The babachy has nothing characteristic in his apparel; he is generally more of a sloven than of a beau, and may often be mistaken for a mosaulchy. In some families, mates, or assistants, are allowed, who do the drudgery, and whose pay is often included in that of his superior; in which case, four rupees are the common allowance, though the poor mate seldom receives more than half that sum; the cook-major adding the residue, as a perquisite, to his own wages, which may be stated at from six to twelve rupees, according to ability. As in the case of kansamahs, and hookah-burdars, a few instances may be adduced of exorbitant salaries; but we may generally take the single cook at eight rupees, and the mate at four. Where there is much work, as in taverns, &c., from fifteen to twenty rupees are sometimes given monthly to the head babachy.
The Durzy, or tailor, however strange it may appear to those who never left England, is an indispensable domestic in every part of India. It is to be recollected, that all such branches of servitude are there filled by males; except for the zenanah, or haram, where there may be from two to four females; all exclusively attached to the lady. These know nothing of needle-work; not so much as to enable their hemming a petticoat. Under such circumstances, the only alternative is to employ a sempster, who understands cutting out, and making, waistcoats, small-cloaths, pantaloons, shirts, &c.: many, indeed, can make a very tolerable coat, if furnished with a pattern. The durzy is invariably expected to be proficient in whatever relates to the apparel of native women, as well as to be a competent judge of the value of different kinds of cloths made in the country; nor is it less necessary, that he should know the exact quantity of materials requisite for the several parts of dress. All this science is to be had, at the average rate of seven or eight rupees monthly; the durzy finding his own needles and threads. Durzies capable of making gowns, &c. for European ladies, being scarce, and, as I have said in speaking of kansamahs, much in request, double the latter sum may always be earned by one of moderate skill in that branch. The inferior class of durzies, called keemah-dozes, who do no fine work, but principally are employed in tent-making, rarely earn more than four rupees monthly: or, if paid by the day, not more than three and a half.
The various pretexts under which the durzy obtains admission into the zenanah, added to the constancy of his attendance at the house, unless when any purchase is to be made, gives him an admirable opportunity for carrying on intrigue; for which the whole tribe are notorious: hence, if any cause of suspicion appears, the durzy is the first object of jealousy; when it generally turns out, that, if not the principal, he is accessary, as a go-between.
As a tailor is immediately distinguished among us, so is the durzy in India instantly ascertained by his gait. Some are personable men, but speedily become emaciated by debauchery; in which their liberal wages enable them to indulge. Yet they are, on the whole, excellent workmen; finishing apparel of all sorts in a remarkably neat manner, and often fitting with great exactness: but they are devoid of invention; mostly following old patterns, and rarely suggesting the smallest improvement. The dress of a durzy much resembles that of a khedmutgar; but, in the hot season, the former wear no coortahs, being bare from the waist upwards; sometimes substituting a small cap, (worn only by Mussulmans,) for the turban, which is usually compact and neat.
The Doby, or washerman, is also exclusively a domestic, washing for only one family; by which it should be understood, that, not only his master’s linen of every description, but the zenanah apparel is given to him to wash, and to iron. Sometimes, however, the latter operation is performed by an Istree-wallah, or ironer; yet this is rare; only taking place in very large families, or in large towns, such as Calcutta, Madras, &c. where proximity of residence renders such a resort convenient: none but box irons are used; and of these a large portion are heated by means of embers shut up in their cavities. The doby who washes for a single gentleman, will sometimes, at the risk of severe punishment, or of being discharged, take the linen of low Europeans, or Portugueze, in hand clandestinely: many have, indeed, been detected in letting out the linen given to their charge. Hence, it is needful to keep a watch over these folks, who commonly take all the foul articles every week, bringing home at that time what they received at the former delivery. The wages vary according to the labor; but from six to ten rupees may be taken as the standard; the doby finding soap, and every part of the apparatus, without any demand upon, or reference to, his employer. When an European lady is in the family, some encrease must be made to the pay, on account of the great additional labor; nothing but white being worn at any time. In such case, it is found expedient to have a small apartment appropriated, in which the finer articles may be got up by the lady’s maid.
