Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-02

ana ten for the Mohammedans, as only
thirty thousand were expected at first, and
the fifteen thousand extra unexpected had
to stand or crowd as best they could.
The two sets of blocks were three hundred
feet apart, as OF course they must observe
the rules of the religion and not have even
the shadow OF an infidel cast upon their
food. At ten o'clock in the morning of the
9th OF January drums began to beat and
the poor. lame. blind and halt came forth
In hundreds from all parts of Calcutta and
the streets on the way to the Madam. Such
dreadful deformities and horrible sores, and
scars! and pathetic blind! and cheerful
lame! hundreds and thousands: rogues, too.
looking women with sore-eyed babies. and
tired small boys without thing on their
little brown bodies except a string tied
around the waist.
All Sorts and Little.
1t was the most amazing collection of
people one could possibly behold in the
greatest variety of costume or no costume
imaginable. The committee for receiving
them had no trouble with the Mohamme-
dams as soon as they were made to under
stand the whereabouts of their enclosures,
but there was much trouble and vexation
with the Hindoos. for one caste absolutely
refused to sit near another and the Brah-
min. or priest caste. insisted on an enclo-
sure to themselves. and got 1t! 1t was like
a huge company of white clad blackbirds!
hutterfng about. changing places, lighting
and flying off and all the time keeping up
an appalling chatter. They were at last
seated, the whole twenty thousand, but In
spite of the care of the attendants some Of
the castles got mixed and in one place we
were shown a lot Of municipal scavengers
next or opposite some Sadhus religious
peggars OF the Hindoos. covered and smear
ed with mud and Seffron; and further along
a number or chamars. tanners and Domes.
NJ hDIt
beside some interesting looking snake
charmers In long yellow drapery and huge
turbans. After all were seated there were
several hours for them to wait, but walt
ing Is an accomplishment peculiar to the
native of India and even the small children
did 1t with patience. The cooking must
have been a gigantic affair and we were
told that everything given to the Moham-
medans was cooked the night before but
that for the thirty thousand Hindoos 1t had
taken fully five days to prepare the food
Sheds had been put up inside the mating
fence and there all the food was stored.
Each block was under the care OF COM
m1ttee or three, with thirty assistants The
Hindoos had banana leaves for plates and
the Mohammedans earthen plates, while
all OF them had earthenware drinking cups
we were told also that two and one-halr
miles of piping for filtered water had been
laid on. and large earthen jars were placed
at the corners of each enclosure The
menus interested us greatly.
Religious Menus.
For the Mohammedans, paleo, rice ghee,
etc., Koruna, a brown curry and sweets,
pan, which is beetel nut and lime, and
cigarettes and tea; and for the Hindoos,
toochis or cakes. vegetable curries, dahl or
curd, sweets pan and tea. 1t was difficult
to find out the amounts and the menu for
which We are indebted to the Calcutta
Statesman of the 2Sth where we find that
300 maunds, $4,000 pounds of -four, rs
maunds, 10000 pounds of ghee, a sort OF
lard, 400 maunds, $4,000 pounds of potatoes:
200 maunds 10000 pounds of curd and 1 500
cabbageS>were used for the Hindoos only
and that the meat alone for the Mohamme-
dams cost 1000 rupees, equal to about SI65.
1t was an amazingly interesting sight The
whole feast went smoothly from beginning
to end, and as each one left the enclosure
he was made happy by the present of a
bright, new Parma piece, fresh from the
mint which would mean cents of Amert-
them, as it can be divided up into "a pie
the smallest coin of Indian currency.
That night there was very fine display
of fireworks at the race track, and the next
night. the 18th, the whole city was iIlu-
minated. To us the illuminated city seemed
that night one of the most wonderful sights
we had ever seen, for 1t was all done, not
by electric Hght-far from it-nor by gas
but by millions of tiny glass lamps like a
little glass vase with an open mouth filled
with oil and with floating wicks.
We started out in the carriage of one OF