HINDOO MERCHANTS. 165 



scandalised too have some of those towns been 

 at the evil report of Shikarpoor, that it has more 

 than once been proposed to deprive the Hindoo 

 inhabitants of their caste. The accusation, it is 

 to be feared, is not altogether groundless ; but if 

 the wives are immoral, the husbands have mainly 

 to thanlv themselves for it. The practice of the 

 place is, after a young Hindoo marries, that he 

 should leave his wife, and go to seek his fortune 

 in distant countries, immediately after the birth 

 of his first child. His means at first are pro- 

 bably very small, but great self-denial, industry, 

 and usury pretty surely enable him to increase 

 his store. Many of these men become ministers 

 of small Mahomedan States, or are in confiden- 

 tial situations, whereby they are enabled to 

 amass money, and they thus return home wealtliy 

 citizens. Such a desertion of young wives for 

 a long period of years can, however, hardly con- 

 tribute to morality, and the consequence is, that 

 many of " the grass widows " form other con- 

 nections in the absence of their liege lords, who, 

 liowever, seem to take the thing very philoso- 

 phicall}^, albeit in some cases, says Captain 

 Burton, their families have increased durin": 

 their own absence, and when that occm\s, they 



