The bangy is a slip of bamboo, perhaps five feet in length, which, in the middle, may be four inches in width; the thickness about an inch; towards the ends it tapers a little, and has shoulders left, whereby to secure the nets, wherein are two baskets, made either of rattans, or of reeds, very closely worked, and probably covered with painted canvas, of leather. The bangy-wollah, that is, the bearer who carries the bangy, supports the bamboo on his shoulder, so as to equipoise the baskets suspended at each end. If not overladen, the bangy will generally keep pace with the palanquin; the bearer shifting the bamboo from one, to the other shoulder, as he proceeds.
Many gentleman have r’hunts, or r’huts, for the conveyance of their native ladies, either on a march, or to take an airing occasionally: in such case, a man must be employed to drive, and to take care of the bullocks. He is designated the ‘g’horry-waun;’ or carriage servant. His dress cannot be reduced to any exact standard, but will generally be found to resemble that of the khedmutgar; his pay being ordinarily from four to six rupees monthly. The generality of persons following this avocation, are rather elderly, and possess the outward shew of great decency and respectability; but I believe they are, with few exceptions, by no means of a character such as would be supposed from their venerable and sanctified appearance. I have seen so much, and the instances are so common, of the intrigues carried on, or connived at, by g’horry-wauns, as to satisfy me of their being as great hypocrites as are to be found on earth. The construction of a r’hut is so very curious as almost to defy description.
The g’horry-waun sits astride that part of the fore-frame which may be compared with the pole and traverse of one of our four-wheeled carriages, under a seiwaun, or semiaun, made of the same stuff as the covering, supported in nearly a horizontal position, by two slight poles fixed into iron ferules at the body of the frame, and proceeding, at and angle of about 45° to the foremost edge of the seiwaun. The bullocks are managed by means of a strong cord, passed through their septums, or divisions between their nostrils, and tied over the crowns of their heads, where the rein, made also of rope, attaches: this effectually curbs the cattle. Possibly such a device may appear to partake of cruelty; but experience has proved, that no other mode is adequate to keeping this fiery, restless, and vicious, breed of cattle in tolerable subordination. The g’horry-waun is provided with a severe goad: the application of which, to the hind quarters of the bullocks, causes them to keep up a good smart trot. When they are tolerably quiet, the driver’s feet generally suffice, to keep them to their pace: but, when all other modes fail, he twists their tails, and thus urges them to their best speed. The reins should serve both to stop, and to guide; but, as the bullocks are not always prompt in turning when only so acted upon, the tail is often resorted to, as a never-failing rudder!
Your true home-bred Englishmen can have little idea of the rate at which a pair of oxen can draw one of these r’huts; he cannot readily imagine, that they can travel from four to six miles within the hour; and that, too, where the g’horry-ka-leek, or track of a wheel, is scarcely to be found. I have seen a pair of Nagore, or of Guzzerat, bullocks, (I forget which,) standing full sixteen hands at the withers, (making allowance for the humps on the shoulders of all cattle bred in that quarter;) that could with ease trot with a r’hut at the rate of eight miles within the hour. But such must not be considered as common: perhaps five miles may be the truest average. Nor is it to be understood, that bullocks keep up an even pace, as horses do; on the contrary, they either proceed at their quickest trot, or at a walk; there is little medium: the fact is, that, not being trained to a continuance of one set pace, but urged by starts, at the will of their driver, they want that habit which would improve their wind.
That breed of oxen said to be chiefly raised in the Guzzerat, and Nagore districts, is very fine. The animals are of a milky whiteness, handsomely formed, with fine eyes, and horns generally not more than a foot in length, but gracefully turned, partly forward, and partly upward. The natives invariably either paint or gild the horns; and sometimes mark the sides, necks, hams, and shoulders, of their favorites with mindy; that is, with the plant generally known among botanists, under the name of hinna. Of this I shall have occasion to speak more fully when treating of the ornaments in use among the ladies of India: at present briefly remarking, that, whether owing to the coarse manner in which the mindy is applied, or to my want of taste, the practice never pleased me; although the color itself, namely, a tawny red, forms by no means a bad contrast to the brilliant whiteness of the animal.
A conveyance on two wheels, but in most other respects perfectly similar to the r’hut, is extremely common in India; being used by men, as well as by women. The body of this kind is usually square; and the roof by no means so elevated. With few exceptions, these have red covers, in the sides of which, as also in those of the r’huts, are small slits, serving for peep-holes. In this two-wheeled kind, called generally ghorries, (i.e. carriages,) such are more necessary than in the others; the former being almost invariably fitted up with cheeks, or screens; one of which is ever appended to the fore-part, between the interior and the driver. The common g’horry, now under description, is rarely, if ever, kept by any European; but may be seen plying for hire in various parts of Calcutta. Some of these have shafts in which a tattoo (poney) is fixed, with very slight harness; barely sufficient to keep the crook-saddle in its place. This is a recent improvement; as is also the application of tattoos to r’huts: I understand they are found to be more manageable, and far cheaper than bullocks; besides, their pace is much quicker; and, in case of failure, they are most easily converted into cash: an object of great moment to the parsimonious Hindu!
