20 BEGGARS 
acquaintances, and the effect of the doors sometimes 
almost covered with visiting cards of various colours is 
rather curious. I do not know whether this custom is 
general. 
When the river is low, in the winter and early spring, 
numbers of beggars may be seen inhabiting the shallow 
caves scooped out by the action of the water on the 
bank, which is composed of conglomerate. 
Here they exist—for it can hardly be called living 
—in a most miserable state, skinning and cooking for 
food cats, dogs, or anything that they can lay their hands 
upon, totally indifferent as to whether they have caught 
and killed them or whether they have died a natural 
death, many lying upon small heaps of damp straw 
or reeds, and all in such a state of disease, dirt, and 
destitution as would be hardly credited. When in the 
town the beggars all carry sticks to protect themselves. 
from the dogs, who instinctively seem to know and in- 
variably attack them on leaving a house where they 
have been begging. These beggars are very persistent, 
but are sometimes cruelly treated by their richer 
brethren. A case came to my knowledge where a rich 
Chinese caused a quantity of boiling water mixed with 
wood ashes to be thrown over the back of one who. 
had seated himself on his doorstep and refused to leave. 
The unfortunate man, who was terribly injured, was. 
