194 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



other lives to be able to compare them with their own ; 

 yet we never heard one of them complain or express a 

 desire for freedom. Here, too, the slaves do not change 

 hands ; they are not bought and sold in open market. 

 The buying and selling were done centuries back over the 

 persons of their ancestors. It has been mentioned earlier 

 that a certain tribe showed African descent ; it is this to 

 which the slaves belong. Intermarrying now only amongst 

 themselves, their type of face is distinctly negroid, though 

 blurred by the lapse of time and as the result of cross- 

 breeding in past days when first brought to India as 

 merchandise by Arab traders. 



As to their hair, it is crisp and woolly to a man — a perfect 

 bush. I have seen many of them with it standing out one 

 foot all round their heads, and very quaint they look, the 

 old ones especially — little shrivelled black men and women 

 with haloes of white hair ! 



They were hugely delighted when ordered out to accom- 

 pany us, for they knew they were going to have a good 

 time, and meat galore ; while to us they were particularly 

 useful, being non-caste folk, and consequently could be em- 

 ployed in many ways where caste would have interfered in- 

 conveniently — annoyingly, even, had we not been used to it. 

 This happened in the case of one set of people, mere coolies 

 — load-bearers — who, while not looking so very different, 

 and wearing, if possible, even less clothing, nevertheless 

 held their heads mighty high, as being caste. They could 

 not be asked to carry anything of leather, not a post-bag, 

 or even a load with a strap attached ! They could choose 

 their own masters, too, as against the poor slaves (who did 

 not pity themselves, however), who always understood that 

 when the Government, represented by their Doray, wanted 

 them, they must be ready. We used to think that same 

 caste was the hardest master of all ; for there were many 

 things those coolies and others would gladly have joined in 



