Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-04
Times-Disbatch
TruUel0gues
Interesting Places Throughout
the World About Which You
Read Described in Word Pic
tures-Picturesque Nooks and
Corners Explored - =:
Especial to The Tim es- Dispatch.I
PORT OF : AIN TRINIDAD Au-

gust S.--FOr the traSeler from the
| United States who never has visited the
| Far East the coolies, or East Indians.
! of Trinidad will have "A particularly
fascinating appeal These people.
though most of them have been here
for many years. are a strictly foreign
section, remaining true to their re-
| ligions. their manners and their GUS
| toms Through a system Of indcnture
| established by England in the early
| years of the last century, these coolies
| have been brought TO Trinidad year
after year as laborers for the sugar
and coco plantations. However. this
indcnture plan is about to be discon-
tinucd the british government having
| ordered its adjustment after giving
| the planters hvc years of grace in which
to adjust themselves to the new order
OF things that Will obtain when no more
coolies can be indenturcd.
The East Indian population in Trini-
dad is more than loo. 900. with Port of
spain and San Fernando as the c.ntrrs
OF the colonies. The coolies are the
most INTEREST,". and picturesque fea
turc OF life on this island. Their dress
manners customs. ideas and religions
are 50 entirely different from those
! belonging to the native Of this and tho
other West Indian group that they
form fertile field for study. The
coolies have not changed any OF their
customs or ways since coming TO this
foreign shore. and therefore in their
villages and settlements they give this
island an atmosphere OF the Far East
TOURISTS INTERESTED IN
COOLIE VILLAGE SIGHTS
San Fernando. which is about forty
miles from Port of Spain; st. James. a
suburb Of this capital city, and numer-
Gus settlements along the main road
from Fort OF Spain. have the most at
tractive groups OF coolies. and IL is TO
nj 10, Got, a
go 10 find the most entertaining fea-
lures in the life OF these people No
traveller who visits these settlements
reports failure TO Gnd much that is
new and much that we'll repays all
his hours spent in investigation For
unless he has been TO the Far East he
never has seen any large number OF
people representing these types or any
who have such strange ways and man
nerS
Going along the main road or jour
neyinc through san Fernando II is easy
for one to imagine himself in the
Eastern HemiSpher" instead .. within
sight Of the Western The scenes urc-
scented TO the eye ar strikingly char
acte!istic Of East Indian life IN Eom-
bay or Calcutta, or in any Of the many
li,tlc villages in denscly populated
India. The coolic men. the coolie
women and the coolic children-all are
East Indian in every particular There
IS no difference between the coolie OF
Trinidad and the cool:e OF bombay
indeed. IN" East Indians TO be seen ON
the streets here, pcrchance. may have
Just landed on shore from d "coolie"
ship tina; has jus, locked from India
And II This is true, then the coolie
speaks no English, for IL is only after
these Indians have been here many
m onths tina, they begin TO pick up tn.
language OF the ISLAND 10 ind sat!stac-
Inn lar t.,p g..
OF the English speaking clerk in the
stores
LACK OF CLOTHING
EAST INDIAN STYLE
The popularity OF the Eas, Indian
dress strikes immediate attention. Few
clothes is the rule with men. women
and children The males adorn their
heads with turban; sometimes they
wear a jacket above the waist, but
more often they do not Shoes.
arc not unknown. hut very scarce
among these people The women wear
a veil for the head. and frequently use
II TO cover the face when not wishing
20 meet the gaze Of some one whom
they do not like. AS a rule, they have
a light dress. made OF cotton. and with
no particular style except that ii lis
called dress for the reason that IL
covers the body This is true, of
sunday or at religious festivals. the
women fit themselves UP in dresns Of
the gayest colors and wear wells and
shawls that have the riches. hucs.
These clothes are of SILK and satin.
Usually on these festive occasions. they
carry SILK parasols Of varied colors.
The children very often are without
any clothes at all. This statement per-
tains TO those even up 10 ten years Of
age and of both sexes. For those who
do wear clothing. the ordinary gar
ment for the boy is pair Of small
pants. and for the little girl one
piece dress that frequently refuses to
remain where dress should remain.
and, consequence. the child might
as well be without the garment.
The cooiie men are characterized by
thin and emaciated features. Very sell
dom does one observe an East Indian
! man with stout legs. The coolie almost
! seems to be standardized, with long
| 1.-THE legs that are marked by an a o.
Scncc OF symmetry. These Indians are
very dark with straight features.
! Many have heavy boards, while others
are distinguished by dark mustaches
muttonchops or coachman's whiskcrs.
/ But the women fully make UP for
! all that the men lack in physical at
| Effectiveness. Some Of the cooiie girls
and young women are beautiful
women who. if they were white and
4 ndu the ClOtneS VI ii "eli-uI cSSeu NC"
/ Yorker. would outshine most of the
| women on Fifth Avenue. They pos
| sess splendid stature, well formed fig
ures and facial features that very fire.
| qucntly are the perfection OF beauty.
In the home life of the coolies will
be found much that is foreign to every
! other race. The houses are scantilv
| furnished. some OF the homes OF the
poorer coolies being without chair
| or stool. They are always small. poor
/ ly constructed and of "A variety Of ma
| terials. Some are made of mud many
of straw and bamboo, but very few OF
wood alone. Some possess "A single
room with the earth as the floor; others
have two and three rooms which may
contain two or three pieces of furni-
| ture. Some of the lower caste coolies