Chap. VI. 
STREET 
That we are allowed to live and travel and trade 
in these countries is only because one class makes 
money out of us, and another and a larger one is 
afraid of our power. I fear we must come to 
the conclusion, however unwillingly, that these 
are the motives which keep Orientals on their 
good behaviour, and force them to tolerate us 
amongst them. The poor dogs have the same feel- 
ings implanted in their nature, but they have not 
the same hypocrisy, and therefore their hate is 
visible. As watch-dogs they are admirable, and 
that is almost the only use to which they are 
applied. Old Dutch writers inform us that these 
street dogs belong to no particular individual, 
but that they are denizens of particular streets — 
public property, as it were — and that they are 
regarded with a kind of superstitious feeling by 
the natives. They are “the only idlers in the 
country.” I think these statements may be re- 
ceived as doubtful, or only partially true. Al- 
though some of these dogs may have neither home 
nor master, yet by far the greater portion have 
both; and if the inhabitants look upon them 
as sacred animals, and have any superstitious 
feelings regarding them, they certainly show these 
feelings of reverence in a peculiarly irreverent 
manner. On a warm summer afternoon these 
animals may be seen lying at frill length in the 
public highway, apparently sound asleep : and it 
was not unusual for our attendants to kick and 
whip them out of our road in a most unceremoni- 
