Now and then, an adventurous manjee, (or boat-master,) who knows how to make a good bargain, will linger about Diamond Harbour, or lay up in Culpee Creek, with the intent of going down, wind and tide permitting, to the first ship which may arrive from Europe. Such men are certain of a good fare, it being very common to give from fifty rupees (about six guineas) to one hundred (about twelve guineas) for the trip. Such an opportunity, however extravagant the terms may appear, ought not to be lost; it being a great chance whether a second vessel of the same description may proceed to the ship. As to small boats, rowing four or six oars, and having either a thatched cabin, or a semi-circular awning of mats, several of them may come along-side; but they will not be found to yield the smallest accommodation beyond shelter from the sun; while their manjees will not fail to take every advantage of whatever distress, or difficulty, the passenger may labor under.
It would not be just to infer, from what I have said, respecting the readiness with which the boatmen avail themselves of the necessities of persons desirous to leave a ship, that they are particularly covetous, or prone to imposition: we need only look at home, where we shall find that no mercy is shewn to such unfortunate persons as become the prey of our watermen, along the whole extent of our coast. See with what hard-hearted, callous apathy, the boatman views the distress of the unthinking youth, who, either by neglect, or by accident, remains on shore after the boats that frequent his own ship, then under weigh, have put off! What prayers, or arguments, short of those issuing from the purse, can urge him to relieve the anxiety of him, whose whole hope, whose only resource, lies in that voyage for which every preparation has been made, and for which expences, often nearly ruinous to friends and connections, have been defrayed! I speak not of those who are in a hurry to quit their ships, before coming to an anchor; if they will have their way, they must pay for such intemperate haste; it is an expence they have the option of avoiding.
Really, when we come to a fair computation of the risks attendant upon taking a vessel, built expressly for accommodation, and not intended to meet the rude surges of, what may be called, an arm of the sea; that from twelve to eighteen men are engaged; that much time is lost in waiting arrivals; that full sixty miles are to be passed over; and that, perhaps, four or five gentlemen, with all their luggage that may be at hand, are conveyed; I say, when all this is considered, although we certainly, from habit of having things cheaper in India, may deem even the fifty rupees exorbitant, yet there appears far less reason to find fault with the extortion of the Indian than there is to condemn the cruel rapacity of the English boatman!
Whatever may be the rate at which the boat, supposing it to be a pinnace-budgrow, is engaged, no apparatus of any description should be expected; for none will be found. There will usually be an open veranda in the front, having three or four steps to descend from the deck thereto; it being on the same level with the front, or dining room. The after-room narrows considerably towards the stern; and, on account of the vessel’s form, its floor is usually raised one or two steps; this is the sleeping apartment: at the stern is a small slip, serving for a quarter-gallery: The roofs of these boats are usually flat; and some have side-rails above to prevent luggage, or those who sleep there, from falling overboard. The sides are furnished, for their whole length, with Venetian blinds, in frames which lift up by means of hinges at their tops; and a long curtain, made either of tarpaulin, or of painted, or of white canvas, is nailed on the outside; letting down at pleasure, to keep out wind, rain, dust, &c. The baling-place is ordinarily about the centre of the front room; that being the deepest part of the boat’s bottom. Baggage may be put under the deck; but that part is generally occupied by the dandies, (or rowers,) if permitted to sleep there; or perhaps the manjee may think it worth his while to make it a trading voyage and lay in salt, rice, &c. to be disposed of to advantage on his arrival at the presidency.
From this concise detail it will be seen, that some penance must be undergone, even in this kind of boat, and supposing it to be perfectly fitted up with the above defences against bad weather: but such will rarely turn out to be the case. The sea-cot is now of singular use; its hooks being withdrawn from the ship’s beams, and inserted in those of the budgrow. Those who had standing bed-places, must spread their mattresses, &c. on the floor: all must sit upon their trunks, or whatever may be at hand; and every little article of convenience brought from the ship will become useful. Candles, candle-sticks, tin-ware, glasses, &c. are now invaluable. As to table-cloths, there being no table, they may be cheerfully dispensed with; as may also knives and forks, there being no plates; it being probable that curry and rice, prepared by the boatmen, will form the bill of fare. Those who are fond of savoury dishes, may, in this instance, gratify themselves with a repast in high estimation among the gentlemen of India: viz. a dandy’s curry; but I fear, that those who have been in the habit of eating made dishes, at a distance from the culinary operations, may not altogether relish the manner of preparation, nor be invariably pleased with the appearance of the cook; whose habiliments will probably consist of a cloth wrapped round his waist, then passed between his thighs, and a small cap, if the party be a Mussulman; if a Hindu, the entire dress may be composed of a small cord tied round his waist for the purpose of supporting a narrow piece of cloth passed between his thighs thus barely answering the purpose of a fig-leaf. Herpetic eruptions, in large patches, all over the back, breast and arms, together with obvious symptoms of a more troublesome cutaneous complaint, about the fingers, &c. are by no means rare, yet never disqualify the scratching sufferer from officiating as cook to the crew! Were such trifles to be objectionable, it might be somewhat difficult to get a dinner dressed.
