4 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
of the former chance to upset, which is sometimes the 
case when, from mismanagement, they are suddenly 
thrown forward upon the crest of the breaker, these 
latter pick up the luckless passengers, and bear them 
safely to the shore. It very fortunately happens that 
sharks are seldom found within the influence of the 
surf, but keep mostly beyond it, in the smoother part 
of the roadstead ; so that an accident from the upset- 
ting of a Massoolah boat is seldom or never heard of, 
as the activity of the catamaran men is so great, that 
they almost instantly rescue the struggler, and land 
him safely on the beach, no less to his own astonish- 
ment and delight than to their praise and profit. 
The catamaran is merely three large logs tied together 
in the form of a raft, the middle log being longer than 
the other two, and projecting a little above them : 
upon this the man who guides it is seated, and 
seems to be perched like a gull on the water, as the 
heavy raft upon which he sits is seldom seen above 
the surface. This simple contrivance is generally 
about ten feet long by eighteen inches broad. 
Upon our landing we were assailed by the usual 
clamour of numberless voices speaking in an unknown 
tongue, which, blending with the terrific roaring of 
the surf, seemed to realize the fabled din of the forges 
of the Cyclops. We, however, soon got into the 
shelter of the town, where we were still pursued by 
the boisterous importunities of native servants and 
tradesmen, who are always clamorously urgent, the 
one to be hired, the other to be employed. These are 
generally rogues in proportion to their importunity; 
nevertheless, they are among those necessary evils 
