176 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



disfigured as to look scarcely human. Indeed, into such 

 eccentric shapes and to such size had the swelling brought 

 them that it was only by dwelling on their sufferings that 

 I could look at them gravely. One, whose gargoyle-like face 

 was too much for my politeness, instead of seeming hurt 

 and hiding away, smiled back at me so good-humouredly that 

 I felt cut to the heart ; but I made ample amends with a 

 rupee and some tobacco, which he took, laughing crookedly, 

 and saying that that had been the cause of their mis- 

 fortune and was now their comfort ! Every man of them 

 was given unstinted comfort of that sort, and we did all we 

 could think of to alleviate their pain, which, however, had 

 all passed off by morning, though some of the sufferers 

 had looked ready to die at first. 



Why some people are quite unaffected is a mystery. The 

 bees alighted and seemed to use their stings just as viciously 

 upon my husband and the men who were invulnerable like 

 himself as they did upon the others ; they merely removed 

 them, and thought no more about it. 



A flock of sheep in which we had a share of interest 

 was once attacked by cliff-bees. They were ' club ' sheep, 

 maintained by the members and apportioned weekly, a 

 notice being sent round and initials being set to whatever 

 joint of the animal to be killed was desired by each, and 

 selected strictly in turn. The herdsman fled, nor could he 

 have bettered matters by stopping to be stung himself. 

 At the moment the flock was crossing a bund. 1 Some of 

 the sheep, trying to escape, took to the water ; most of 

 these were drowned, but a few afterwards revived. Not 

 one of those stung recovered. We knew several instances of 

 horses meeting their death in the same way, never a one 

 being saved if attacked by these bees. They are not fond 

 of great heat, and great cold kills them ; but The Wynad 



1 A sort of causeway through water, and built up of earth, either just wide 

 enough to walk over dryshod, or for vehicles. 



