The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-22

Rev. DR.. Parker, who has been for a number
of years back missionary in India delivered
lecture lasG evening at the Chestnut street M.
e. Church, before very large audience on
that country, its climate, people, intellectual
condition, caste, condition of the women, laws
of marriage, divorce, etc.
The speaker commenced by saying that the
country contained about 200 900 900 inhabitants,
and was about one-third to one half size of the
United States. That the temperature ranged
from 145 in the sun to 80 10 in the house.
That there were three seasons; the dry, from
the LIST of April to the LIST of June, when eve
rythng dries up with the exception of the
trees, which then put forth their leaves; the
wet, from the 1st of June to the LIST of Octo-
Der, when the crops are planted; and the cold
season, from the LIST of October to the LIST of
April, when the crops are harvested. But it
never is never SO cold there that the flowers
have to be removed into the houses, and dur
ing that cold season all other vegetables grow
nicely there.
The color of the people is brown, but their
features are Caucasian. They are divided in
to many different tribes, speaking some TWEEN.
ty different languages. The Mahrattes are
powerful men like the Vermonters, the Sikhs
are tall like the Maine men. There is a vast
difference between rich and poor in India, the
rich being very rich, and the poor very poor.
The landholders and bankers hold about all
the property. The cultivator of land gets half
what he raises, except what goes for taxes
which is about all of it-and the other half
goes to the landholder. Wages are very low
and while the wealthy man lives in his splen-
did residence with its enclosed court yard, the
poor man lives in his little mad hut about IA
feet wide. Rich and poor's furniture consists
In a bedstead aud mats. No chairs are used
and the bedstead is pressed into service as
lounge by day.
The intellectual condition of the people was
next considered. TIE first impression that
strikes you is that the people haven't been
thinking for years. In every Christian coun-
try you can see signs of thought, but when you
go to laad where the Bible is not known YOU
see no improvements. Everything is in the
primitive state. You can see no machines
there, not even a grindstone. Two common
stones with handle in one end is used for that
purpose by the women to grind the corn for the
day. You carry them ploughs and they will
put them up in corner after trying them, and
bow down to them as idols, but will return to
the primitive plough of Adam. A Hindoo
never eats anything kept over night. What is
prepared during the day must be eaten during
the day. Hence we see the force of Scripture
in the words, "Give us this day our daily
bread" They use no forks, knives or spoons
at their meals, but the head of the house breaks
little piece off of cake of bread, dips it in
the only other dish, which serves as a relish,
and is followed by the rest of the guests in sue.
cession. The women are allowed what is left
but not to sit at the table with the men.
A very interesting picture Of that fearful
curse caste was given. A simple example will
tell the story. If a man sickens of cholera and
fall sick in the street none will help him. The
high-caste man will fear lest he NAV be a low
caste man and so he would be defiled, and the
low caste man fears lest he may be high caste
man and SO he would deile him by assistin g
him. Men of different c.'fes Will have moth
ino IN Il ..,:., :,
,ns 70 90 with each other except what is abso-
'1'siy necessary for the purpose of trade