THE EAST INDIANS IN THE NEW WORLD 



By Harriet Chalmers Adams 



4( 



I 



■ N my trip around the world, I met 

 no people so picturesque and in- 

 teresting as the Hindus," said a 

 woman to me the other day. "I regret 

 that India is so far away," she added, "for 

 I long to study its attractive natives." 



I surprised her by stating that she need 

 not return to India to fulfill her desire: 

 that not far south, in our own half of 

 the world — in Trinidad, most beautiful 

 of the West Indian islands — are over one 

 hundred thousand transplanted East In- 

 dians. On the mainland of South Amer- 

 ica, also, in British and in Dutch Guiana, 

 are found in large numbers these quaint 

 people of the Old World. 



Transplanted by the British govern- 

 ment as indentured laborers to work upon 

 the sugar estates, these orientals have 



brought with them their home customs, 

 dress, and religion. Especially in Trini- 

 dad one delights in studying them, since 

 that verdant isle seems a pleasing setting 

 for the grace and beauty of the dusky 

 women, the strength of feature and 

 dignity of bearing of the turbaned men. 



Perhaps it is by contrast with the 

 coarse Africans, who form the greater 

 portion of the population of the West In- 

 dies and the Guianas, that these people 

 of an ancient race stand out in the 

 traveler's rem.embrance as a more fitting 

 type in lands of such great natural beauty. 



We were in Port of Spain, Trinidad, 

 at Christmas time, a year ago, and on a 

 number of days during the holiday sea- 

 son the great "savanna," or park in the 

 heart of the city, was thronged with the 



Sacred Zebus from Far-away India 



