Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1891-06-26
NoIpENrs O. AFaIcaN TRAveL.
Communication with Foreign Servants By
Gesticulation Is Amusing.


Communication with Foreign Servants by
GesticuIation Is Amusing.
Tips and gesticulations 60 a great way
in making foreign servants understand
those who do not speak their language
but they do not always succeed, and tire
some though amusing adventures are often
the result
When we first Travelled in India we knew
very little Hindustani, and on arriving at
palatial but very c0mfortless hotel at
Jubbulpore / wanted a small pitcher OF
hot water to battle an injuryon my little
finger. We knew that chola was "smalF
aud earram warm but we could not
think Of the Hindustani for water" At
last I thought / had made the bearer I'M
derstand what I wanted. After waiting
some time he returned, looking well
pleased with himself at so easily guessing
my wishes, and, placing small cup OF tea
at my side, bowed profoundly, and was
about to leave the room when l called him
back and tried again to explain.
This time we had to wait still longer, but
presently we heard a humping on the
stairs and a deal of gasping and grooming,
and then three men appeared carrying
most enormous caldron of boiling water,
on reaching the station at dawn we hired
a carriage and told the coaehman in Our
best Hindustani TO drive to the nearest
hotel. We soon stopped at the entrance Of
a large house and well dressed European
opened the carriage door for US and polite
ly helped US out.
II am glad you have come so early" he
said, ''for you win have plenty Of time to
Isl nd II 7 nnF
show You some very handsome pieces Of
furniture. What will you look at first?"
after travelling all night we are too
tired and hungry to look at anything ut
present" I answered sharply. "but will
you show us'inbo the best bedroom you've
got and send US some breakfast imme-
diatelyT
The man stared at me in utter astonish-
ment and turned to Mr. Ker for an ex-
PLANTATION. After a time we found out our
mistake. The house was not hotel but a
private residence, and the furniture was
about 70 be sold atauction. The European,
whom we had mistaken for the hotel man
ager, was the auctioneer So our Hin
dustani had been again at fault.
In west Africa I twice quite unintentiOI-
ally offended the natives most grievously
groes swarm around her in canoes, offer
ing skins, grass mats, etc, for sale, and
always took this opportunity of sketching
them. Once one of the men wore "A very
extraordinary wig and in my anxiety to
have Il good look at il Must have let my
drawing block and pencil be seen, for ne
caught sight of what l was doing, and
tearing off his wig in terror he called out
wildly;
mo put me in book, white mamil Ne
good mani No put me in book"
He evidently thought that l was work
ing some evil spell over him.
Another time an Ashantee woman on
our steamer saw me sketching her, and
she complained most bitterly to the cap
.ain that had made her very i'll. She said
shat I Lad given her frightful pain in
her head, and that she had to lie down all
the afternoon
But think the funniest thing that ever
happened 10 me was at Old Calabar. We
had sent our clothes to be washed there
and when the washerwoman brought them
back she cOolly told me that she had kept
one or two of my garments, for she liked
them so much that she could not part
with them. She asked me what she should
give me for them. / told her / could not
possibly sell my Undertaking as culiosi-
ties. However, she got them Tor nothing
for our steamer was just sailing Tor Eng
land, so l had no means of insisting upon
their return.--Mrs David Ker in Epoch.