Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-21

| lives. IN 1uula Jne not weather OF uTy
| season lasts from about March 18th to June
18th, and the thermometer gradually rises
till, from April 1st onward, it may register
| anywhere from one hundred and ten to one
hundred and eighteen degrees In the shade.
| These registrations are taken, not from ther-
| mometers hung anywhere against wall or
| tree, but from thermometers placed where
they are unaffected by any radiation from a
heat absorbing body, and are exposed only to
the actual heat of the atmosphere. In va
| rious parts of the Indian peninsula the eli
mates and temperatures vary. Along the
coast the thermometer will seldom go higher
| than one hundred and five degrees, and will
not often reach that hight. But the ''cold
| weather" temperature will not reach much
| lower than slxty-hve degrees, If at all, re-
| Di8ining constantly between seventy and one
hundred degrees through the changes of the
seasons. up country as going inland is
| called, where the attitudes are high, the
range of the thermometer is more extensive,
and In The cold nights of the cold season will
drop down to the freezing point, the coolest
| hours of the twenty-four being from three to
| five O'Clock IN the morning. With the rising
| sun the atmosphere warns up, till at two
! o'clock In the afternoon it is at its greatest
| fervidIty, being then, In most provinces, such
as Dude, the PuDjaub, Rohilcund, etc, of
| Bengal, about sixty-five or seventy degrees.
| The c0ldest weather is late December and
early January, and with the growing days
! Cn6 thermometer rises, as i nave SAID before.
| During the winter IN these up country" To-
calities fires of wood are always to be found
burning during the night and early morning
| In the houses of Europeans, and, indeed in
those of the natives. All European houses
are there built with chimneys and fire. places
In at least one room. As the days grow
! longer and the warmth increases the fires are
discarded and cool garments adopted. The
overcoat is set aside and the linen buster as
| sumed, the walking stick is replaced by the
| umbrella, and tatties are ordered to be made.
| The tattie Is the great institution of British
| India. 1t is double diamond frame of split
! tattoo, with the space between the two frames
loosely yet firmly padded with the roots of
the Gus Gus grass. These roots are porous
and fragrant, and when moistened with wa
ter, emit their fragrance to the air. During
the "hot weather" there is always a wind
blowing-a hot, burning blast, more or less
strong, which sweeps over the arid plains
thirsting for water. Sometimes it shifts
about from point TO point, but generally it is
constant from the south, or southeast. All
houses are built with French windows opening
to the ground, and with these on all sides to
admit every breeze and encourage thorough
draught. Up near the ceiling are small WIN
dows built like the transom over our doors,
and closed or opened at will by means of
cords. As the weather becomes warmer the
''cus-cus tatties" are fitted to all the doors
and lower windows; tubes for water are
placed beside each tattie, or between two. and
two or more coolies, according to the size of
the house, are hired. Their duties are to
provide constant water supply for the tubes,
to keep the tatties ever moist, and to trim
ship as 1T WERE. e., to keep the draught
from end to end of the house with the wind.
But there ale days when there is no breeze
when the fervor of the sun scorches up even
the energy of the simoom and leaves the
whole atmosphere still, breathless oven.
To counteracL this evil, the thermantidote has
been invented. 1t is a large box containing
an axle, which crosses from side to side; to
this axle are fixed four to six fans radlating
from the center, and extending to within an
inch of the top, bottom and sides. The front
end of this box is elongated into window or
door, and the remaining space is carefully
boarded up around the tunnel and made as
air tight as possible. The open sides of the
thermantidote is fitted with ''cus- Gus tatties,"
and a sistern is so arranged that constant
supply of water is given (by means of pierced
troughs placed over them) to the tatties of
the thermantdote. The machine is now
ready for work. The motor is a coolle,
who turns a crank attached to the axle of the
fan. To multiply the revolutions of this fan,
a cogwheel attachment and belt are resorted
to, but this requires more motor power. But
these means are insufficient to keep the at
mOsphere cool. Punkahs are needed within.
