From Chambers's Journal.

HINDOO EMIGRANTS.

in which this female drapery was worn. They invariably left the head uncovered; the men sometimes did the same; but at other times investing it with a turban or cap. In both sexes, the feet and legs were bare. Young children were quite nude, but had a string round the middle, to which the fore cloth would afterwards be attached.

THE writer was one of twenty Englishmen engaged in conveying from east to west 260 natives of the Carnatic. Forty of these were women; and thirty, children under ten years of age; the remainder, youths or adult men. Most of the males were strictly coolies or laborers, chiefly agricultural; but some had Unpretending, however, as was their cosexercised specific arts or callings, as metal- tume, these coolies were as profuse in ornaworkers, bricklayers, painters, basket-makers, ments as their means would allow. The cloth-weavers, confectioners, barbers, milk- women, if unable to procure bracelets of the men, washermen, shoemakers. One had precious metals, wear rings of glass upon been employed in making garlands for native their wrists, and the greater the number of festivals and funerals. Many had been gar- these rings, the better are they pleased. As deners, drawers of toddy from the palmyra they are necessarily drawn on over the hands, trees, bullock or bandy drivers, and a num- they fit loosely upon the arms, and clank one ber had worked in the paddy-fields. Several on the other as the wearer moves. Rings of had been "boys" or palanquin-bearers, some silver, pewter, or brass, in lieu of more costly peons, policemen, or messengers; others, fabrics, are worn upon the fingers and toes domestic servants, cooks, or housekeepers. and rings or jewels hang from the tip and One had been a sepoy. Two had been sides of the nose. The neck is encircled schoolmasters, of whom one could read and with strings of beads, or decorated with taswrite English imperfectly. About a dozen sels and trinkets of various devices, sushad been to the Mauritius as free emigrants, pended from a cord. The lobe of the ear is and had there acquired some knowledge of perforated, and through the aperture is inFrench. Fifteen of the party were Mussul- troduced a coil of painted paper or palm leaf mans, six or eight, Roman Catholics, and of wound on itself like a watch-spring. By the remaining, about fifty were Pariahs. contrivances such as these, the lobe is someTheir ages varied, but by far the greater times much elongated, and converted into an number were in the prime of early manhood. open circle, larger in circumference than the Their complexions were of all shades, whole remaining portion of the ear. Little from light bronze or yellow, through rich children are decked with necklaces, bracelets, chestnut brown, to dark olive, bordering on and rings, before they assume a particle of black. The children were the fairest, but clothing. Among men, ear-jewels are freamong adults there was a wide range. The quent, and in a few may be observed the younger men were especially handsome, with pendent lobe. Some also wear finger and open oval countenances, fine eyes and teeth, toe rings. smooth soft skins, and well-proportioned forms. Some were, of course, of less graceful mould, but scarcely any were misshapen, and a few were of peculiarly attractive aspect.. The women were inferior to the men, in personal appearance.

In the arrangement of their hair, these emigrants exhibited a great diversity of taste with much of what some might call an absence of all taste. It was frequent with the men to shave the head, except a tuft on the crown and at the sides. The hair of the Though amply supplied with clothing by vertex is never cut, and is sometimes long the government emigration authorities at Ma- enough to reach the waist. It is either dras, they made little use of it on board, and plaited into a queue or tied into a knot, or dressed as they were accustomed to do on suffered to hang dishevelled. The hair is shore. The men contented themselves with occasionally cut in the most fantastic shapes a cloth round the loins; the garment of the and patterns, and at other times permitted women was a long cotton cloth, wrapped and to preserve its natural growth and appearfolded so as to conceal the trunk, and de-ance. The women leave it as nature formed scending to the knees, or a little below them. it, and in them it is often luxuriant and beau

Simple as were the materials, there was tiful. It is generally lank and soft—in a few uch scope for elegance and taste in the way instances, thick and curling. In young chil

dren, it may be brown; in adults, always | quite content to take their food at Moorish black, but soon whitens with age. Most of hands. One day, at the commencement of the women had their arms tattoed in blue, but there was nothing remarkable in the devices. The other prevalent adornments, if such they may be called, were the usual idolatrous symbols. The Vishnuvites paint three yellow lines, diverging upwards from the root of the nose; the Sivaites present three parallel horizontal white lines across the forehead, breast, and upper arms; and it is common with them to have a vertical blue line down the centre of the forehead. It was the absence of these marks that chiefly distinguished from the rest the Mohammedans and Roman Catholics.

the voyage, the Mohammedan cook refused to act, in consequence of some offence he had received, and his place having been taken by a Pariah, the Mussulmans refused to eat. They demanded a fresh supply, but with a view of correcting such evils for the future, the request was disregarded. One of the number, however, whose flesh was weak, although his name was Tippoo Saib, partook of the accursed thing, and thereby provoked an indignant outbreak on the part of the "true believers." The torrent of abuse poured forth, by one youth in particular, was overwhelming and terrific. Of execrations and expletives they have no lack, but the denouncement most in vogue i that of all kinds of defilement and dishonor to the female relatives of the offender, past, present, and to come. A Hindoo, one morning, was detected eating meat that he had obtained from the ship's cook, and had a sentence of

