The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-08

OF Indian power ana CIVILIZATION.
The present Delhi founded by the Emperor
Shah Jehan IN the micde OF the seventeenth cen
tury. IL Is enclosed by o high wall OF red granite,
with battcments aud occasional turrets, and Is nve
and half miles In circuit. Outside the wall deep
moat runs very nearly ronnd the cry,
over the moat; ana lately an opening has
been made through the Old fort OF sellmgurh
heart Of the city, viewed rom the railroad bridge
Delai has very imposing appearance, with tue tan
scores or mosques, with here pile OF noble stone
buildings and there a patch OF peasant green
foliage-the whoe hemmed IN by the great DroWn
red wall-whlsc the river Jumna winds through tne
plain.
Wish this general idea OF the City or the Great
Moguls drive out accompanied by my baboo, 10
form more particular acquaintance with It, After
liutic wRie find myself in the Chandln Chowx,
the principal thoroughiare-a broad straight street,
wider Than Broadway and exactly mile In length.
On each side there are long terraces OF low houses
!, rea tnare oi i.o cae doNen feet in
width, butt over canal leading from me Junina,
which supplies the peop.e with water. untii lately
This canal was left open, In the time OF the Mogus,
but 50 many accidents occurred through runaway
vehicles tumbllng into 1t that II has boon covered
over and serves now as path Tor foot PASSENGERS
All along the street there are occasional shade trees,
a pleasant novelty In tn Indian clty.
Old Inhabitants say That the Chlndn Chowk IS
very different from what IL was before the great
meeting, OF which Delhi was the one great centre.
snorn OF all power he was, kept up, as well no
was abe, the pomp and state OF MS ancestors, and
tnnes 81 lie nnnoina mmberS Of pls household.
Now, as tue Baboo tells Inc with sigh, there are
no men In Delhi rich enough TO maintain elephants
merely for the purpose OF riding them; and, as we
go along, we meet only rev horsemen, ana now
ana then buggy or chariot. The bazaars on each
side OF the way, however, and the sidewalks and the
cGuseway are alive as they have been ever SINCE the
city was founded and as they VIII pc 30 long ms IL
endures with the same motley, dark-skinned crowd
that has for long centuries made up Hnuoo society.
me mass OF the people, as | have already
there are also many Mussulmans, in whose
upright carriage and manly bearing, The Arab blood
IRON which they spring betrays itself. lnen there
are coolies, whose clothing has been curtaed TO
couple of handkerchleis, one round their loins and
the other round their heads; and companies oil
women coming up from the sacred river, where they
nave been batnny, and VINO now attired in gayy
colored rament OF blue and green and yellow. and
aud yet more commonly, perhaps, OF the red clotn.
which signifies tnat they are b,trothad; and bands
OF beggar5, whose mendicancy Is inherited and has
all the Responsibility OF recognized caste. In the
shops the workers in cloth, the shoe makers. the
image carvers the godsnths anu the ivory painters
are plying Their several crafts, and as they go on
with Their work they seem to be holding u sort or
duaoo IN the front part Of their shops; for there
generally half dozen visitors seated on little mats,
noisy hubbe-buDble or hookah, and who now
and then. but only occasionally open their lips ana
let tau few words, Which are uttered and received
with great gravity. Once IN u wnite too, prooaby
in IL Booksellers shop, you may see these prote3-
sonai oilers engaged In reading the Koran or saying
their prayers. III The balcony above these pious
shops II Is not uncommon TO nouce local Phryne
or Las, possibly, II she be exceptionally beautiful
Kashlneree, displaying her charms for the fascna-
ton OF such members or the crowd below as may
have few annas three cent pieces to throw III
her lap; for the ''srange woman" Is here recog-
nized institution aad so long she complies with
the contagious Disease5 act she can openly prac
tise her calling. very large proportion OF the
seem, from what the Baboo and my own eyes assure
me N the occupation OF very immoral persons
indeed
Knowing the tenacity with which Oriental peoples
hold to the customs OF their forefathers can easily
believe resident gentleman who has told me that
III all essential respects the Delhi OF to-day pretty
much what the Delhi oil 500 years ago was also. Iii
1862 had been in / re Delhi OF that time, Should
have seen what see now. The peope would have
looked and acted as they look ana act to-day, and
the bazaarS would have been OF the same form aud
displayed the same wares. II am only wise enough
to allow my imagination TO work into the scene
before me few elephants ana rajahs and courters
ana Sepoy guards can witness an exact COPY OF Il
street scene in Delhi any time within the last i've
centuries.
