226 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



quire to be born to the amusement in order to ap- 

 preciate it. Some of Bhauacldi'n's jSTautch girls were 

 dressed in the costume of Scotch Highlandmen, with 

 the addition of trews fitting tightly at the ankle ; 

 and their solemn movements resembled those of 

 dancing-dervishes at the commencement of a dance. 

 The fruit and sweetmeats provided for the guest are 

 either given at parting or sent over to his residence 

 next day, and betel-nut to chew was all we had to 

 support exhausted nature. As the Assistant Political 

 Agent, who knew the people well, was present with 

 me at these parties, it was not for me to suggest that 

 a " peg," as Anglo-Indians call a glass of brandy-and- 

 soda, would have been much more refreshing than 

 chewing betel-nut or being sprinkled with attar of 

 roses and adorned Avith garlands of sweet-smelling 

 yellow Mogri flowers ; but I was told that after our 

 departure, kusiimba, a decoction of opium, was intro- 

 duced, and that the singing of the dancing-girls and 

 the conversation of the guests continued till near 

 morning. Nothing can be more absurd than the 

 practice of giving pan supdri or a leaf-full of pounded 

 betel on leaving ; but the chewing of betel in India, 

 though a disagreeable practice to the onlookers, from 

 the way in which it reddens the teeth and fills the 

 mouth with saliva, has undoubtedly its advantages, 

 where vegetable diet so much prevails, from the very 

 astringent qualities of the nut. The Nautch girls 

 were far from beautiful, and, to an English ear, they 



