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
From Khoulah I returned to Cuttack for Christmas. Early on Christmas
morning Mr. G., the collector and magistrate of Pooree, came in
to spend the day with us. Poor man! he and a cousin of his were
almost brought up together, and they became much attached even in
childhood. When he obtained an appointment in India, it was agreed
that he should return to England and marry her as soon as he should
have attained sufficient rank in the service to give him an adequate
income. After about five years' residence in this country he went
home and was married. This was ten years ago, and from that time his
life seems to have been as happy as a human life can be. Latterly
they became anxious to go home on furlough, in order that they might
see their children settled in England, but they had not saved money
enough; so, in April, Mr. G. applied for a better appointment, and
was consequently nominated to Pooree. On their way down, as they
passed through Calcutta, both were seized with cholera; he recovered,
but she died; he sent his children home, but arrived at Pooree a
solitary man. He is still in a very desponding state, but I do all I
can to arouse him, both by bodily amusement and religious converse.
At about one o'clock of the night of Christmas-day, or rather of
the following morning, my wife, Mr. G., and myself got into our
palanquins, and started for Khoordagurree, which we visited last
year. We arrived at our tent by about ten o'clock on Thursday
morning, bathed, dressed, breakfasted, and prepared to start for the
caves; but, alas! it began to rain, and the water continued to fall
in torrents for upwards of eighteen hours. We might have expected
this, for in India it is almost invariably the case in Christmas
week. The seasons are very regular; it generally rains every day
from the 15th of June to the 15th of October, that is, in this part
of India; the next showers are in Christmas-week, and then rarely
any more till June. Now, this thorough drenching was both unpleasant
and dangerous: for, although the tents kept out the water very
effectually, yet everything was so thoroughly damp that we began to
be afraid of the deadly jungle-fevers.
Just outside one of the doors of each tent we lighted a large wood
fire, and allowed as much of the smoke to come in as we could
possibly bear; this warmed us, and dried up the damp and purified the
air; and we retired to bed and put out the fires: we closed the doors
of the tents, and found ourselves in a comparatively dry healthy
atmosphere.
Tanghi, 56 miles south of Cuttack, January 5, 1845.
[Sidenote: MODE OF TRAVELLING.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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