A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of IndiaAcland, Charles
History
A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of India
Acland, Charles
India -- Description and travel; India -- Social life and customs
The next day the two Rajahs called at the tent; they entered as
gentlemen, and made the usual Indian salutation. With the exception
of myself, I do not think one of our party even rose from his chair.
In the course of conversation we spoke of the badness of the water we
got. The Rajah immediately offered to send a man six miles into the
hills to fetch some from a mountain stream. In little more than an
hour afterwards, one of our party, feeling thirsty, sent a servant
to ask the Rajah whether he had not got that water yet. In India,
in speaking to a servant, you use the word "toom," which signifies
"you." In speaking to a gentleman you say "ab," which means "your
honour." One or two of our party made a point of saying "toom" to the
Rajah, which was in fact a great insult. The younger brother called
upon us. The chief of our party spoke to him on the subject of the
disturbances, although it had all been settled by the Commissioner,
and gave him a regular blowing up. And now remember that all this was
to a gentleman--an Indian it is true, but still a gentleman, with a
fine estate, and about 6000_l._ a-year, from whom we were receiving
every kindness, and on whose land we were hunting. Can it be wondered
at that the natives do not like us so well as might otherwise be
expected?
The Rajah, I suppose, finding me more civil than the others, gave
me a great mark of honour. He took me on his own elephant, while he
acted as mahout, and whenever any roughness occurred on the ground he
turned to warn me of it. I own that I did not enjoy the honour much.
The elephant was covered with a crimson cloth, so that there were no
ropes to hold by. The only way in which I could manage was to sit
astride. It was really most painful, and I almost doubted whether I
should ever be able to get my legs together again. I had two brace of
pistols with me. The Rajah appeared very much pleased with them, and,
to make up for the rudeness of our party, I gave him one of the pair.
He was delighted, and I was sadly laughed at for giving anything to a
nigger. His palace is a fine white building on the side of one of the
hills.
Cuttack, July 4, 1844.
[Sidenote: SALT-MANUFACTURE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account