14 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
From the dark womb in rapid fall descend 
The silvery drops, and glittering in the gleam 
Shot from the lightning, bright and fitful, sparkle 
Like a rich fringe rent from the robe of heaven. 
Nothing further occurred out of the common course of 
events until we reached Madras. 
The morning was beautiful when we anchored in 
the Madras roadstead. The Masoolah boats were in- 
stantly alongside, and my fellow-passengers and my- 
self gladly proceeded to the shore. There was an- 
other boat behind us with several passengers from 
a ship., which had cast her anchor shortly after we 
had cast our’s. The surf was very high, though the 
day was fine, and only a slight breeze gently un- 
dulated through the air. There was a cross swell, 
boisterous and difficult, requiring all the skill of the 
boatmen to get their boat into a favourable position 
for riding securely over the surf. The catamarans 
were close beside us, to pick us up in case of accident ; 
for the ground-swell, which is so remarkable all along 
this coast, was particularly heavy. With some difficulty 
we were at length safely landed ; but the boat behind 
us was not so fortunate. By some mismanagement, 
the man at the helm had allowed her to advance too 
far upon the crest of the breaker, which curled sud- 
denly under her, raised her stern in the air, when 
another surge instantly succeeding, turned her a com- 
plete somerset, stem over head, and sent every person 
within her sprawling in the surf. They were whirled 
about in the most violent manner, performing many 
disagreeable evolutions, their mouths filled with water 
and sand, until rescued from their jeopardy by the 
