The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-04-05
A BeiIam in the Cities Birds and
Beasts Drum and Banjo.
IL. . 1

A BedIam in the Cities-Birds and
Beasts-Tan-Tam, Drum and Banjo.
bombay Cor New York SUM-
Nothing is done in India without noise.
and in the cities it is perfectly appalling.
The roar, the howl, the chatter, the rush,
the hustle are mingled so intimately that
you feel that you are intruding on Bedlam.
You can scarcely hear yourself speak some
times, and you look on the hubbub with fear
and trembling, finding no occasion for the
uproar. A congregation of natives is worse
than any swarm of Italians, and as one sees
the frantic gesticulations, the imagination
is Of a violent quarrel rather than Of the
amicable bawling that the scene really is.
What are they talking about2 Money or
women-nothing else comm anding such a
chorus. The tones are shrill and the de-
livery is rapid, the "Ol" cop of the voca-
tive case being the invariable form Of
speech.
As l am riding
"Ob, Khud. cowi" exclaims one jam
panny.
ooh, Hawaii, it is Toi Hyder's cowi' an
swers Khud "Oh, Khud, it is 10-rupees
cowI" pipes LAX. "Oh, Khud, and Oh,
LAX, ] wish / had its milkI" chimes in
Dergher Ali And so of everything they
see When 1 order a halt the four chorus
shrilly:
ooh, Mem Sahib. we stopl" Or if it is to
proceed, ooh, Mem Sahib, We gop'
They never whistle as they go, and laugh
ter is never heard.
As ride listen not alone to the irritating
hum OF mosquitoes that are not exclusively
Indian, but, II it is not too dry, TO the loud
call of bullfrogs that would do credit to any
New Jersey swamp. If it is dry weather,
the frogs notes are replaced by the monoto-
nous drone and creak of the wells. All day
long the Hindoo pigeon sends forth its
booming notes from the woods; the kites cry
long and piercingly, and the kastura, or In
dian blackbird, is almost the only singing
bird. The minas chatter among the hills,
and the ever-present crow is perpetually
cawing every where around US A tiny owl,
about as large as a robin, mourns plaintively
Just at dusk Tree toads hiss, and rasp, and
chirp. Jackals growl at night, and occa-
sionally the hyenal = ny be heard.
So much for tins Ses a-'al sounds. There
are some artificial ones equally familiar,
such as the noise of the tam-tam. which is
always being beaten, and that of the shop
herds pipes, which are very like Scotch bag
pipes, and give forth a sweet, weird sound.
The Brahmins produce a frightful noise by
blowing the sacred she'll, called a suak,
blast that is held to exercise the evil spirits
The women sing some wild and plaintive
notes in a minor key, the accompaniment
being performed on a small gcatsG.a drum.
And there are trumpets, enormous things of
brass, sOTne tour feet long, on which man
will blow some Of the most excruciating
blasts. There are also little silver-plated
ones that squeal like young pigs.
The most agreeable music that is heard in
India is that of the banjo. But Hindoo
banjo is not like one of ours. The lower part
Of the instrument is made of section of
gourd that resembles a deep, fat drum, open
at one end There are four strings two
passed through blue glass beads, and the
other two raised by cowrie7. The notes pro
duced are very pleasant The vocal music
is the dreary chanting of the professional
singers in the Hindoo temples. 1t is monot-
onous, but it is worth hearing. The singers
spoil it, though, when they read aloud their
holy books in their grating, sing-song get
along-some- way.