ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 17 



too is made, in ebony and teak (the Indian oak), with 

 wonderfully intricate ' diamond '-patterned canework, for 

 chairs, couches, and the like. 



All this seems rather like an advertisement for the jails, 

 but it is simply written down as one among many pleasant 

 memories of the land, beloved, as I believe, by every 

 one who has made their home there for any length of 

 time. 



A Parsee jailer who showed us round one of these places 

 told us about the Burmese dacoits, 1 that they have a strange 

 custom of embedding their jewels and gems — stolen, or 

 legitimate property — in the fleshy parts of their bodies, 

 where, being invisible, they are secure. The convict who 

 was asked to show us his treasures, or rather to let us feel 

 the hard lumps, which were in reality those precious stones, 

 was plainly proud to do so. The very tiniest scars remained, 

 showing where incisions had been made in order to force 

 the stones into the flesh, which had completely closed over 

 them and healed. There were dozens of such places on the 

 arms, shoulders, and thighs of this man, who was a noted 

 dacoit, or had been so in his time ; his sentence was nearly 

 out now, and he was to be sent back to his own country, 

 taking his worldly wealth, very literally, with him. He had 

 learnt three trades in the jail ; but his father before him 

 having served a term in Burmah for dacoity, he might very 

 likely, as he himself candidly said, take up the paternal 

 occupation again on his release. 



When we were travelling my ayah preferred to be carried 

 in a country contrivance, which was just a large armchair 

 slung between poles, and having a foot-rest ; quite easy, 

 but not adapted for lying down in. 



The road for some sixty miles from headquarters was 

 good enough for riding ; that is, till we reached the foot 

 of the hills, when the climbing began. Servants, dogs, 



1 Highway robbers and murderers. 

 B 



