Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-06-08
sKETCRES IN lSDIi.
A. Native Boats and Boat men--F u csOEts-
= Gtide on BD Indian RaiIT Dad.
fcorrespondonce Of the n. Y. Evening Pos

correspondence OF the N. Y. Evening Post
BOMBAY, India, Feb. 1S67-Accord-
ing to n ridiculous and most reprehen-
slble custom which prevails at Bombay,
the passenger steamers anchor some
where about the middle of the harbor.
and leave the passengers TO get ashore
the best way they can. OF course, per-
sons who have been here before and
are conversant with the customs of the
place and the language of the natives,
can manage without difficulty but
when the new conner is ''griffin '--as
ali fresh arrivals are called In India
and ignorant of the yernacular, he is
helpless, and ut the mercy of every
one who may wish 10 impose upon him.
This difficulty avoided by joining two
OF the passengers, one of whom spoke
HindOstanee, and has lived in he conn
try for about dozen years. We were
so Disguised with the steamer, that in
stead Of spending another night IN our
wretched cabins, we resolved, notwith-
standing the Intelligence we had re-
ceived that all the hotels were full, to
hire "bunder- boat" and try to get
accommodation ashore. a bunder-boat
was accordingly hailed; fonr of us
scrambled into it; and i'll less time than
it takes to write 1t the native crew were
pulling us 20 the shore.
THE NATIVES BOATS.
Anything more unlike the boats used
in the United States, or, indeed, in any
part Of the American continent where
L have travelled, it is impossible to inn
III. a, l.. 8
others which L have subsequently seen
in India, and as all Eastern vessels APP
pear to be built upon precisely the
same model, one description will do for
all. The ordinary craft which ply
abOnt the harbor are twenty feet long,
aud taper from the bows until they
swell 10 about five feet IN width at the
stern, which is rounded and ,ToOmy, so
that they combine AS great an amount
OF space for freight with as much
adaptability for quick sailing, as their
wedge-shaped outline will admit. The
cutwater goes sheer down at an angle
of forty-tive degrees, much lower than
the plane of the keel; and as this has
but scanty grip of the water, the
boats roll tremendously when they are
out at sea. The masts incline forward,
instead Of standing "bolt-upright'' or
''raking," as those of clippers do; SO
that the yards can be more easily
swung round to meet the changes OF
the wind. From these yards immense
shoulder mutton sails are suspended,
and with fair breeze one of these
boats can ''walk the waters" When
sails are not used, the crew use oars or
paddles; and strange-lOoking things
they are. They are neither more nor
less than flat, round pieces of wood,
about the size of an ordinary dinner
plate, fixed TO the ends of long poles.
Ihe circular part is dipped in the wa
ter, and by means of rowlocks, the oars
or paddles, or whatever may be the
correct name for them, are used in the
ordinary manner. all these boats are
very clumsily built; their masts, oars,
&c, are made of the bamboo, and the
sails are generally canvas. Alongside
of trim-bu American merchantman
they appear to be the very personifiea-
ton Of ubberliness.
THE BoATAIRN.
As we were rowed along by our sable
boatmen, whose dusky forms we could
only Just discern in the thick darkness
of the night by the struggling rays of "A
miserable lantern suspended from the
mast, they hghtened their labors by "a
monOtonOus chant in their native
tongue. First the leader sang line of
the song then the others uttered few
words by way of a chorus; then the
leader sang another line, and the crew
again chined by way of chorus and So
until the song was finished. It was a
rude rough chant, excessively monoto-
nous, aud posse ssing as httleL me!ody-
at least to western ears-as ever heard.
Monotonous at first, its repetition soon
became tedious, and L was not sorry
when ii ceased altogether.
What is it all about ? ;" j asked
our hindoostanee-speaking friend.
:" It's about US, was the reply.
"They say, we have four sahibs on
board, aud we wonder how much money
they will give us for taking them ashore.
Iii they give US plenty of money we
will go 0nd have a hearty dinner, and
have Jolly time of 1t all night long. -
1 hope their anticipations were not
disappointed.
LANDING,
After rowing through the pitchy