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
Behind us stands a long-bearded turbaned khitmutgar, with sherry
and glasses. Our guns are leaning against the side of the tent, our
horses are picketed to a tree close by, and the grooms are busily
rubbing them down. A hundred or a hundred and fifty black natives are
separating into groups according to their castes, and are lighting
fires all around in order to cook their dinners. Behind the servants'
tent is a fire of charcoal, over which a black man is turning a hare,
some partridges, a peacock, and several other results of our day's
sport. Close by is another fire of wood crackling and sparkling, on
which are stew-pans with salmon, oysters, &c. &c., which have come
from England.
It grows late: the moon rises over the hills; the fires blaze up in
all directions; I see the swarthy natives moving around them, and
hear them chattering or singing their low monotonous song; everything
looks wild; I begin to indulge in all sorts of reveries--when a man
approaches with his hands clasped together, and, bending low before
me, says "Cana meg" (dinner-table). The peacock takes the place
of the reverie; visions of the partridges and oysters flit across
my mind; and I run to help in demolishing a most substantial and
well-earned meal. I then go to my palkee. The howling of the jackals
does not awake me, I am too well used to it; but at last, about two
o'clock in the morning, I was aroused by a sort of sniffing and a
scratch at the door. I guessed at once what it was, and debated for
an instant whether I should open it a little and try the effect of my
pistols, or call out so as to rouse my companions, or lie still and
leave him to himself. I determined on the latter; as, supposing I
had not killed him, my visitor might have come into my palanquin and
killed me before I could get assistance. I therefore lay quietly with
a pistol in my hand; and I felt much happier when I heard the bear at
last trot off.
Barripore, January 16, 1844.
[Sidenote: THE NEILGHUR HILLS.]
On Friday morning the magistrate and myself determined to ascend one
of the Neilghur hills. The doctor did not think it worth the fatigue,
and therefore shot partridges and wild-ducks for our breakfasts. We
started from our tents at about half-past five in the morning. For
about four miles our road lay through jungle, similar to that I have
already described.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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