The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-11-27
Interesting Facts About India.

The natives of India are usually
brown, but some of them are nearly
black. Their hair is usually straight
sometimes gracefully curled, seldom of
woolly appearance. The native women
of Calcutta wear their hair long, and
either loose or braided. The men gen.
orally part theirs in the middle. Shaving
tho head is common, especially among
what appear to be of the lower classes.
Some shave off every hair others leave
enough for topknot only others make
themselves comical-looking by shaving
patches here and there, according to
their fancy. Their BARRIERS are generally
located at irregular intervals along the
principal streets and lanes. A barber
spreads his bamboo mat on the pave
ment, near the wall, for him and his
subject to squat on during the work |;
and while he uses the tools, the man
having his hair or beard dressed holds
small mirror in his hand and watches
closely every movement of the razor or
shears. The mirror is seldom more than
six inches in length. The barber is very
deliberate, and may spend half m hour
on one head or face for cent and half.
Besides these street BARRIERS, there are
those who have shops for Europeans and
Baboos, and charge twelve cents for cut
ting Europeans hair. There are also,
along the streets, native cobblers, with
their little kits of tools, repairing shoes.
Oil is much used-not only on the head,
but also the whole body is well anointed.
The Indians of this country, like their
American cousins, are very straight and
erect. Round or stopped shoulders are
80 rare among them that they attract
attention at once, if the possessor is on
his feet. These people carry nearly all
their burdens on the head, and this de.
velops a straight form. If one wants
pianoforte, a bedstead, tea-set, or any
article transported with perfect safety
to another part of the city, he calls
enough coolies for the job, and commits
the articles to them, sending servant
along to oversee them. Small articles
are put into large basket, which the
coolies always have. The basket is
made of bamboo pieces tied together, is
lined with the coarsest sackcloth, semi
spheric in shape, and without any handle.
A coolie can carry weight on his head
two or three times as great as he can
lift. When on the street awaiting or
ders, he frequently gets into his basket
and goes to sleep, or inverts it and
makes a stool out of it. Passing along
the street at night, one sees many serv-
ants and coolies, especially the latter,
sleeping on the asbestos, stone, or Nc.
Adam pavement, with no bed between
except single cotton blanket worn on
the body during the day. Many Baboos
and men of other classes of the natives
of Bengal never wear any covering on
their heads except that given by nature.
Some of the Baboos are as noble-looking
specimens of humanity as I ever saw,
and,h have as good brain as Drawn.
The head-coverings worn are usually
either little hemisphere, often beauti-
fully embroidered, or large turban
consisting of many yards of cotton cloth
wound around the top of the head. The
latter is good protection; the former
seems to be worn only for ornament.