no 



INDIA. 



Suthtio. lower clasps indeed smoke segars ; but by this prac- 

 "^ "V^"' tice, a Brahmin would lose his caste ; and even those 

 of the -Sudras, who arc comparatively rich, would be 

 dishonoured. It is scarcely necessary to state, that the 

 religion of the Hindoos forbids them to taste any food 

 or liquid, which his been prepared by, or belongs to 

 persons of a different religion. 



The distinctions of dress in India consist almost en- 

 tirely in the fineness of the linen of which it is made. 

 The kinds and form of their garments are the same 

 that they were 2000 years ago, with the exception, 

 perhaps, o the turban, the jumnah, and long drawers, 

 which are supposed by some to have been borrowed 

 from the Mahomrdans. The ancient dress of the In- 

 dians, as described by Arrian, consisted of a muslin 

 cloth thrown loosely about the shoulders, and a muslin 

 shirt which reached to the middle of the leg. He like- 

 wise notices that their beards were dyed various co- 

 lours. The dress of the women> at present, is very 

 simple and graceful ; a boddice, or close jacket, with 

 half sleeves, fastened behind, and generally made of 

 coloured brocade, covers their breasts, without conceal- 

 ing their form. The shalice, a wide and long piece of 

 coloured silk or muslin, is wrapped round the waist, in 

 such a manner as to leave part of one leg bare ; on the 

 other side, it reaches below the ancle, which it covers 

 with long and graceful folds : in front it is gathered 

 up ; and the upper end, which crosses the breast, is 

 sometimes thrown over the head as a veil. The hair 

 is generally tied in a knot on the back part of the head, 

 and the roots are often stained red The hands and 

 feet are covered with bracelets and rings ; and a va- 

 luable jewel is frequently fastened in the nose. The 

 large black eyes of the Hindoo women are lengthened 

 out at the corners by black streaks; and the palms of 

 their hands, soles of their feet, and their nails, are 

 stained red with the juice of the seeds of the limsea 

 plant. The dress of the men is either in what is con- 

 sidered as the ancient Hindoo fashion, or in that which 

 resembles the dress of the Mahomedans, and which, as 

 we have already mentioned, is supposed to have been 

 introduced by the Moguls. The former consists of a 

 piece of cloth fastened round the waist, reaching down 

 to the knee. Round the body another piece is folded, 

 in different modes, according to the fancy or taste of 

 the wearer. A piece of fine muslin envelopes the head. 

 In the other fashion, wide drawers reaching to the 

 ancles are worn, together with a long robe, which is 

 crossed over the breast, tied round the loins by a scarf. 

 A kind of turban is worn on the head. The Indians 

 who wear this dress are distinguished from the Moors, 

 by the circumstance, that their robes are fastened on 

 the left side of the breast, whereas those of the Moors 

 are fastened on the right side. Sandals, or slippers, 

 are worn on the feet, the latter having a long crooked 

 point. The Hindoos generally shave their heads and 

 beards, with the exception of a lock of hair on the back 

 part of their head, and a small pair of whiskers. The 

 different castes are distinguished, with respect to their 

 dress, by strings worn round the shoulders. The 

 string of the Brahmins is composed of threads of cot- 

 ton ; the number, mode of spinning and dyeing, and 

 of knotting, are most especially marked out by their 



religion. The Chehteree caste wear a string composed Statistic*. 

 of fewer threads ; the Brice have one with still fewer '"" -y-*' 

 threads ; but the Sudras are not permitted, to wear 

 any string. ^ 



The houses of the great mass of the Hindoos are Houses. 

 made with little trouble or expence, and in a very short 

 time. A number of mats formed of the leaves of the 

 palm or cocoa. nut tree, are spread over a roof made of 

 bamboo laths, whilst the bamboo, unsplit, forms the sup- 

 ports of the house. In it, a Hindoo can live for six 

 months in those parts of Hindostan which are not sub- 

 ject to much rain. The houses of rather a better de- 

 scription have walls made of mud, which the intense 

 heat of the climate soon renders sufficiently hard. 

 These walls are raised to the height of sin or seven 

 feet ; the covering consists of rushes or rice straw. On 

 the west of India, the practice of covering houses with 

 tiles is general. Different styles of building prevail to 

 the north and the south of the Krishna. To the north 

 of this river, the roofs are in many cases pitched and 

 thatched ; to the south, those of the lower classes are . 



flat roofed, and covered with mud and clay. The houses 

 in the south of India, also, usually consist only of one 

 storey, inclosing a court, with a small gallery supported 

 by slight wooden pillars. The houses of the more 

 opulent consists of two storeys, and are sometimes built 

 of brick. The upper storey is set apart for sleeping, 

 studying, or performing any business in which they do 

 not wish to be interrupted. On the floor of a gallery 

 which runs out towards the street, and is raised a little 

 above it, the palanquin bearers, and other attendants, 

 often lie down. The cement employed in the con- 

 struction of the best houses, is composed of sugar and 

 lime. The best sort of cari, which is used in painting 

 their houses, is produced in North Canara. 



The furniture of the houses is in general very sim- 

 ple. The floors of those of the lower classes are either 

 the bare mud, or are covered with straw. The floors 

 of the apartments of the higher classes are covered with 

 mats and carpets, over which is frequently laid white 

 cotton cloth. The other articles of furniture in the 

 common houses consist of a bed-frame,- on which a 

 mat is placed ; a few flat dishes of copper or brass ; 

 a brass drinking vessel with a spout ; a pot in which 

 they boil their rice ; a lamp ; and a large wooden mor- 

 tar to pound the rice. A Hindoo has no table : he 

 eats alone upon the bare ground. The whole Of what 

 may be called his table service consists of a brass basin 

 and an earthen plate. 



From the account we have given of the dress and Expence 

 food of the Hindoos, it may easily be perceived that 

 the expences of their mode of living must be very tri- 

 fling ; otherwise, indeed, it would be impossible for 

 the Hindoo labourer, whose wages seldom reaches five 

 shillings a month, and is in general much lower, should 

 be able to support himself and family. . On this sub- 

 ject there is some curious and interesting information 

 in the reports on the affairs of the East India Conlpa- 

 ny laid before Parliament. The following table exhi- 

 bits a statement of the expences and earnings of the fa- 

 mily of a Madras labourer, consisting of himself, his 

 wife, and five children, the eldest eight years of age, 

 the youngest an infant. 



