The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-04-05
IN FAR-OFF INDIA.
HOOgIy RIVer-HIstOry of the Country
Calcutta, the New and the Old-The
People and Vehiclea-Scenes ut a
Temple Ie--CremaIIOn Public I'M
prOVements, Education and Pros
DeCta

| prOVements, EduchttOn ana FTOs-
poets.
CALCUTTA, India, Jan. I've are sail
ing up the Hoogly River, which is one
of the outlets of the great Ganges. Its
waters are as yellow as the Tiber, signi-
flying that the Himalayas and highlands
of India are gradually being borne on to
the sea. So it is, Change is the order
IN this world. On either side of us now
is the country in which Menes legisated
21SS, B, C.. Possibly he was the same
monarch who had distinguished himself
in Egypt. In 1772, B. G, the great Sc
sostris. King of the Nile, invaded it.
Afterward Bactrian and Median Kings
posses sed it. In 522, B. c., Darius Hy-
staspes subdusd it, In 1895, B. c., the
mighty Alexander marched into it. In
ITO, BIC, Antiochus the First laid claim
to it; and after this history is nearly ST.
lent as to this land until the Mohamme-
dams invaded it in A. d. 1893. Thence
forward it is subject to frequent changes
At one time John IL. of Portugal pos
sessed it. Afterward Tamerlane sub
dued it, and later the English came in
possession of it, and still control it.
As we now look out upon its surface
we see 80 far as the eye can reach only
one extended plain. Were it not for the
palms and bamboos it would, indeed, be
monotonous. Large areas are still occu-
pied by jungles, where the lion, tiger
and cobra still reign.
Reaching Diamond Harbor 81 guns
are fired on the shore, according to the
custom, which Is a welcome to this land
OF many nationalities. At length james
and Mary Bank is passed in safety.
Officers aud passengers rej)lce when
this is over, for many a vessel has been
swallowed up in these whirling sands
Crafts of all description are now floating
on the river. Soon the eye is delighted
with the gardens of Oudhe. which run
close down to the water. Then come
the fine Oriental Steam Navigation
Buildings. H mlets now line the shores
nestled under knots of palmyra trees.
The dark groves of the Botanical Gar
dens are seen on the western side,
Not long after our steamer is moored
at the wharf before we are in the city of
Calcutta, which Is the Liverpool of the
East. As we ride across its esplanade,
in front of temples, palatial structures,
and equestrian statue and a lofty column
we are disposed to say, if the English
found this city of bamboo and mud
huts. they have changed il to stone and
beauty, so far as its main streets are
concerned But, advancing into the old
parts it would seem they are still as they
have been for ages. Looking at the
crowds moving along the streets, we can
but marvel whence they all come. There
are Arabs from Muskat, Persians from
the mouth of the Euphrates, Afghans
from the northern frontier, coolies from
Zanzibar, negroes from Malay: also Chi.
nese, Fakirs, Sepoys and Europeans.
Though they are so unlike as to faces
and forms, still they apparently move
on without any jlrring. As we witness
the stirring multltudes, we can scarcely
imagine how so much flesh and blood
can be supplied with the necessaries OF
life. For the most part they do not IN
dicate high state of living. The bare
legs and arms of many of them show
more bone and muscle than fat. This
does not see II strange, and we are in-
formed that but few of these men can
command more than ten cents day, or
for some four dollars per month.
The head dresses and what garments
they have on are of many and bright
colOrs Some of their foreheads are
marked with red or white paint to sig
nifty their class. The women are adorn
Cd with rings on their toes and fingers,
in their noses and ears, and bangles
round their wrists and ankles. In the
places of business, wherever it Is posi-
bic, they are sitting on their legs and
feet. The squatting position appears to
be the natural one. The HindOo life
seems to be fixed factor. The motley
population do a thousand things as they
always have been done. The unclad
merchant still posts his accounts with a
reed on a long roll of paper. The barber
shaves his subjects where yer he finds
them. even If it be in the ditch. The
shampooer does his work of swapping
the Joints and greasing the back on the
sidewalk The Gura drones out his San
skirt to the boys sitting IN the sand. The
Bansula player pipes; the Sitar-singer
twangs his wires; worshipers bathe IN
the Ganges and throw water at the sun,
or deck Singus with flowers, as their
ancestors did. The boy must work as
his father wrought; were he a cobbler,
so must the son be. Should he fail of
this then he loses his caste and must de-
scend to some lower occupation. Even
the children must eat what their parents
did, and as they did. No Brahmin can
sit at the table with a European. The
laws of caste here are as unyielding as
those of the Medes and Persians; posi-
bly, they are the offshoots from them,
The vehicles for transportation are sure
to attract attention. The carts drawn
by bumped backed Tatient little oxen,
or jngling Johnny steers trotting before
the hackores. are certain to CLAIM the
attention of the stranger.
Then the parlaquin borne on the backs
of four coolies, which is just large
enough for man or woman to crawl
into and remain in a lying position is
not likely to make you feel as though
YOU would be pleased to ride in that
manner. The hacks, buggies and tram
ways here remind us of home. The bare
limbed Indian girls glide along with
baskets full of 'bratties' of COW manure
on their heads, with naked babies astrIde
their hips, and 'Cheesties' go about with
water skins sprlnkling the streets.
Bhaugy coolies, with heavy burdens at
tached to the ends of bamboo rods and
balanced on their shoulders, go trotting
along as though stepping on eggs. The
street scenes reveal as much of human
nature as can anywhere be learned. The
life outdoors in Calcutta is novel and
often surprising to the foreigner.
In every open space, save on portions
of the esplanade, the date trees wave
their fronded crowns. sheltering the
squirrel and the parrot, and overtopping
many a bungalow. The gra, necked
crows are here in multidudes, ready to
catch ut every piece of food that is
thrown into the street. The hawks, too,
SWING above the city. blowing their shrill
whistle. There is abundance of life
aside from the human in this great can
ital, Particularly in the night time, il
not properly guarded by nets and drugs,
YOU are certain to be bled By insects
with sharp and deep penetrating blades.
One cannot remain here long without
discovering that the COW is held in high
est veneration. None but the Benjasa.
among the natives will allow this crea.
ture to labor. She is suffered to wan
der whittier she will, il it be into the
shop or house. The Brahmins will go
hungry themselves rather than not have
the cows properly fed. Everything that
comes from them is considered sacred.
So girls follow them to gether up the
droppings and plaster them on walls and
in conspicuous places, using them for
fuel in cooking that the ashes may bs
mixed with coloring powders to mark
the foreheads, necks and arms of pious
Hindoos. India does not change so far
as the natives thinks and do. Their
castles binds them fast, and these are re
ligious, or under the control OF priests.
Here, as elsewhere in India, the Brah-
. nupa take the lead. the Janis have