The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-09
UP THE COROMANDEL COAST

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UP THE COROMANDEL COAST.
Anchored or Nagapatam A Strange
VIsitatiOn-CIty and People of Pom
dIcherry-The Nautch GIrls-Scenes
IN Madras.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
MADRAS, IDdia.-As the Eastern Goa st
of HindustaD is without any harbors Of
safe approa, h, the navigation on the
borders of the Bay of Bengal becomes
somewhat perilous. The shallow waters,
the long beaches, the sweeping winds
and the heavy surf compel ships to an
chUr long distance from the shore,
trusting in the native boats to reach
land, and in time of storm to put out to
sea. The lands are low and sandy, in
many places lying but few feet above
the level of the tides. Numerous vii
lagos, towns and cities stand as sen'inels
long the Coromandcl coast, as the
shores are called, which were made the
grand battlefield of the last century be-
tween the English and the French in
India.
The Juniata sailed up from Ceylun, and
made her first stop at Nagapatam, port
of no commercial importance near the
lower extremity tf the peninsula. The
ship lay at anchor mile or more from
the coast, in the open sea ,and at the out
set seemed to be regarded curiosly by
the inhabitants, AS this was the first
wan of-war that had ever visited the
pltce, it created a widespread alarm
among the natives. Large crowds OF
people gathered on the beach, and
watched the ship all day long, which
was to them an unusual sight and boded
nothing but evil in its visitation. The
terror spread like wild fire from village
to village, and was in no wise allayed by
the firing of a salute from our guns. So
deep seated were their fears that, when
party of European residents proposed
to visit the ship, their servants and other
natives clung to them with wailing and
entTeaties and bad them goodbye, be-
lieviDg that they would never return
alive. After time some Uf the more
daring ventured out in their fishing
boats, and when it was found that we
were harmless frequent visits were made
to the ship with quantities of fruit and
vegetables. The town has population
of fifty thousand, and is place of no
especial interest, isolated as it is from
the world, although fronting the s,a
that is traversed by the ships of all ma
tions.
A sail OF a few leagues toward the
NuIth brought our ship to the French
city OF Pondicherry, the once famous
Gallo outpot in the East. Although the
long irCn pier, that reaches out into the
sea, makes the landing for the boats
more easy, the swell of the ocean keeps
the vessel rolling and rocking in an un.
comfortable manner. On the day of our
arrival the European portion of the com
munity, most of whom are French, sent
out to us an endless stream of vistors.
The young ladies would trip as gaily as
may be over the gang-wHy, laughing
and talking about the sights on board
man-of-war. They relished the situa-
tion for few moments only, for the
heaving of the ship produced unpleasant
sensations, and they invariably left us
in some haste TO recover from the effects
of sea sickness. Although French
province, neither garrison nor a war
vessel is allowed by treaty stipulation to
be kept in this port.
The town stands on a sandy plain,
guarded by a citadel, aud is divided into
a European and native settlement. Its
streets are narrow but clean, and 1t con-
tains handsome square, and many very
fine buildings, cathedrals and bazaars.
No grass or shrubbery is to be seen any.
where, but In many quarters large trees
line the thoroughfares and form pleas
ant groves. In the surrounding country
rice and peanuts are grown extensively,
and cocoa-nuts form the principal native
product. The population numbers one
hundred thousand, the most Of whom
are natives, who wear but little clothing,
live in large families in mud huts, and
plaster their HAIR down with oil from
the cocoa. Passengers are conveyed
about The place in small carriages, which
are pushed by two men, and guided by
one of the occupants of the vehicle, and
are called push-push. Over the level
roads one may be pushed at a very lively
rate for forty cents day. The pushers
are black India-men, whose entire ward
robe consists of turban and brief gar
ment about the loins.
About five miles beyond the limits of
the towp may be seen large Buddhist
pagoda, to which we journeyed in one
day in push pushes. The temple is
grOtesque and gloomy building, sur
rounded by high wall, at the entrance
of which stands pyramid, more than
two hundred feet high, entirely covered
with crude and ill-shapen figures of men
and women and of strange things of
earth and sea. We were denied admit
tance to this sanctuary, as too profane
for the place. A religious feature of the
temple IS the nautch dance, in the sa-
cred service Of which parents give up
their daughters, who become known as
Nautch girls, and dance at certain times
at the door Of the temple, giving to re-
ligious uses all money that may be re-
ceived.
While we were in waiting at the door,
a band Of musicians came out upon an
elevated balcony before the temple, &C.
companied by E. ur women. One of the
men played on a fiddle, another beat
tom tom, or drum, with his hauds, the
third clasht a par of symbals and the
other played on a flute. The giils are
fine featured Hindu, s. aud wear bright
colOred, close-f ng sacks. that CO, er
the shoulders aud reach hall way 10 the
waist. Their dress CONSISTS Of ten yards
Of gaudy cloth wi h Is wound about
their limbs and fastened at the wal /,
leaving an end long enough to be thrown
loosely over the shoulder. They wear
strings of bells around the ankles, and
rings on their toes and in their noses
and ears, and present very picturesque
appearance IN their novel costumes, in
many instances gliltering with precious
stones. Both the band and the girls
kept up continual sing-song, in low,
measured and dreamful cadence. The
music continued, aud the Nautch girls
danced one at time and then all to-
gether, the dance consisting in walking
back and forth, with gentle swsying
OF the body ,.swinging Of the arms 10 an
easy anv graceful motion, aud tlpklinp