Both sexes were sadly inattentive to personal cleanliness. Every morning, however, they might have been seen in rows along the deck, washing their mouths, and rubbing their teeth with pieces of stick, kept for the purpose. This was not neglected, even if it included the whole ceremony of ablution. They were also in the habit of frequently excommunication passed upon him by those pouring water on their feet. The principal occupation of the women was that of destroying the vermin with which they were infested.

of his own caste, though with none of the violence of the Mussulman proceedings. The Pariahs will eat anything. The greatest difficulty in provisioning the emigrants related to the article of water. At first, there was much grumbling about the scantiness of the supply, although the consumption exceeded the stipulated allowance of three quarts a head per day. So, one morning the distribution was given up into their own hands, and as it was so managed that many did not ob tain any at all, we had in the evening a rather serious disturbance. After this, we had to watch it ourselves, but by degrees they learned to practise greater discretion and equity, and a better understanding soon prevailing among all classes, they could safely be intrusted with the management of their own affairs. In the cooler weather experienced in the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope, the allowance of water was more than they needed, and the only article of which the full perscribed amount was ever in demand was tobacco.

Their food was according to a dietary scale prescribed by government, and was more liberal than their necessities or indications required. Rice was the staple article, to which the other ingredients, the dholl-a species of pulse-the salt fish, the ghee or clarified butter, the tamarinds, and savoury herbs, were rather regarded as accessories. Each day's first duty was to serve out in one mass the requisite amount of provisions for the whole. The subsequent appropriation and preparation of this food were left to the emigrants themselves. It was for the most part conducted by a certain few, who possessed more activity than their neighbors, and sufficed to occupy them all the morning. The rest were perfectly willing to be exempt from any trouble but that of eating. The proper quantity of rice they estimated by a measure, brought with them, which allotted to each about twenty-four ounces a day; and Smoking was their great solace, but they having been duly proportioned, it was set to had some positive and defined amusements. boil in large pans. A cook-house was pro- A tumtum or native drum had been provided vided on either side of the ship, one for men for them, and when first introduced, occaof caste, the other for Pariahs and Mussul- sioned much merriment; but as, in their mans. Mohammedans will not eat unless music, noise is the chief element, the instru the cook be of the faith, but Pariahs are ment was soon disabled and laid aside.

Lad d

There was a good deal of singing among | The Telugu men who worship Vishnu are the them, and they had many rhyming tales or proper Hindoos. From fifteen to twenty on fables, but the sounds to which they re-board were able to read and write with ease. hearsed them scarcely deserved the name of Some denied that they could do either; but tunes. Men would dance in circles to a on trial, it was found that they could form measured step, clapping their hands or strik- and pronounce the numerous alphabetical ing short sticks; but women never joined in characters and combinations of their native the exercise. The only sedentary game re- language. The number of these letters and marked was one played with counters upon a sounds is something formidable to an Engdiagram, like a draught-board, chalked on the lish student of the Tamil. Others said that deck for the purpose, and seemed to partake of they could read; yet when books were chance and skill combined. Many of the youths placed in their hands, they were evidently amused themselves with athletic sports, and at a loss. It seemed a common occurrence there was a general tendency to cheerfulness that they should know their alphabet, picked and mirth with no deficiency of resource as to up, it may be, from their parents or playfelpastimes. During the lovely weather we lows, without possessing, under ordinary cirenjoyed while running through the south- cumstances, an opportunity for further aceast trade of the Atlantic, their fondness for quirements. The information thus gained grotesque dressing, mummery, and practical would be almost mechanical, and of little joking was pursued in a more systematic practical utility. The inquiries made with a manner; and with the aid of some rude view of testing their attainments, led to a scenery, and a concerted plan, they got up great rage for cultivating the literary arts. a kind of theatrical enrertainment. We Papers, pens, and ink were eagerly asked Europeans were ceremoniously invited to for, or else they were content with borrowing witness the performance, in which, so far as or contriving styles for engraving the palwe could comprehend it, there was not much myra-leaf. Some became teachers, others to admire, but as a means of harmless diver- learners; and from morning to night, for sion to a native audience, it was not to be several days, the ship resounded with the acdespised. sustomed din of a school-room. Each little world, like the larger one, has its fashions and its toys, pursued intensely while they last, but easily changed and soon forgotten. But every encouragement was given to the emigrants to favor their efforts for improvement; and it is to be hoped, that during the voyage, all learned something which may have contributed to their subsequent advantage.

