[1727.—"The King ... took his Wife into his own Harran or Seraglio...."—A. Hamilton, ed. 1744, i. 171.
[1812.—"Adjoining to the Chel Sitoon is the Harem; the term in Persia is applied to the establishments of the great, zenana is confined to those of inferior people."—Morier, Journey through Persia, &c., 166.]
HARRY, s. This word is quite obsolete. Wilson gives Hāṛī as Beng. 'A servant of the lowest class, a sweeper.' [The word means 'a collector of bones,' Skt. haḍḍa, 'a bone'; for the caste, see Risley, Tribes of Bengal, i. 314 seqq.] M.-Gen. Keatinge remarks that they are the goldsmiths of Assam; they are village watchmen in Bengal. (See under [PYKE].) In two of the quotations below, Harry is applied to a woman, in one case employed to carry water. A female servant of this description is not now known among English families in Bengal.
1706.—
| "2 Tendells (see [TINDAL]) | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| * * * * * | |||
| 1 Hummummee[[142]] | 2 | 0 | 0 |
* * * * * | |||
| 4 [Manjees] | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 Dandees (see [DANDY]) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| * * * * * | |||
| 5 Harrys | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| * * * * * | |||
List of Men's Names, &c., immediately in the Service of the Honble. the Vnited Compy. in their Factory of Fort William, Bengall, November, 1706" (MS. in India Office).
c. 1753.—Among the expenses of the Mayor's Court at Calcutta we find: "A harry ... Rs. 1."—Long, 43.
c. 1754.—"A Harry or water-wench...." (at Madras).—Ives, 50.
[ " "Harries are the same at Bengal, as Frosts (see [FARASH]) are at Bombay. Their women do all the drudgery at your houses, and the men carry your Palanquin."—Ibid. 26.]
" In a tariff of wages recommended by the "Zemindars of Calcutta," we have: "Harry-woman to a Family ... 2 Rs."—In Seton-Karr, i. 95.