1840.] On the Hull in Maliva. 323 



nummum ?" Another common joke is less excusable ; a party of seem- 

 ingly grave persons are seated at a shop, a traveller passes : " Where are 

 you going to ?" " Such a village :" " Oh then just carry this pot of 

 ghee for us to the potail, and here is an anna for you." The vessel is ac- 

 cordingly lifted on the head of the unsuspecting stranger, but before 

 he has gone many steps, some one gives it a blow with a stick, and the 

 unhappy porter is drenched with mud and filth. But the old fashion- 

 ed pleasantry of flinging about missiles, may be considered the pet 

 frolic of the Huli. To such an extent is this practice carried in some 

 places, as about Muttra for instance, that the roads are nearly closed, 

 and travellers do not attempt to continue their journey, as they would 

 have to encounter a storm of brick-bats, wood, mud, and shoes, if not of 

 disgusting filth, at every village through which they passed. At Cawnpore 

 the pelting of shoes was, a few years ago, so great a nuisance, that it 

 was a work of danger to walk through the town, and even now, from 

 the same cause, respectable quiet persons dare not venture into the 

 bazars during the three great days of the Huli. For weeks before, 

 every sort of missile is heaped up in the shops on either side of the 

 way, and the favourite weapons, cast-off shoes, fetch a fair price. The 

 opposite houses, fight pitched battles with these primitive arms, and as 

 may well be conceived, any hapless traveller, (37) who shall uncon- 

 sciously pass that way, thus planted between two fires, is fortunate 

 to escape with only a few bruises, for in some towns, even stones are 

 flung, and serious accidents not unfrequently happen. 



It cannot be expected that such rude play should always be taken 

 in good part; and in fact, though the chief people by judiciously endea- 

 vouring to turn all complaints into ridicule, prevent much of the mis- 

 chief, quarrels are very common, and swords and blood are not unfre- 

 quently drawn. I had several accounts of the Huli drawn up for me by 

 people of different ranks and castes, and a sentence in one of them very 

 strikingly exhibits the danger of these sports : " When we return home 

 to sleep we bless Bhugwan that we have gone through the day 

 without being engaged in a dispute." The Italians are well aware 

 of the danger of their more civilized mirth, and lesser licence, and 

 (according to Williams's Italy) swords are forbidden to be worn during 

 the carnival. 



The common rendezvous of the principals in such mischief is in the 



37. Strangers are the principal sufferers, for of course there is a convenient under- 

 standing between those who are engaged in the current and necessary business of the 

 day ; sellers and buyers of food, &c. 



2t 



