The Queen's Daughters in IndiaBushnell, Katharine C. (Katharine Caroline)
History
The Queen's Daughters in India
Bushnell, Katharine C. (Katharine Caroline)
Prostitution -- India; Women -- India -- Conduct of life; Women -- India -- Social conditions
She told us how the soldiers, when in drink, knocked the poor girls
about in a most cruel manner, and reaching her own conclusion as to
the meaning of our call, advised us not to join their number, telling
us that the city was far preferable. She and the girls told of the
heavy fines to which they would be liable if they did not go to the
examinations, or attempted to leave the Lock Hospital when held there.
She said if they made any fuss about the fine, then they would be
imprisoned. A military guard was placed within the enclosure, in one
of the tents; but he had either gone to sleep, or wandered out to get
a view of the exercises that were going on near by. We gave a simple
gospel talk through our interpreter, and she sang and prayed with the
girls; then we made our way to the women of the adjoining Rest Camp.
Again we entered the enclosure surrounding the little tents, and
reached the women without attracting the attention of the guard. They
told the same story of compulsion and fines continually hanging over
their heads. Almost every Cantonment girl we ever questioned, was held
to her wretched life by debt and fines, so that she could not think
of getting free without being apprehended on account of them. Here
likewise they warned us not to join them, but go rather to the city.
Again we talked of Jesus, the Friend of the oppressed, and after song
and prayer, bade them good-bye.
Returning to our cab, we told our driver to take us to the Lock
Hospital; and after a long drive under the burning sun, we stopped
before buildings enclosed within a very high brick wall with
broken glass on its top to prevent the escape of inmates. A large,
strongly-spiked gateway, with double doors, gave the impression of a
veritable prison; and there, standing in the open gateway, was an
uniformed armed guard. Previous experiences had not led us to expect
anything quite so formidable, although there was generally some sort of
a guard or watchman at hand, and the native physician usually resided
on the premises. We had often said, and promised God, that, sacred as
was the nature of the work, we would never prevaricate in order to
cover up our real object, if closely questioned. We were not ordinary
detectives, playing a part, but Christian women, and the difference was
not to be lost sight of.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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