Near one end OF the Chandin Chowk there is a
weather-stralned stone building standing back from
the street, With an archway In the centre, through
which one catches q glimpse OF two rows OF
folblddng looking buildings, which are now used
as police station. ms is the Kotwale, name
which no Ilindoo can pronounce without a shudder
The Baboo LOOKS troubled and serious when ask
MN about it, and little by little he tells That In
front OF II was that famous scaffold on WHICH the
mut,neers were hanged by the BRUSH whel they
regained possession of the city. For three long
dreary months. no native could safely walk
passport OF his Loyalty AT the outset the
seaipld on each OF lis four sides was adorned
face who could be secured was summary strung
up, aud no less than 1880 poor wretches were exc
cut2d on THIS huge ralloVs curing the three months
that followed the taking or Delhi. Innocent or
guilty actual nuIineers peaceful citizens, there
was bu.one end for such unfortunate natives as fell
into the clutches OF the provost marshal One
hears nut ittle Oh these nassacres Ill most socaed
histories OF the Great Mutiny, but they live and
rankle In the minds OF the people most concerned in
Them Pass through the city al any hour OF the day
ami you will see here aud there group OF natives
seated Ia circle III shop or under tree, engaged
In an animated Conversation II you could under
stand them you would nd that they are telling
again that horrible story OF the kotwale or else
shot down iii cold blood by Major Hodgson after
they mad surrendered, on the pretence OF an at
tempted rescue; or perhaps n man from tina country
IS telling now the wells OF his district were choked
up with the bodies OF harmless villagers, men, wo-
men ana children, all alike sacrificed to the fury or
the vctors. And then "a Htndoo rises and recalls
that curious superstition OF his race that The English
are the last incarnation OF SILVA, the destroyerthat
tl9y are as apO gerIul for evil and as melcess and
as tond of causing death and suffering as that terri
bic deity.
number Of dark, narrow, crooked lanes lead
from the Chandln CE9wk into the other sections OF
the city. The houses in these are all appropriated rs
shops. but the traders wac occupy them naturally
appeal to lower class Of the population than those
who pay The higher rents. or the Caaadln Chowk
there are tae eatng-houses ana sweetmeat shops
and barbafs' saloons and provision stores. just at
present "a have stated IN previous letters there IS
bread riots probably spend their PROFITS in distribute
Ing each evening aims OF gran" and maze among
The emaelated CROWDS who gather around tnelr
doors. This Is the explanation the Baboo
gives me when l ask HIM about these masses
Of noisy people, clad IN rags. whose thn faces and
hunger that IS consuming them by inches. These
provision stores Of course, endeayof TO afford relief
only to the poor WretcheB who are IN the last stage
OF distress, and though there are few deaths owing
to their bounty, from starvation, pure and simple,
the suffering among an tno lower classes IS very
great. Take any industrious low-caste Hlndoo, for
instance The syce who rams Dy tho gharce and clears
the way Tor us, and you viii find mat he is now
unable 10 buy enough food TO SATISFY his hunger. lie
gets the regular pay OF his employment, four rupees
two dollars PEE month, ana his WIFE, wno Is IN
gold thread factory, earns, ne SAYS, very nearly
much more. The total income upon winch this
couple ami their three Children must be Supported
Is about seven rupees ls3 5jl per month, which VIII
nj present rates buy about seventy seers, or 40
pounds OF corn meal. That Is less than q pound a
day per mead. what wonder IL race suffering in
this way sometimes for two and three seasons to-
gether should De unequal TO cope with the wei led
legons OF the British army. And all this happens
in tho most fertile country In the word Some