First in the list was Ramdial, sirdar-bearer, my valet de chambre, an old Hindoo, with wondrous frail supporters and a grizzled moustache; he served me for Rs. 6 per mensem; was a truly honest native, and would never allow anybody to cheat me,—but himself.
Next came Rumjan Khan, khitmutgar, or footman; salary, Rs. 7 per mensem. Rumjan served me with fidelity till we got about fifty miles above Calcutta, when, not finding the air of the river to agree with him, he left me rather suddenly, with the contents of my plate-chest,—to wit, six silver spoons and a brace of muffineers.
The third in point of rank in my establishment was Nannoo, dhobee, or washerman; salary, Rs. 6: a hardworking, harmless creature, who pegged away at his wash-board daily. A pretty wife, a large brazen iron (the Hibernianism is unavoidable), and three fat naked piccaninies, always on the crawl at the top of my bolio, seemed to constitute the amount of his earthly treasures.
Fourthly came Bahadoor Khan, mussalchee, or link-boy; the province of this servant is to carry the torch, or lantern, and to scour out the saucepans and tea-kettle, clean knives, fetch milk, &c.; but as I had not much for him to do in that way, I made him my head chasseur; salary, Rs. 4 per mensem, or eight shillings, not too much, one would suppose, for the decent clothing and maintenance of a man and his family.
Next (hired for his special utility on a river journey) came Hyder Bux, bhistie, or water-carrier, a terrible thick-set fellow; a devout Mahomedan, with a beard so bushy and luxuriant, that, with his hooked nose and large eyes, he always reminded me of an owl looking out of an ivy-bush.
Last on the list, but not least in importance, at least to me, was Nuncoo, matar, my master of the buckhounds.
I shall draw a veil over some of the peculiar duties of Nuncoo, but others I shall particularize; they were, the care of Hector the bull-dog, and Teazer the—I was going to say soi-disant—terrier, in preparing daily for them a very large mess of rice and turmeric, with a few small bits of meat interspersed.
Poor Bull, this Gentoo fare, I suspect, but ill agreed with your Whitechapel constitution, and seemed to hasten your end.
The prospect of a change was highly agreeable to me, though mingled with a regret at the necessity it involved of a separation from my friend Tom, for whom I had a very warm affection.
Rattleton was equally sorry to part with me, particularly as he wished me to be present at his marriage, in the capacity of bridegroom’s man, and which event was to take place in ten days.