230 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



on iron hooks rested on its chest ; and when the attendant, 

 who seemed to be there to exhibit this wreck of humanity 

 to remind passers-by what they might come to, and live, 

 twitched off the merciful, veiling cloth, a sight was disclosed 

 which one would much rather have been spared. It was 

 in my mind to ask how it got about, for there was nothing 

 to be seen that might serve for its conveyance ; that turned 

 out, however, to be quite a simple matter. Local charity 

 was too much used to such sights to pay much attention ; 

 besides, the people were all agape at us, so the attendant — 

 I saw him do it — picked up that fragment of a man, dropped 

 it into a bag, and hoisted it over his shoulder, without any 

 sound from within, so one might hope that no additional 

 discomfort was experienced there by this mode of exit. 



As for cripples and specimens of mere deformities, there 

 is no end to them ; not begging, but hobbling and limping 

 about their business, well aware that their deficiencies 

 being nothing out of the common, they could not expect 

 many pice. No bazaar or street is complete without these 

 eyesores by the dozen ; doubtless it is the same in other 

 countries, but I only answer for India. The legless ones 

 use a little cart running on two tiny wooden wheels, and 

 urge themselves along cleverly by means of a pair of short 

 staves. I noticed a quartette of such beings playing cards 

 in a verandah, well-fed, comfortable-looking people — what 

 there was of them. That happened to be in a town on my 

 own familiar west coast, which is second to none for un- 

 pleasant sights. 



Some of these deformities and monstrosities are born so, 

 some become so accidentally — or otherwise. I must explain 

 how this latter comes about. It is claimed that the idea 

 originated in Burmah, but soon spread. As soon as a child 

 is born they put it into an earthenware mould, not of the 

 baby's shape, but of a fanciful one — flattened here, bulging 

 there, with outlets for ventilation. In this it must live and 



