80 



ON THE SHORE. 



Arc-shaped, with the chord formed by the sea- 

 frontage, and the segment of the circle facing 

 landwards, its greatest length 'is from N.E. to 

 S.W., and it is disposed beachways, like the sea- 

 ports of Oman. The front is a mere 6 dicky,' a 

 clean show concealing nncleanness. Instead, 

 however, of a neat marine parade and a T-shaped 

 pier, the foreground is a line of sand fearfully 

 impure. Corpses float at times upon the heavy 

 water ; the shore is a cess-pool, and the younger 

 blacks of both sexes disport themselves in an ab- 

 sence of costume which would startle even Mar- 

 gate. Ptound-barrelled bulls, the saints of the 

 Banyans, and therefore called by us c Brahmani,' 

 push and butt, by way of excitement, the gangs of 

 serviles who carry huge sacks of cowries, and pile 

 high their hides and logwood. Others wash and 

 scrape ivory, which suggested to a young travel- 

 ler the idea that the precious bone, here so plenti- 

 ful, is swept up by the sea. At night the front 

 often flares as if on fire. The cause is lime-burn- 

 ing on the shore, in small, round, built-up heaps. 



Another evil, arising from want of quay and 

 breakwater, is that the sea at times finds its way 

 into the lowe^ parts of the town. The nuisance 

 increases, as this part of the Island appears to be 

 undergoing depression, not an uncommon pro- 