These are huge swinging fans, made of
wooden framework covered with canvas, to
the lower edge of which is attached heavy,
deep fringe. These punkahs are slung to the
beams of the roof by stout cords, and from
one side cane (rattan) passes out through a
small hole in the wall to the outside or veran-
dab of the house. Two or more of these fans
may be connected together from room to
room and kept constantly swinging by the
motor without-the ever-present coolie
Without the coole India would not be habit
able 10y the civilized European. He works
hard with patient, unwavering purpose
works well and cheaply. For one dollar each
month, he and his mate will keep the pun
kah ever swinging, and they rarely faint or
fail. Sleep they do, and often at their post,
but still without relinquishing their automatic
labor. With these varied appliances, the
heated atmosphere, which causes the Their.
mometer to register one hundred and fifteen
and one hundred and eighteen degrees in the
shade, is toned down to eighty degrees, sew
enty- eight degrees, and even seventy-sIx de-
grees. In such an atmosphere one can
breathe, move and live. Let us picture to
ourselves European military or civil station.
At halfpast four o'clock in the morning the
air quivers with the long drawn "dress" call
from the quarters of the various regiments
Outside the horse keepers are grooming their
masters horses, and the cooks are preparing
tea, coffee, toast and eggs. Within doors the
men are bathing and dressing for parade or
drill if military; if civilians they are prepar-
ing for the morning ride with the ladies, who
are also bathing and DOMINIC their riding
habits. A cup of tea is taken, or coffee, and
bite of toast-perhaps an egg, but not often.
Then away to duty or to pleasure. By half
past six o'clock all are vending their way
homeward. By seven they are all home, and
| are seated in the verandas, or ''sub teg-
mine Jagi, partaking of the chOta hdzOri,
or little breakfast" This consists of
tea, coffee, chocolate, toast, bread and but
| ter, preserves, eggs, and fruits of such kinds
as are preservable. THIS meal Is drawn out
| to eight and past, but at nine o'clock in the
morning every one who has no duty to per-
| form out of doors is doffing society garments
and getting into light marching order. The
civilians at their offices, the military Off
| GERS In their mess house at breakfast In the
very hottest weather the time is mostly spent
! loungIng with extended legs on long armed
chairs, or lying on the broad of the back; in
| either case under the ceaseleSs punkah. In
| the hottest weather the door is closed" to
any but the most intimate friend from ten
o'clock in tine morning till four o'clock in the
afternoon. There is no prevarication or mot
at home" about 1t. "Durwaza bund'' (''the
door is closed''), says the attendant in the
verandah to any stranger who may be
green" enough to attempt entry, and the
door remains closed, except to those who
may have been asked to ''tiffin" till calling
hours, which are from four to seven o clock
in the evening, but nearer the latter than the
former. We will not enter the sacred pene-
tralia to discuss the doIngs of those within
doors during these trying hours, which, how
ever are hours of ease compared with
those from four to ten o'clock in the evening
Some men smoke and drink brandy and
soda, while they play chess, whist or
read; others write or occupy themselves light
ly. The ladies-well, wen leave them to
themselves. They have to recuperate for the
tolls of the afternoon and evening. From
four to FIVE in the afternoon is the general
dressing hour, when most people take bath
and are ready for callers. At about six
o'clock IN the afternoon the drive is taken or
a ride on horseback to the public gardens,
where the band may be playing or the more
energetic among the ladies are playing GRO
quet or indulging in the graceful practice of
archery; with them are the less energetic, or
ladies men. The more energetic men are
away across the country with their dogs, or
are playing racquets, the great hot-weather
game of the Anglo Indians. At half-past
seven In the evening the bugles of the vari-
GUS regiments are heard SCUM ing the ''dress-
for-dinner' call, and all are homeward bound.
Then comes dinner, the long-drawn-out meal
of the day, and bed. But as June grows
older, every one is eagerly counting the days
to the rains: These are due about June 10th