The Dandy certainly leads as hard a life as any scavenger’s cart-horse; and really I know not what more picturesque instance can be given of his consummate drudgery! Imagine the effects, even upon the most hardy constitution, of exposure to all weathers; at one moment under a burning sun, or numbed by a cold northerly blast; by turns on board, or at the track rope; moving at a slow pace against a rapid current; and wading, without the smallest hesitation, through a million of puddles, often up to the neck, or even obliged to swim: the footing perhaps rugged, or along a heavy sand, or a deep mud; and the path lying through briars, bordering steep precipices! All this the dandy undergoes for the small wages before specified; rarely equal to three-pence daily! It is true, he has some reliance on the produce of the fields he passes through, appropriating it, together with fire wood, and, occasionally, some stray poultry, or a kid, to the participation of his companions. Nor do this class, which consists promiscuously of Hindus and Mussulmans, act very fastidiously as to the means of obtaining their cloathing: they are, indeed, perfectly divested of those prejudices entertained by our judges, and law officers, respecting the iniquity of purloining whatever may offer itself to their acceptance: far otherwise; all is fish that comes to their net. Knowing such to be the invariable disposition of dandies, the European must blame himself, should his valuables be missing in consequence of an ill-placed confidence, or of neglect in regard to securing his property, so far as may be practicable. Hence, it is advisable never to allow any one of the crew to enter the cabin of a budjrow, under any pretext, unless attended by a servant; who must direct his whole attention to the prevention of theft. Most boats are baled by means of a skuttle in the cabin: this affords a very reasonable plea for entrance; but too much caution cannot be used, when that operation may be necessary; which may be from two, to fifty, times within the twenty-four hours; accordingly as the hirer may be in luck regarding the soundness of his vessel’s bottom.
As to describing a dandy’s dress, that is scarcely practicable; but a tolerable outline was given when treating of the passage from the ship at Kedgeree to the presidency: the perpetual changes from hot to cold, and from wet to dry, (for each dandy reserves a dry clout, to put on when he returns on board,) must, one would think, at all events, keep the poor wretches something like clean, and free from vermin. Such, however, is not the case; for what with ring-worms, itch, and a certain loathsome, and infectious disease, added to an inexhaustible stock of body-creepers, no mortal can well be more disgusting than a Bengal dandy. It would be injustice to class them all under one general anathema; there being, doubtless, some among them who are tolerably clean in their persons; but such most assuredly form a very disproportionate minority!
The Berriarah, or Gurrearah, is a person who, according to the general custom of the country, devotes his life to tending sheep and goats; and, in most situations beyond the metropolis, obtains a place among the usual servants attendant upon the out-door concerns of a family. This is not owing to the scarcity of meat, but to its bad quality; there being plenty of sheep in India, which, however, are rarely slaughtered for table expenditure, even by the natives; who very justly consider it to be an unclean animal, feeding on all kinds of filth. This occasions them to prefer the meat of a castrated goat, commonly denominated kussy, which is certainly not to be despised; though its taste is somewhat strong, and the meat itself rather coarse, and dark colored: but it abounds with fat, and is very juicy. Be it good, or bad, prejudice has proscribed it from the tables of persons in respectable stations, or in easy circumstances; a joint of bazar mutton, that is, such as the butchers sell in the market, being considered no treat, and proving extremely obnoxious to the generality of delicate persons: though I have frequently seen them partake of a joint of kussy, when palmed upon them as home-fed wether, in such style as led me to believe, that the imagination was a principal agent in condemning the unfortunate goat-mutton. I do not mean to deny, that a certain difference exists; but, when the former could not be had, I rarely failed to make an excellent meal off the latter; while some of my more fastidious friends have been grievously disappointed of their dinners.
Sheep may, in a few instances, be purchased in tolerable good condition, especially during the hot season, when they nibble the short stems, and even the roots of the finer grasses; yet it must not be expected that any, which may be procurable in the villages, should cut up well: they are usually mere skeletons; and if they have any fat it is of a bad color. This compels gentlemen to keep small flocks, perhaps from thirty to sixty, according to the average of expenditure; which, among officers in the army, may amount to one sheep in every fifteen, or twenty days: observing, that the meat is seldom good, nor the animal comparatively the better for his keep, until it may have been put up for about three or four months. The most approved mode of fatting sheep, is to have about a dozen on full feed; allowing as much gram as they can well eat; say about two pounds daily for each: another dozen should be upon half feed; having an allowance of very fine chaff to complete their diet; or perhaps some cut grass, the same as is brought in for horses. All these twenty-four sheep should be confined in an area, enclosed either by mud walls, or by railings of a suitable height; taking care to allow them access to sweet water, and to have a small quantity of salt in a flat vessel, accessible to them at pleasure. In this manner they will fatten admirably in the course of six or seven months; their flesh becoming fine grained, juicy, and high flavored.
