1833.) * of the Jats of Bharatpur. 293 
Joicings, sums which it has cost him many a year of griping and pa- 
tient avarice to accumulate, and which perhaps could not be extracted 
from him by the severest tortures. 
The multitude of Bhats, and their attendant bipeds and ocihinatci 
is collected together in some secure and commodious place, where there 
is but one egress. The distribution of money then commences, and 
as each individual receives his allotted gift, he is directed to depart by 
the single entry, which is guarded by sipahis, and closed as each 
Bhdt departs with his reward. By this system, confusion is prevented, 
nor is it possible for individuals to claim and receive their quota more 
than once, as they would otherwise undoubtedly do. 
Liberal presents are also made to the ‘‘ Negf-Jogi,’’ or persons 
who have contributed by their handicraft towards the preparation of 
the marriage, such as potters, sweetmeat-makers, and other professors 
of the useful arts. Little distinction is made on such occasions between 
the Bhat, whose vocation is (or ought to be) of an intellectual nature, 
and the artizan whose labours are purely manual. If any distinction 
is drawn, it is to the prejudice of the poet, and he obtains a less re- 
ward than the maker of comfits. The reader may perhaps consider 
this an unfair valuation of the merits of these two classes, or it may 
remind him of the ingenious ‘‘ Maitre de danse’’.in Gil Blas, who in- 
dignantly asks how four double pistoles per month can be considered 
an extravagant remuneration for his labours, when a fourth at least of 
that sum would be paid for a mere ‘‘ Maitre de philosophie*.” 
The religious and family ceremonies of the marriage having been 
concluded, the bride was escorted with much pomp to the house of the 
bridegroom, at Bharatpur. On arriving at the fort, she proceeds; 
to the deohrt or palace appointed for her reception ; at the thres- 
hold of this building she waits for the arrival of the bridegroom, who 
follows her at a short distance, and as soon as he has joined her, a knot 
is again tied in their garments, and they proceed together into the 
interior of the deohrz. 
_ At the entrance into the first court, the couple is met by the eosle 
ter of the bridegroom’s parohit, who stands as centinel of the sancto-. 
rium, and refuses to admit them until her usual free has been granted : 
on obtaining this she allows them to proceed. 
* “ Combien prenez-vous par mois? quatre double-pistoles, reprit-il ; c’est le prix. 
courant, et je ne donne que deux lecons par semaine. Quatre doublons par mois! 
m’ecriai-je, c’est beaucoup. Comment beaucoup? repliqua-t-il d’un air etonné ; yvous_ 
donneriez bien une pistole par mois & un maitre de philosophie !”’ 
