'clock the river 



