The East India Vade-Mecum, Volume 1 (of 2): or, complete guide to gentlemen intended for the civil, military, or naval service of the East India Company.Williamson, Thomas
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The East India Vade-Mecum, Volume 1 (of 2): or, complete guide to gentlemen intended for the civil, military, or naval service of the East India Company.
Williamson, Thomas
India -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
The _bangy_ is a slip of bamboo, perhaps five feet in length, which, in
the middle, may be four inches in width; the thickness about an inch;
towards the ends it tapers a little, and has shoulders left, whereby to
secure the nets, wherein are two baskets, made either of rattans, or of
reeds, very closely worked, and probably covered with painted canvas, of
leather. The _bangy-wollah_, that is, the bearer who carries the
_bangy_, supports the bamboo on his shoulder, so as to equipoise the
baskets suspended at each end. If not overladen, the _bangy_ will
generally keep pace with the palanquin; the bearer shifting the bamboo
from one, to the other shoulder, as he proceeds.
Many gentleman have _r’hunts_, or _r’huts_, for the conveyance of their
native ladies, either on a march, or to take an airing occasionally: in
such case, a man must be employed to drive, and to take care of the
bullocks. He is designated the ‘_g’horry-waun_;’ or carriage servant.
His dress cannot be reduced to any exact standard, but will generally be
found to resemble that of the _khedmutgar_; his pay being ordinarily
from four to six rupees monthly. The generality of persons following
this avocation, are rather elderly, and possess the outward shew of
great decency and respectability; but I believe they are, with few
exceptions, by no means of a character such as would be supposed from
their venerable and sanctified appearance. I have seen so much, and the
instances are so common, of the intrigues carried on, or connived at, by
_g’horry-wauns_, as to satisfy me of their being as great hypocrites as
are to be found on earth. The construction of a _r’hut_ is so very
curious as almost to defy description.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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