AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



the thin partition in the station building we could 

 hear plainly every word. It was very interesting. 

 Especially did we chortle with delight when the 

 inspector began one of his arguments somewhat as 

 follows : 



"Now the two English who are here. They 

 possess great sums of wealth" — F. nudged me de- 

 lightedly, "and they have weapons to kill, and much 

 with which to do things, yet their savage minds " 



It was plain, rank, eavesdropping, but most 

 illuminating, thus to get at first hand the Eastern 

 point of view as to ourselves; to hear the bloodless, 

 gentle shell of Indian philosophy described by be- 

 lievers. They discussed the most minute and im- 

 practical points, and involved themselves in the most 

 uncompromising dilemmas. 



Thus the gist of one argument was as follows: 

 All sexual intercourse is sin, but the race must go 

 forward by means of sexual intercourse; therefore 

 the race is conceived in sin and is sinful; but it is a 

 great sin for me, as an individual, not to carry 

 forward the race, since the Divine Will decrees that 

 in some way the race is necessary to it. Therefore 

 it would seem that man is in sin whichever way you 

 look at it " 



"But," interposes the inspector firmly but 

 politely, "is it not possible that sexual sin and the 



248 



