The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-10-17
AN EVENING IN CALCUTTA.

| 06TI n1O4l0e OF Calcutta, says wrlttC
in Lippincott for October. begins sc
take the air on the course, very plear-
ant drive which runs along the bank OF
the river. It is usually crowded with
carriages, but it must be confessed that
none of them would be likely to excite
the envy of an owner of fashionable
| turnout at home, unless, indeed, it
might be now and then for the sake of
the occupants.
Long before the course begins to
thin it is almost dark, and then, if the
poor lounger is unattached, and is
sharing his buggy with friend as un-
fortunate as himself, the general effect
of the scene before him is the most in
terestiDg object for his gaze. The car
riages continue to whirl past, but one
sees hardly more of them than their
lamps. The river glides, cold and shin
ing, long silvery light under the op-
posite bank, while trees and masts and
rigging relieve themselves against the
golden bars of the distant sky.
If the traveller chooses, he may find
many an amusing drive in the native
parts of the town. Tall Sikhs, whose
hair and boards have never known scis-
sors or razor, and who stride along with
swagger and high-caste dignity !;
effeminate Cingalese Hindoo clerks,
smirking, conceited, and dandifed too,
accor ling to their own notions; almost
naked palkee-bearers, who, neverthe-
less, if there is the slightest shower,
put up an umbrella to protect their
shaven crowns up-country girls with
rings in their noses and rings on their
oes little Bengalee beauties; Parsees,
Chinese, Greeks, Jews, and Armenians,
in every variety of costume, are to be
seen bargaining on the quays, chatter
ing in the bazaars, loading and unload
ing the ships, trotting along under their
water-skins, driving their bulloek-carts,
smoking their hookahs, or squatting
in the shade.
We have had the good fortune, thanks
our interest in native manners and
customs, to make the acquaintane of
Hindoo merchant, a millionaire and
bon UiU0nt, on whom his religion sits
somewhat lightly. We might, if We
had not been otherwise engaged, have
dined with him this evening. He would
have been delighted to receive us, and
would have treated us with abundant
hospitality and kindness. The dinner
would have been of q composite charac-
ter, partly European, partly native. A
sort of rissole of chicken would certain
" have been one of the dishes, and with
equal certainty would have met with
your approval the curry, too, would
have satisfied you, even if you had Just
come from Madras or Singapore. There
would have been knives and forks for
us; our convives would not have made
much use of the latter, and some of the
dishes on which they would have exer-
cised their fingers would hardly have
tempted us. The champagne and claret
are excellent, and our host, Hindoo as
he is, is not sparing in his lbations,
and at the same time he and his cOun-
trymen would have been vociferous in
pressing us to eat and drink, filing our
glasses the moment they were empty,
and heaping our plates with the choisest
morsels.
After all, however, perhaps we had
no great loss in missing the dinner. We
shall enjoy the pleasant drive, and by
being little late shall escape the not
verydelightful sound of various stringed
instruments being. tuned. Arrived, we
leave our horse and buggy to the care
of some most cutthroat-looking indi-
viduals, who crowd round with much
noise and gesticulatiOn, wondering who
AMI what we are, while the noise brings
out sort of major-domO, who recog-
nizes us as friends of the master, and
soon clears a way for us across the
courtyard, takes us up flight of steps,
and ushers us into long and tolerably
well-lighted room. Our host comes
forward with outstretched hands, and
with great cordiality welcomes and pre-
sents US to his friends. We can't un-
derstand all he says, for his English at
the best is not always Ineligible, and
he is now particularly talkative and
Jolly; it is evident he has dined. There
is a great noise every one is talking
and laughing; and the talking is loud,
for it has to overcome the sounds made
by sundry musicians seated at the other
end of the room, who are striking their
tomtoms and singing most doleful
chant, The baboo bustles about and
makes vacant for us two sofas, the places
of honor. Little marble tables are before
them, on which are placed wine, brandy,
and soda-water. The other guests re-
sumo their seats along the two sides of
the room on our right and left. There
are eight or ten men and two or three
ladies; the ladies very handsomely
dressed. Lower down are several
young girls in light drapery, laughing,
talking, and smoking their hookahs. |
The fair sex look rather scared
and shyly at the foreigners, but some
of the men are evidently trying to reas-
sure them. Order being at length re-
stored, our cheroots lighted, and our
iced brandy-pawnee made ready, the
recommences. The corps
de ballet are not hired for the occasion,
but form part of the establishment of
our friend the baboo. One of the girls
seated near the musician advances slow |
ly, in time with the music, to within a
few feet of one of our sofas, and Fhe Is
followed by another who places herself
opposite the other sofa. Others in the
same way prepared to dance before the
other guests. They all stand for mo-
ment in a langu1d and graceful attitude,
the music strikes up a fresh air, and
each nautch-girl assumes the first posi-
ton of her dance. She stands with out
stretched arm and hand, quivering
them, and allowing her body very
slightly to partake of the same move
ment. Her feet mark the time of the
music, not by being raised, but by mere |
ly pressing the floor with the toes. The
action and movement thus seem to run
like wave through the body, greatest
where it begins in the hand, and grad
ually diminishing as it dies away in the
foot. With change of time in the ac-
compartment the girl drops her arm,
advances a step or two nearer the per-
son before whom she is dancing, and
leans back, supporting her whole weight
on one foot, with the other put forward
and pressing against the floor the bor-
der of her drapery.
In hel .hanIs she holds q little scarf,
which serves to give a motive to the ac-
ton of her arms and head. The move
ment in this figure, whtch admits OF
great variety, no two performers being
alike at all in it, is somewhat stronger
than in the first. The undulation, too,
instead of dying away gradually from
its commencement, runs with equal
force, like the line of an s, through the
body. Without any pause in the music |
the dancer sometimes glides impercepti-
bly, into, sometimes begins with start
ling suddenness, the next movement.
The general position remains what it
was before, but to describe how its
principle of life and motion seems con-
4o5 baIoxu tho dopcor'a waist and