Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-10-30
LIFE IN CALCUTTA.
Peculiaritfes OF tho Bengal
BabOO-SOme of the Experi-
ences of Foreigners in the
Great HindOO City.

ences of Foreigners in the
Great HindOo City.
Special Correspondence of the Ledger.
CALCUTTA, INDIA, Aug. 2S.-The
typical Bengali Baboo may be
found in Rahda Bazaar, Calcutta,
where thousands of them have
their shops, and where every va.
riety of merchandise is dealt in.
These shops are mostly small
hooks, averaging about ten feet
square with open front, and here
the Baboo sits with his legs folded
under him. attending to his trade.
He generally has two or thre
smart ASSISTANTS hanging about his
door, who solicit patronage from
the passers-by, giving special at.
tention to Europeans. A European,
as any white foreigner is called
here, in passing through the street
will be surrounded by dozens OF
these dusky solicitors from differ.
ent shops, each calling out "Sahib!
Sahibl here, Sahib!" and swearing
in one breath he sells the cheapest
and that the others are rogues and
swindlers. They invariably ask at
least double the value of an article,
but will accept any offer if they
can make one pice (about a cent?
profit. The Bengali never has a
fixed price upon anything and in
trading will lie, apparently, even
if he knew he would gain by tell
ing the truth. Their shops are
jammed together, every foot of
space being utilized, and those
dealing in the same class of goods
are huddled up in one locality.
Cloth merchants will be found in
one portion of the bazar, jewelry
dealers in another, while confec-
TONERS, medicine venders, ETC.,
have their special quarters. The
leading bazar streets here are very
narrow, with long rows of dilapi-
dated and unpainted buildings that
are never repaired until they begin
to tumble down. The Baboo may
become immensely rich, yet he
does not, as a rule, increase his
business build new house OF
improve his dress, but continues
On IN the same primitive style In
which he started. Europeans dc
not attempt to compete with them
IN trade, but merchants in business
here rely solely upon the traffic in
government supplies and with
those customers wealthy enough to
avoid bartering with the baza,
people.
TYPES OF MEN ONE MEETS IN
CALCUTTA.
A great variety of races ano
castles are met with in Calcutta; II
fact, people from almost every
country in Asia are seen daily or
the streets-Chinese, japanese
Malay, Burmese, Afghan and Aral
faces become quite familiar, while
the various types and castles o
Hindostan are all more or less rep
resented. Afghan traders frequen
the bazars-tall, comely fellows
with fair skin, long black curlin!
hair and beard, and dressed il
loose, dingy white clothes. The!
are very unsocial and rarely hav'
any dealings with Europeans. Th'
Burmese here are chiefly dealer
in Rangoon and Moulmin cheroots
which have large sale in India
The Burman is socially disposed
fellow, trequenting places of amuse
ment, parks and museums, and i
always eager for information. /
few tall Nagas from Nepaul ar
met with, who might appropriated.
be called the red men of India. L
color and feature they greatly re
semble the North American Indian
but are OF rather stronger physique
Their dress somewhat approache
that of the Chinese, though thei
u heads are never shaven. Their Ion
raven hair is worn by the men in
single braid down the back; th
women have two braids. The a,
erage Hindostane is painted wit
one or more red or white stripes
according to his caste. Musse
men are usually of a lighter colo
J the majority showing a Shemiti
, caste OF features, and they ca
otherwise be distinguished by the;
boards, which are seldom shaver
and the absence of face marking
The finest specimens of men, ply
ically,. and the most picturesquel
dressed, are the Chats, Sikhs an
Rajpoots from the northwestel
provinces. 1t is from among thei
tribes that the Sepoy army is chic
ly recruited, and when on parat
these soldiers make a splel
did appearance. The palfrt
bearers are jet black in colo
have their head partly shaven al
their back hair tied in a kno
They are of the lowest caste al
doubtless belong to the aborigin
race of the country. There is al
a large class Of Eurosians, or tho
with an European admixture, al
curiously enough the most of the