CHAPTER II. 

 MY HOUSE AND GARDEN 



MY house is a bungalow ; that is, it consists of 

 a single story and has a thatched roof. The 

 outer walls being low, and the roof large and lofty, the 

 house when seen from a distance has a good deal the 

 appearance of a gigantic haystack. The term " bunga- 

 low," I may mention, is the English corruption of the 

 Hindostanee word " Bungala," which signifies "of" or 

 "relating to" Bengal. The term is applied to these 

 thatched houses because it was from the province of 

 Bengal that they were originally introduced. 



The house is a tolerably large one ; nevertheless it 

 contains only six rooms. But then these are very 

 spacious. They all communicate with each other by 

 doorways, for in Indian houses there are no passages, 

 and all open on verandahs. There is a verandah on 

 each side of the house, and at their ends are small 

 apartments. These form the bathing and dressing 

 ■ rooms, one, however, being devoted to the combined 

 purpose of pantry and larder. The house, I may add, 

 is placed on a masonry terrace some three feet high. 

 The upper surface of this terrace, which is coated with 

 fine cement, forms the floors. The terrace does not 



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