The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-07-25
Hindoo Farmers.

As the ~agriculturists are pure HindoOs
50 are they generally the highest caste Of
HindoOs-Brahmins. They never eat meat,
nor anything that grows under ground.
The rGitrs are the poorest of the poor
large families will live for n month on a
dollar. They take but one meal per diem,
and that is Mt twelve o'clock midday. The
women prepare for the days consumption
coarse wheat cakes called c]hdpyutis. Their
thickness depends upon the purse; the
richer the family the thicker the chapDTti.
A few g~arlics. u cup of milk OF dEauEht Of
water complete the meal, although some
times the richer classes cook q curry of
vegetables. The delightful taste tHai this
cake must have can only DE rclish"d lay the
mild Hindoo.' Before the ruir' even
thinks sf eating he must battle. lie draws
III q tO:I u brass vessel the water mcCcs-
Sary for his additions, and throws 1t over
Eis back. Ii he desires 10 enjoy "A thor
OuEh bath he washes himself with n pcCu-
li0r white mud, which fathers like soap.
This is highly esteemed on account of its
cleansing properties. Whilst he battles
himself he washes his clothes; and this
ne MANAGES clevcrly without stripping.
His only garment is called n dhOt, which
is merely a cotton sheet bound around his
waist. He first unbinds and washes one
half; then undoes and washes tho re-
naming half. He squeezcs 1t nearly dry
but though still damp, he dresses himself
leaving the powerful sun to do the ironing
and bleaching. The middle of his head,
from the crown downward, as vol rs his
face, is clean shaved. A long tuft of hair
IL however, permitted TO grow ut the back
of his head, which he leaves for the COED
spirits TO catch in order to drag him when
dead to the nbodes of bliss. Directly his
additions are over, he prays revercntly to
the idol, which is always placed near n tree
or well. In fact, the HindOOs consider
every well sacred and n man VINO digs Il
well or plants q tree insurcs for himself
and his descendants Heavens pleasures.
He never omits TO offer puid o. a thank
Offering at the shrine of this particular
temple and never il he permitted TO for
get that the priests, who keep in repair
and ofiiciate at these holy places, require
some portion of the yearly crop to keep
soul and body together. Taken all in all
no better man exists han the poor HindoO
diGt. He is a mild, forgiving creature /;
and where he quietly sorrows, other people
would commit suicide. Never in his life
1oes he see mere than four rupees. or two
dollars, at one time together and that is
when his ground is lying fallOw he travels
for miles to some European station, and
| gains this fortune either bv pulling punks
or selling some small trifle worked by the
dexterous fingers of his ignorant and
wrctched wife. His life is one rou I of
never ceasing toll, and his ceaselcss car
TO meet the dire land tax. lie has eve
been n slave to the soil. Nor will the lapse
Of years better his condition. With child
ike simplicity he firmly believes all that
his CORN, or priest tells him and is ever
rc"dy, even when his means are most linn
tied, to assist the needy sunpliCants who
demand his help on account of their char
lcter rs rciigieur. He begins no journey,
undertakes no business, plants no seed,
without first asking rom his god blessing
upon the enterprise. No strong drinks
ever pass his lips; he is content to work
aud be cheerful. In no country in the
world are tho pcIsantry poorer than III In
dia. In China n h"ushnndmnu lives sumpt-
uously compared to the Indian rdidt. The
latter, by his religion, is forbidden to eat
meat of any kind whatever, and even
If he were permitted his means, which just
allow of his making bread from the coara-
est cereal that grows. would certainly bar
him from eating flesh.