138 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



of the Mauritius and Bourbon coolies is a 

 curious mixture of Tamil and French, so I fear 

 I shall not be able to understand much that 

 she says to me. 



Last night we were sitting down to dinner, 

 when most unmistakable sounds of a row came 

 up from the Lines, not by any means an ordin- 

 ary row, but such sounds as you might expect 

 to attend an Irish faction fight. Shrill 

 penetrating women's voices seemed to lead the 

 way, then the deeper shouts of many men, and 

 the barking of dogs — which together made a 

 very pandemonium of noise. Rob and I ex- 

 pected them every moment to appear at the 

 bungalow, and sometimes the shouts seemed 

 ominously near. However, he sent a 

 messenger to tell them if they did not stop that 

 noise at once, he would fine every Kangany in 

 those Lines. Immediately there was compara- 

 tive peace, although one could occasionally 

 still hear low mutterings. Eventually the rival 

 factions did come up. The dispute turned out 

 to have been begun by a quarrel between two 

 women. One had borrowed from the other 

 three rupees which she would not repay. So the 

 lender took the law into her own hands, seized 

 the gold earrings from off the debtor's ear nearly 

 slitting an ear and losing one earring which, 

 as they were a valuable pair, costing Rs. 

 19 was much resented. Whereupon the 



