CHAPTER XIII.

MADRAS AND CALCUTTA.

The streets of Madras--Comparison with Ceylon--Impositions of drivers, boatmen, hotel managers, etc.--A straggling dull city--A centre however of Hindu political and literary life--Visit to Adyar and the Theosophist headquarters--Blavatsky curios--Scenes of native life-- The river Hooghly--Calcutta city and population-- Festival of bathing in the Ganges--A Circus--Poverty of the people--Meeting of the Dufferin Fund--British philanthropy in India--A native school--A group of Bengalis--Their love of long yarns, and of music--Panna Lall and his gymnast friends--Chundi Churn performs on the _sítar_--The Indian music 227–251