St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-06-17
SavageS i'm India.

The Maris, one of the savage hill
tribes of India, are peculiar people.
They sleep on the ground, girdle OF
cowries round the waist constituting
their entire wardrobe both by night
and day. They are exceedingly averse
to the use of cold water, ablutions are
unknown, and thick coating of mud
or dust adheres to or becomes detached
from their bodies as chance decides.
Still, they are slaves of fashion. The
heads of the males are shaved, all eX-
cept one long top-knOt, and this shaw
ing is accomplished by the aid of n
rusty knife, that looks as if it once
formed part of an iron hoop. The op-
Grafton must be a painful and labori-
Gus one. Nor are the female members
of the community exempt from the
pains and penalties of fashion. Their
hair is most deliberately twisted and
plastered, whilst their bodies are COW
cred with tattOOing absolutely and lit
orally covered-and the designs are
elaborate, and must be painful in exc
cutiOn. Besides the girdle of cowries,
Il hoop of iron, on which are strung
brass and iron rings, is necessary to
furnish forth y Mari belle. But the ell
derly ladies dispense with this as USE
less and incOnvenient, All wear ear
rings, us many IA fifteen rings In each
ear, of wax, iron, brass, copper, silver,
or gold, according to their wealth and
station.
When they dance they do not go
through the gesticulatiOns of ordinary
dancing, civilized or barbaric, but form
IA ring by joining hands all round, and
with IL long hop spring to the centre,
and then hop back again to the full ex-
tent of their arms, whilst at the same
time they keep circling round and
round. The effect is striking. A little
perfume of an agreeable kind, to keep
ill-tiavOred OdOrs i'll allegiance, renders
it pleasant as an object of study.
Sometimes two women dance together,
holding hands, advancing and retreat
ing, jumping, squatting, kneeling, and
see-sawing i'll ..rhythmical succession.
Sometimes a man will jump into the
circle when several are dancing, chant
Il verse or two of poetry like u war-cry ;
the others take up the chorus, and
dance fIantically da oapO. Sometimes
their imprOmptu songs round the fire
III tilC ttlC
plimentary to each other. The woman
deplores the mans ungainly and awk-
ward figure and manner, his want of
skill in war or the chase; his bIunder-
ing speech, and want of success. The
man retaliates, reproaching the woman
for her untidy habits, her ugly features,
her tasteless tattOOing and her spare
waist, which is with them blemish,
But whether engaged in dancing, or in
singing round the fire i'll cold or rainy
season, a species of arrack, called lun-
day, distilled from mhowah flowers, is
freely imbibed by both sexes, and even
by the children. 1t is potent spirit,
exceedingly distasteful to the European
palate; but the Maris like it, as they
like their filth and bad smells, their
girdlcs of cOwries, their iron hoops,
their tattnping, and multitudinOus ear
rings. When the amenities of Mari
high life are concluded their dances
and songs, their rough, ear-splitting
music, and their horse -play-they in
variably return to lunday. The revel
is concluded when none can any longer
dance, or sing, or play, or, us some
times happens, when all the lunday
has been imbibed, and nothing remains
but to sleep IIarper's.