The usual process of washing in India, is, first to boil all the cloaths in a large earthen naud, mixing plenty of soap, or ley, or sudjee, (fossile alkali,) or wood-ashes, with the water. This operation is called the butteah; the cloaths are then well rinsed, either in a large tank, or in a running stream, when they are again rubbed with soap, and laid in a heap to soak. After a few hours they are washed again, and, being folded up into whisps, or bundles, of a convenient size, are beaten forcibly on a board, cut into deep transverse grooves, and placed aslant in the water; in which the doby stands immersed up to his knees. After dashing each bundle several times on the board, he opens and rinses it in the water; repeating the dashing, as though he were beating the board with a flail, until every part of the linen appears to be duly cleansed. If a board is not at hand, (though every doby has at least one, of about four feet long, two broad, and four inches thick, with a stout stick wherewith a prop it,) any smooth stone is made to answer. It should seem, that this must be a most destructive method; but experience proves, that the fine calicoes of India will, even under such apparently rough usage, wear longer than our stout linens washed in tubs, &c.
Every doby has his drying lines, which are fixed at each end to pins driven into the ground, and then sustained by cross-sticks, on the forks of which the ropes rest. In the rainy season, the cloaths are hung somewhere under shelter, where they soon dry; though not so quick as in the summer months; during which the heaviest articles may be dried in a few minutes. The doby’s wife, (called the dobin,) usually assists in every part of the process; as do also such of his children as are of an age to be useful. This sect is very peculiar in many instances, it, and that of the comars, or potters, being the only two privileged to ride, or even to carry burthens, upon asses, without suffering the most ignominious degradation: hence, those animals are jocularly termed, ’dobies’s palfreys.’ The dress of the doby is generally very plain, consisting of a turban, a dotee, (or waist-cloth,) and a chudder, (or sheet,) worn loosely over the body in cold weather. When dobies are at work, their lungs aspirate strongly, like those of paviors; which produces a very singular effect; especially if, as is very often the case, several of these board-thrashers are assembled at the same piece of water.
Dobies are very generally Hindus; and ought, agreeably to the ordinary tenets of that religion, to refrain from touching any animal substance, except leather, when used in the construction of shoes, and implements of war; but a particular exception is made in favor of this cast, (or sect,) who could not otherwise use soap, when made of suet; though, by far the greater portion of that made in Hindustan, is manufactured with oil expressed from the sesamum.
When on a march, the doby in each gentleman’s service loads his cloaths, wet or dry, upon his camels, bullocks, cart, &c.: the servant’s own apparatus being conveyed on a donkey; which, in general, is tolerably well burthened with the wife, or some young children, the washing-board, its prop, the drying lines, the sticks, box irons, &c. &c.; forming, in the whole, an abundant accumulation of moveables for so small an animal as an Hindostanee jack-ass; which is seldom to be seen half the size of the common breed we have in England.
A Mohout is a person employed to feed, and to drive, an elephant: most of this profession are Mussulmans, and very dissipated in their conduct. Except at particular periods, on a long march for instance, the mohout has little to do; all the drudgery that relates to bringing in fodder on the elephant, for its own use, as well as taking the animal to water, rubbing it down, oiling its forehead, painting its cheeks with vermilion, or with ochre, putting on the pads, clearing away the dung, with a variety of such matters, being in general done by the mate, or deputy, who is often nothing more than a cooly, or common laborer, employed for this especial business, but who ultimately succeeds to the charge of an elephant. Mohouts receive from three to six rupees monthly: the lowest rates of wages being confined to those countries where elephants are caught; and the highest attainable only in the service of gentlemen of rank; who require this, as well as all other of their domestics, to dress more correctly than such as appertain to persons in less opulent, or less dignified, circumstances.