A WATERY WORLD 117 



two had fever, but I carefully dosed them all 

 round every day with quinine, well and ill. The 

 whole town was under water, 2 or 3 feet deep 

 in places, and all the fish came out of the great 

 tanks and swam along the streets; brisk fishing 

 with nets was to be seen going on in some 

 of the roads ; in others, Europeans rowed them- 

 selves about in boats and punts, and some even in 

 bath - tubs ! Native huts built of mud would 

 suddenly melt and sink into the water, and the 

 thatched roof would descend on sleeping children, 

 killing some. Out of the thatch crept venomous 

 snakes, and scorpions, biting and stinging unwary 

 people in the dark. Snakes were flooded out of 

 their holes, and some were to be seen crawling in 

 the evening on the dry bit of road just outside our 

 gate. I gave several extra lanterns to the servants, 

 with injunctions never to go about without a light. 

 This year we have certainly seen very few, and it is 

 possible that as they were swamped out of their 

 holes, so they departed. It was fortunate we had 

 a farmyard to rely on for our dinners, for on two 

 occasions no beef or mutton could be procured in 

 the market, nor could vegetables or fruit be brought 