Besides the above number, about as many more should be kept on a small allowance of gram; allowing them to graze, in company with half a dozen milch goats and their kids, under charge of the berriarah, in some place remote from any camp or town; so as to insure their feeding clean. This precaution may seem unnecessary, but is certainly proper; for all sheep, especially those of India, are particularly partial to certain excrements, abounding in a country where the goddess is worshipped on the plains: the borders of tanks being particularly the resort of all descriptions of persons, when pressed to pay their devoirs to the deity. The dress of the berriarah is usually similar to that of the cooly; with this addition, that, on account of the oppressive heats at one season; the heavy falls of rain at another; and the sharp cold during three months; he has constant recourse to a substantial blanket, generally black: that being the ordinary color of the sheep. In the hot season, the blanket serves to repel the heat; during the rains, to keep him dry; and in the winter, to keep him warm. As any cross folds, or pleats, would infallibly rather retain, than cast off, the rain, these people have recourse to a most effectual mode of managing the blanket; tying it together in a very regular manner, after puckering the longest side, and placing that part over their heads. Whatever portion of moisture may lodge within the short pleats above the tie, cannot sink downwards, if the ligature be properly made; while all the pleats below it, being in a perpendicular direction, serve as channels to carry the water downwards. In fact, the blanket becomes a bell-tent, of which the inhabitant is himself the pole. The wages of the shepherd are usually about three and a half, or four rupees monthly; but some gentlemen regulate them by the number of sheep maintained: this by no means answers their expectations; for if the number be great, one or two deficiencies, imputed to the wolves, are rarely noticed; and if the flock be small, the only chance a shepherd has, is to make away with a fat sheep, now and then. No sheep can be fatted, taking all things into consideration, under four rupees, equal to about ten shillings, including the price given; which of late years has risen to about a rupee per head, for such as have six teeth: all below that age are generally rejected, because their food goes more towards their growth, than to their flesh; which is seldom of a good color, but retains a certain light hue, like very young beef, until the second year be passed.
The wool of the Bengal sheep is by no means valuable, as an article of commerce; it being coarse and lank, more resembling dog’s hair than a fleece. The natives manufacture a good deal of it into puttoos; which may be made in any form, being nothing more than a very heavy close kind of felt, which, when well made, stands proof against the severest weather. The usual shape of these puttoos is nearly conical, and more resembles a bell-tent, than any thing now occurring to my memory; the generality are made with a border, rudely worked, of some color strongly contrasting with the body of the cloak: thus, a black puttoo would have a white pattern, another white puttoo a black pattern. This manufacture is extremely simple, and performed by means of a kind of carding machine that entangles the wool; which is previously mixed in a very strong lather of soap.
I have already stated, that the average price of a sheep fit for fatting, is about a rupee; but that price has only existed for about twenty years. Before that date, the common value of a coarge (or score) was from six to eight rupees; and I recollect, about twenty-nine years back, when marching from Berhampore to Cawnpore, with a detachment of European recruits, seeing several coarges bought for their use, by the contractor’s sircar, at three, and three and a half rupees! at the latter rate six sheep were purchased for a rupee; which, in British currency, would be five-pence each!
It is true, the sheep were not fat; far from it; being driven into the camp from the flocks grazing in the adjacent plains, and, in general, taken without much selection. They were the only animal food we could at times get; for the Hindus would never sell us an ox, knowing it was intended for slaughter. Notwithstanding the very low rate at which the sheep were purchased, many proved dear bargains. Some had their livers in such a dreadful state as disgusted every spectator, and caused an insuperable objection against the meat: fluke-worms crawled about in hundreds; while, of many, the stomachs, as well as the intestines, were completely lined with bots, which stood as close as they could stow, keeping each other parallel, like pins on a cushion! Strange to say, some few of which the entrails were thus preyed upon, seemed as though they would have thriven, provided they had been turned into a good pasture.
The Chokey-dar, or watchman, is a very different sort of being from such as guard the British metropolis. In India, no man dare undertake this office, unless he be a professed thief, or in league with the local chief of all the thieves of the district. Were any person of a contrary description to assume the protection of a house, &c. he would be outwitted, and, in all probability be implicated; or he would lose his life in the Quixotic attempt! This may give but an unfavorable idea of the police; but, on examination, it will be found by no means so injurious to the interests of the public, as persons ignorant of the fact, and of its derivation, might suppose. Thieving is there put on a par with other speculations; it becomes a monopoly, the invasion of which carries with it the most fatal effects.
To explain this, I must state, that, in the vicinity of all great towns, there will be found some person of apparent respectability, whose word indeed passes with the same validity as other mens’ bonds; and who is considered the chief of the chokey-dars, or watchmen; of which he will furnish one, or two, perhaps three, according to the extent, and situation, of the premises to be guarded.