It being utterly impracticable to row a budgrow against the tide, which ordinarily runs from three to six miles in the hour, and many difficulties presenting themselves to render it by no means easy to track along the shore, especially where the mud-banks shelve out a great way, the manjee will probably come to near some village, or in some creek, during the ebb; and, as it rarely happens that the first of the flood is taken, particularly during the night time, in all probability the best part of three days will be expended between Kedgeree and Calcutta. If a few bottles of wine, a small quantity of biscuit, a piece of beef, or of pork, and a pack of cards, have been supplied from the ship, so much the more agreeably will the time be passed; but I cannot forbear from observing, that intemperance at this time rarely fails to bring on fevers, such as baffle the art of man. Those who heat their blood on first entering the country, whether by drinking, or by exposure to the sun, become subject to diseases of the liver which are too often incurable, and finally, though after some years perhaps, drag their lingering victim to the grave. With respect to bathing, it is not only insalubrious, as practised by persons who have not proper apparatus at hand, but highly dangerous, on account of the incredible numbers of alligators and sharks, which infest not only the great river, but every little creek, and puddle, within reach of the tide.
The manjee generally endeavors to reach Culpee, Fultah, or Diamond Harbour, with the first tide: at either of those places many articles of provision may be had, and there will be found some persons who can speak a little English. These will invariably do all in their power to encourage the purchase of many things of no use whatever, but which become perquisites to the manjee, on his passengers quitting the vessel. Abundance of poultry may be seen; but, with the exception of a curry, there will no method of dressing them; unless accidentally some person be on board, in whatever capacity, who can trim a fowl, and roast it. If fish are to be had, they will come under the same difficulty; so that, like Sancho, in the midst of plenty, a man may be next to starving, if he cannot make up his mind to partake of the dandies’ curry.
It is proper to caution against eating much fruit, though it may be perfectly ripe: unseasonable avidity in this way has proved fatal to many on their arrival. A few bananas will not incommode; but the cocoa-nut, however pleasant and refreshing it may be, should be partaken of very sparingly; it being extremely apt to affect the bowels, as is also the jack.
Those who have never had an opportunity of seeing the fire-fly, will be agreeably surprized at the millions of those little luminaries, which at night bespangle every bush: displaying themselves in the most vivid manner. The hind parts of these insects, which may be about the size of common house-flies, are replete with a brilliant substance, similar to that contained in the glow-worm, and, like it, equally innocent. It is extremely curious, that, in many parts of the ocean, immense shoals of the luminous sea-maggot, each about the size of a man’s finger, should be seen at nights, causing the water to assume a phosphoric appearance. In sailing through these living shoals, abundance may be drawn up in buckets; while, at the same time, innumerable fishes of prey may be heard, or seen, rushing among them, and, no doubt, making many a hearty meal. The great distance from all land at which these shoals are to be found, must cause us to wonder at their origin, and at their future purposes; for we can scarcely suppose them to be derived from terrestrial parents; nor is it very easy to reconcile to ourselves, that they change into fishes of any kind. It should rather seem that all-bountiful Providence has created them for the sole purpose of affording sustenance to those fishes, which, in consequence of their remaining, perhaps altogether, remote from every shore, would, but for these larvæ, (as we must, for want of knowing better, call them,) be unable to subsist.
Persons arriving from Europe, rarely have any but British coins; in the disbursing of which many impositions will be practised. The best mode is to tender the whole, without delay, to some of the English agency houses, who will readily pay their full value; it being often a matter of difficulty to obtain a few guineas for their friends who may be about to embark, without paying an exorbitant sum to the shroff’s, or native bankers, who can acquire them only from such persons as import with the Indiamen, and are rarely acquainted with their real value.