The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-28

experience Wnlcn ne naQ at NlidSc
| of people belonging to the caste of fish,
ermen. He was preaching TO an inter-
ested audience in crowded school
bungalow, the people being seated on
the hard dirt floor. A man of higher
caste strolled along and stopped to
listen. Instantly every auditor stood
up and the men rushed hither and
thither to find a seat for the visitor.
| He could not sit on the floor, as they
were doing, being of higher rank, nor
could he stand while they were seated.
In moment two men brought in
short piece of a very round roller used
in moving boats up on to the beach 1t
was of hard fine-grained wood and by
long usage had become polished until
1T was very slippery. On this instru-
ment of torture the victim of misplaced
pride was balanced, and the service
proceeded. He tetered in WEAKNESS
and agony until the service was over,
but maintained his dignity inviolate.)
The personal reserve fostered by this
system explains how readily one who
mingles chiefly with the WELL do,
well-bred native gentlemen might be
utterly ignorant concerning these songs
|
a missionary even never hears them
during his whole career. Outsiders
will invariably be entertained by pro-
fessional singer.
Nevertheless the Dravidians are a
very musical people, especially when
taken off their guard. CA school-boy
is quite apt, if learning lesson by
| himself, to read it aloud or rather to
chant 1t. 1t would not be uncommon
to hear from a comfortable perch in a
4 banyan tree something like the follow
ing: 1.-THE United States is bounded on
the west by the Pacific ocean" Chant
ed).
1t is natural to find songs which for
almost every occasion or need in daily
life, expressive Of every emotion, as
sisting every occupation. The sense of
appropriateness Is strong. Somehow
no Hindu thinks of exerting himself, as
he says, ''for no special reason"
The nearest approach to song for
amusement only that I found was an
alphabetical song.
OF the varied songs of labor I can
only give one or two specimens.
The first one is used in digging wells
or bitches where alternating action is
necessary. AS one man scoops up the
loosened earth into the basket his COM
rade sings. Then as the second man is
lifting the basket to his head the other
one sings, etc, indefinitely.
1t is interesting to watch a company
of reapers in harvest time. All reap
ing is done by hand, for a large farm
there would be no more in extent
than fair sized garden here. The
harvest season is a very jolly time. A
company of friends work together, adj
vancing inch by inch upon their knees,
gathering a handful of stalks in one
, hand and welding the sickle with the
other, adding handful to handful till
they can tie up a small bundle. Often
| the reapers divide into two parties
which make these movements in lazy
, unison, guided by song, one-half of
each stanza being taken by each party
when did he go to view his farm?"
when the grain was yellow he
went"
The song goes on to add with a
sickle and knife went he to complete
: his harvest and there follows long
: metrical history of the harvest.
These labor songs are noticeable ir
one respect; they nearly always cal
for impromptu compositions The mu.
sic and the metre never vary; the
words are rarely twice alike. A com.
pany may perhaps sing few verses
which are well known and popular, bu
then the leader, if possessed of fertile
fancy. is liable to compose off-hand c
long string Of doggerel verses on cur
4 rent topics of interest, to the intenst
amusement Of his companions, wht
sustain the chorus. The peculiaritie'
] of foreigners is an inexhaustible topic
This talent for composition is not al
: ways expended in horse-play. The,
: tell of famous Tamil poet who wal
strolling on the road at dusk, when HI
e heard a farmer who was drawing water
: with the aid of well-sweep, singing
to himself. Drawing near he over
r heard the words,
"Munkil ilei mel"
"Munkil ilei mel"
con the leaf of the bamboo
Noting that the stanza al
q though beautiful, was incomplete, h,
purposely drew near the same spot OF
II the following evening and was reward
9 ed by hearing the farmer add,
G "Thunkum PAM mir"
"Sleeps the little drop of dew"
: Probably the finest specimens of i'm
y promptu wit are heard among palan
IL quin bearers and boatmen. Mr.. Cove
y has story of a very stout gentleman
l. who hired palanquin bearers to carr.