The Painted Veil by William Somerset Maugham

They crossed the river in a sampan. A chair was waiting for Kitty at the landing-stage and she was carried up the hill to the water-gate. It was through this that the coolies came to fetch water from the river and they hurried to and fro with huge buckets hanging from the yoke on their shoulder, splashing the causeway so that it was as wet as though it had heavily rained. Kitty's bearers gave short, sharp cries to urge them to make way.

‘Of course all business is at a standstill,' said Waddington, walking by her side. ‘Under normal circumstances you have to fight you way through the coolies carrying loads up and down to the junks.'