Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-08

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find that 6O3, TAI people are engaged in
making and selling sweetmeats, and 3oo,-
241 in selling cardamom seeds areca nuts
and betel leaves, and 54S, 500 in manufac-
turing and selling bangles, necklaces,
beads and sacred threads. There are
497 500 teachers and professors, 562,o5o
actors, singers and dancers, 520,044 doc
tors and 20 ,646 lawyers.
Chewing of Betel Nuts.
The chewing of betel nuts is one of the
peculiar customs of the country, even
more common than tobacco chewing ever
was with US, and at almost every street
| corner, in the porticoes of the temples, at
the railway stations and in the parks you
will see women and men squatting on
the ground behind little trays covered
with green leaves, powdered nuts and a
white paste, made of the ashes of cocoa-
nut fiber, the skins of potatoes and a lit
tie lime. They take a leaf, smear it with
the lime paste, which is intended to in
crease the saliva, and then wrap 1t around
the powder of the betel nut. People stop
at these stands, drop a "copper", pick up
one of these folded leaves, put 1t in their
| mouths and go off chewing and splitting
out saliva as red as blood. Strangers are
frequently attracted by dark red stains
upon pavements and floors which look as
if somebody had suffered from a hemor-
rhage or had opened an artery, but they
are only the traces of the newer of the
betel nut. The habit is not harmful, no
more so than chewing tobacco. The in
fuence of the juice is slightly stimu-
lating to the nerves, but not injurious,
although it is filthy and u~nclean.
The idea is almost universally prevalent
that the poor of India live almost ex-
and nourishing, and hence it is possible
for a family to subsist upon a few cents a
day. This is one of the many delusions
that are destroyed when you visit the
country Rice in India is a luxury that
can be afforded only by the people of
good incomes. and in four-ffths of the
|, country it is sold at prices beyond the
reach of common working people. Sixty
per cent of the population of the empire
lives upon wheat, barley. fruit. various
kinds of pulses and maize. Rice can be
grown only in hot and damp climates,
where there are ample means of irriga-
ton, and only where the conditions of
soil, climate and water supply allow it's
abundant production does it enter into
the diet of the working classes. Three
fourths of the people are vegetarians
and live upon what they produce them
selves.
The Quaint Customs.
There are some quaint customs among
the farmers in this part of the country.
The evil eye is as common and as much
dreaded as in Italy, and people who are
suspected of that misfortune are fire.
quently murdered by unknown hands to
rid the community of a common peril
and nuisance.
Good and bad omens occur hourly; super
SlilioilS dTe as prevalent as III spain. III q
boy be born, for example. a net is hung
over the doorway and a fire Is lighted upon
the threshold to prevent evil spirits from
entering the house.
The commencement of the farming sea son
is celebrated with ceremonies. The first
furrow in the village is pIowed by a COM
mittee of farmers from the neighborhood.
The pillow is first worshiped and decorated.
The bullock or camel which draws it is
covered with garlands of flowers, bright
colored pieces of cloth and rosettes of rib
bon are braided into its tail and hung upon
its horns. Behind the pillow follows 1.-THE
sower," who is also decorated with flowers
and has a red mark upon his
forehead and his eyelids colored with lamp
black. He drops seed into the furrow. Be-
hind him comes a second man, who care
fully picks up every grain that has fallen
outside of the furrow. When the furrow
Is finished the farmers assemble at some
house in the neighborhood and have a din
ner of simple food. There are similar cere-
monies connected with the harvest. Some