Neither the dress, nor the emoluments, of the persons driving such carriages, can be estimated with precision, but, in regard to the latter, we may safely conjecture that something handsome is made; knowing them to be employed more in the conveyance of prostitutes than in any other kind of fare. The usual hire of a four-wheel r’hut, drawn by tattoos, is, I believe, about three rupees per diem; while those with two wheels, and only one tattoo, at the utmost earn only two rupees: I never could ascertain any fixed rate; the g’horry-waun always endeavoring to make his bargain for the trip to the best advantage. Judging from the rapid strides made in various parts of the country, especially at the several presidencies, to bring all matters to that kind of system, without which nothing could be done in Europe, we may expect, in a few years, to see regular fares and rates established, as in use among us, for the prevention of misconduct, and over-charges, on the parts of Hackney-coachmen and watermen.
The g’horry-waun may further be employed in a more subordinate capacity; namely, in driving a common cart, usually called a chuckrah, and known by the designation of a ‘hackery’ among Europeans. This kind of vehicle may carry, on an average, about eighteen or twenty maunds, equal to about thirteen or fourteen hundred weight: it is drawn by two oxen; though, in the northern parts of the country, we often see four attached to those which convey cotton, or other gruff merchandize, I confine myself, however, to such as may be retained by gentlemen, either for the carrying on of works, or for the transportation of baggage. Such as are hired by the day, usually cost half, or, at times, three quarters of a rupee daily, when employed on the spot; but, if required to proceed many stages, a whole rupee is demanded. When the g’horry-waun is the menial of any officer, &c. his pay, generally, is from four to five rupees monthly; or sometimes four when stationary, and five when marching. His dress is little better than that of a common cooly. Like all other servants to whose care the feeding of cattle is entrusted, this domestic will continue to extract some perquisite from whatever he either receives, or has to purchase. What with dustooree, short weight, over-charges, repairs, medicines, I have always found the g’horry-waun fully a match for his British compeers, in the proportion of emoluments derived from whatever money, &c. passed through his hands. Fortunately, the sum total of expences in the maintenance of a hackery, is very small, when compared with those attendant on a handsome chariot and pair, parading daily in the park.
The duty of a g’horry-waun is confined to the charge of his cattle; he seeing them properly rubbed down, and supplied with provender, which usually consists of the small chaff from various kinds of pulse, or of the stems of badjra, jewar, &c. (various kinds of millet,) or of the bootah, (or Indian-corn,) which, being purchased in bundles, he chops, with a common bill, on a log of wood. When bullocks are allowed gram, (already mentioned,) the usual portion for each is about two, or, at the utmost, three seers each; the seer weighing about two pounds avoirdupoise. It is indispensably necessary that this servant should understand how to load his carriage to advantage, and be able to repair such parts as may not actually require the aid of artizans. Thus, he must be competent to sew saleetah, or large sacking cloth spread at the bottom of the hackery, and lapping up, over every part, so as to prevent articles from being lost; and, in some degree, keeping them from being injured by the weather. He must likewise be able to take off a wheel, and above all things, he must be a careful, steady driver. This is the more necessary, owing to the distance between the wheels in all Hindostanee carriages being very small; and the load being placed, in most instances, above the level of their upper fellies; causing the gravity to be thrown very high in a hackery laden with bulky articles; and, consequently, very liable to be overturned. On the whole, few accidents of this kind happen; which, considering how much night travelling prevails in India, is rather surprizing. Possibly this is owing to the deepness of the ruts on roads frequented by carriages; whereby the wheels are presented in their course, so as to prevent the bullocks from deviating. As to the distance a hackery can travel in the course of a day, that must depend entirely on the state of the road, the strength and condition of the cattle, the heat of the weather, and the weight to be drawn: under fair circumstances, from fourteen to sixteen miles may be effected; but the latter distance is considered a forced march. To the weight of the carriage and its load, that of the driver must be added: he usually sitting immediately behind the bullocks. When the load is unavoidably rather too heavy behind, so as to cause a tendency to tilting, he sits more forward, between the cattle, and even occasionally upon the yoke itself. It is evident the latter position must be extremely oppressive to the cattle; but in hackeries laden with cotton, where the burthen necessarily occupies a great space, hanging over the rumps of the cattle, such a position is nearly inevitable.
The hackeries used in that branch of trade, are peculiarly strong, and invariably drawn by at least three bullocks; though more commonly by four. Sometimes buffaloes are used; but their pace is very slow, and they are extremely addicted to lying down in every puddle: their immense strength is, nevertheless, a great inducement to employing them, where very heavy commodities are to be carried; but it is found eligible, when buffaloes are yoked, to travel entirely by night; those animals being by no means calculated to bear the solar heat, which oppresses them inconceivably. The native merchants commonly mix one or two among their teams, and, not unfrequently, cause full thirty-five maunds, equal to about twenty-four cwt., to be laid on one hackery: but the distance travelled under such an immense load, can seldom amount to twelve miles.