On this, as on other occasions, we were necessarily much indebted to the services of the professed interpreters; but such lingual acquirements as passed muster with the authorities at Madras, were far below the standard that strangers like ourselves would have found it desirable to impose. One only of this official class spoke fluent English. He was a smart, young man, who had been servant to an officer, and could converse Two births took place into our community. with equal apparent ease in four of the lan- The attendant process, with Hindoo women, guages of India, but his character was by no appears to involve little suffering or restraint. means a model of propriety. The vernacu- They had amongst them a species of medilar tongues of the people were the Tamil cal and surgical practice. In local hurts and and Telugu, and the Mussulmans among pains, they trusted much to local applications themselves used the Hindostani, which they poultices of tamarind, or dholl, or any thing have derived from their migratory fore- they could procure, chunam rubbed upon fathers, but it is not generally known to the the spot, frictions, and shampooing. For inheathen inhabitants of Southern India. The ward complaints, their great remedy was Telugu natives were about a fourth of the 'pepper-water," a warm infusion of aroentire number, but most of them could speak matic herbs and spice, with onions and sugar. Tamil also, and many of Tamil extraction Castor-oil was the medicine with which they were acquainted with Telugu. A knowledge were best acquainted, and with the use of of the two languages would seem to prevail opium they were too familiar. To prevent extensively; but while they have common or cure convulsions in children, they were in affinities, they are very unlike in details. the habit of scarring the body with red-hot DCCXVI. LIV. AGE. 28

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needles. This proceeding was chiefly re- quarreiling, they were not much addicted to garded as a charm, though the counter-irri- fighting. They were lavish in the foulest tation might have some effect. They would also fasten strings round their limbs, both as amulets during disease and as votive tokens after recovery. These were called Sawmy, and supposed to have some sacred character or consequence. This word was of the commonest application in reference to the creed

of heathenism. It entered into their most

familiar patronymics, the equivalents of our Jones and Smith, as Ramasawmy, Veerasawmy, Venketasawmy, Mootoosawmy, Moonesawmy, Rungasawmy, Cundasawmy, Appasawmy, Chiunasawmy. Some man would occasionally rant and rave, as if divinely or demoniacally inspired, throw himself into paroxysms resembling epilepsy, and then give vent to incoherent sayings, while the bystanders looked on with superstitious reverence and awe. This was explained as being the work of Sawmy-that is, of some good genius, whose influence had been invoked, or else of some evil genius whom there was a struggle to expel. Such an exhibition was several times presented, and it reminded us of the pythonesses of old, or of the "possessed" of the Gospel narrative.

To the dark and uncertain teachings of their heathenish creed may be traced their moral imbecility, and especially their propensity to suicide. On two occasions, when morning broke, alarm was given of a comrade missing; and the only conclusion at which we could arrive was, that he had voluntarily drowned himself during the night. Both had been on the sick list, though not dangerously indis. posed; and no motive for the deed could be alleged but their general want of power to bear up against suffering of any kind. Threats, and even attempts at suicide took place, as the result of disputes and annoyances, and but for interference, would have been carried into execution. The emigrants were sadly prone to regard trifles in the worst light, and exalt them into affairs of serious importance. They were deficient in moral energy to resist physical evil, soon became depressed, and thus were unable to raise their fallen spirits. This was especially the case with bodily ailments and disasters; those vexations and disturbances which so often arose among them, were found, when analysed, to originate in the most absurd and trivial canses. Although so fond of

abuse, and indulged in menacing gestures, but they rather avoided than courted a close engagement, and a few blows soon dismayed them. Tall stout men would cry like children, if perchance the assault they received were more than verbal; and in all their disputes, there was little danger of their doing one another much harm. They were fre them should be greatest? Some pretended quently vexed with the question, who among that before embarking they had been invested with a kind of authority or pre-eminence, and would occasionally appeal to the ship's officers for confirmation of their claims. the truth, it was, generally advisable not to From the extreme difficulty of ascertaining interfere; but care was always taken to correct any evident mistakes, and to prevent the exercise of improper liberties. They were treated with uniform kindness; and on the whole, their conduct was good. At no time had we to deal with positive disaffection or disrespect. Some who, at first occasioned a became orderly, civil, and industrious. At degree of trouble and anxiety, afterwards the termination of the voyage, there was in all a perceptible improvement in condition and demeanor.

When the hour of parting had arrived, not women and children only, but men also, shewed evident signs of sorrow and reluctimidity or doubt as to their future lot, but tance. Much of this may have resulted from much of it arose, we fully believe, from pure regret, and grateful estimation of the care they had received. They were not landed direct in Georgetown, but sent to estates up small schooners belonging to the proprietors. the river Demerara, or along the coast, in Our coolies were distributed among five different estates, in gangs of fifty, formed by mutual arrangement, according to caste or family and social connections, each party having an interpreter; and most of them had to travel from twenty to thirty miles. Every one was furnished with a passport, which, after five return to his native country, if he chose to years' service, would procure him a free demand it. On the estates, they were to be accommodated with lodging and medical attendance, free of charge. For the first fortnight or month, they were supplied with food in lieu of wages; they afterwards would being paid in the same proportion as Africans earn according to their amount of labor, or Madeirans. For hard toil, they were not well suited; but what they undertook, they would execute with neatness; and there was enough in the necessities of the colony to give them all remunerative employment.