The puppet-shows, called kaut-pootlies, (i.e. wooden infants,) are certainly superior to Mr. Punch and his wife, as exhibited by various renowned persons throughout England. In India, there is to be seen far greater variety, both in the subject, and in the several dramatis personæ: there, something like a regular piece is represented, and it rarely requires a glossary, or interpreter, to define the several scenes; an aid, without which our artists, in general, make but little impression on their spectators, whose imaginations are generally set on the stretch to divine the meaning of various antics, which, though abundantly ludicrous, seem to proceed from momentary fancy, rather than from any regular system.

The kaut-pootly-wallah, or puppet-dancer, does not confine himself to a small centry-box-like theatre; on the contrary, when he is to display before any respectable persons, he makes a point of paying his respects during the day, and of soliciting the loan of either a small tent, a konaut, a satrinje, or some such article, for the purpose of enclosing and covering in the necessary space, so that he and his co-adjutors may perform their parts in secresy. It is commonly made a point that the performance should be by candle-light, and at some little distance from the line of tents. This is almost a sine quâ non with this tribe, who, being in league with rogues of all descriptions, rarely fail to profit by the absence of servants from the charge of their masters’ property, and, while perhaps both master and man are grinning at the objects presented on the proscenium, are employed in removing from the tents whatever articles, of a portable description, may be exposed to depredation.

Sometimes the farce is concluded by a shower of clods, &c., thrown from a distance, and the whole fly in confusion. This is a device practised on the liberal, under the representation of the dealer in wood and wire-work, that some of the nutkuts, or frolicksome youths, of the camp, have battered the whole of the paraphernalia to pieces; in confirmation of which, some heads and tails of ci-devant kings and queens are produced. I was once much amused with an imposition of this kind, that was practised, with admirable address, upon a good-natured field officer, who actually credited the representation, and, in addition to the loss of several candle-sticks, and some other small items, lent to the artists, compounded to pay for various fractures, simple and compound, sustained by the inanimate heroes!

Among the itinerant amusements of India, we must class the nuts, or tumblers, a people totally distinct from all the other inhabitants of the country, and who correspond, in a number of instances, with the gypsies of Europe. The following extracts from a paper furnished to the Asiatic Society by Lieutenant-Colonel D. T. Richardson, a gentleman of acknowledged abilities, and who has been remarkably industrious in obtaining a very complete acquaintance with the customs and languages of Hindostan, will display this matter in the best manner, and shew that a greater connection subsists, or at least has subsisted, between the nuts of Asia, and the gypsies of Europe, than our literati are in general aware of.

At page 473, of the Asiatic Researches, we have the following passage. ‘Both the gypsies, and the nuts, are generally a wandering race of beings, seldom having a fixed habitation. They have each a language peculiar to themselves. That of the gypsies is, undoubtedly, a specimen of Hindostanee, and so is that of the nuts. In Europe, it answers all the purposes of concealment. Here, a conversion of its syllables becomes necessary.’ (i.e. in India.)

‘The gypsies have their king; the nuts their nardar-boutah; they are equally formed into companies, and their peculiar employments are exactly similar; viz. dancing, singing, music, palmistry, quackery, dancers of monkeys, bears, and snakes. The two latter professions, from local causes, are peculiar to the nuts. They are both considered as thieves; at least, that division of the nuts whose manners come nearest those of the gypsies. In matters of religion they appear equally indifferent; we know that neither the gypsies, nor the budeea-nuts, are very choice on that particular; and, though I have not obtained any satisfactory proof of their eating human flesh, I do not find it easy to divest my mind of suspicions on this head. Indeed, one would think the stomach that could receive, without nausea, a piece of putrid jackal, could not well retain any qualms in the selection of animal food.’

Colonel Richardson furnishes a number of words in use among the gypsies, which correspond immediately with others in the language of the nuts. I offer a few, which appear to me best adapted to the illustration of this point; observing, that the orthography used by the author, though perfectly correct, would not prove satisfactory to a person unversed in the Oriental pronunciation of the vowels. As a remedy, or rather an aid, absolutely necessary towards giving the European reader a perfect conception of the due intonations, I have, in this, followed my ordinary plan of spelling the Hindostanee words, in such manner as should enable a person totally ignorant of that language to pronounce them with propriety.

GYPSEY WORDS.HINDOSTANEE SYNONYMES.ENGLISH TRANSLAT.
ApraOoperAbove
BebeeBeebeeAunt, or lady
PowneePawneeWater
DevusDewusDay
RatteeRautNight
CanCaunEar
DadDadaGrandfather
ValashteeBelaistFinger
MutcheeMutcheeFish
GurG’hurHouse
ShingSingHorn
BallowBaulHair
ShunaleeSoonaieHearing
LiecawLeckapWriting
DaiDhyeNurse
MassMassFood
TodDoodMilk
BootBoteMuch
NackNaukNose
Booro-paneeBurrah-pauneeGreat water
DorioveDerriowRiver
LoloLollRed
Booro-chaireeBurra-chooryGreat knife
RoopRoopahSilver
SaupSaumpSnake
DickenDecknaTo see
LoonNoonSalt
JawJowGo
Kali-coeKul-koYesterday
TschorChoorThief
DoriDooryString
RajahRajahA lord
RaneeRanneePrincess
RazRajPrincipality
BandukBaundookMusket
JammadarJemmadarAn officer
GourGorGrave
MulMoolWine
DurDoorJar
JungustriAngooteeRing
PakaPunkWing
SchutKuttahSour
KerG’hurHouse
SapaSavonSoap
MenghnaMaungnaTo want
PiPeeDrink
MetchanaPutchanaTo know
Me-dikakaMy-deckataI saw
ChabbenChabnaTo eat
ToberTobulaAn axe
StarrieSitaraStar
RasheeRisheePriest
BocoleeBookapHungry
PorPoorFull
GeecoaJee-oo-kaLife, living.

The foregoing will suffice to give much insight into the affinity spoken of; especially when it is considered that the gypsey words are chiefly taken from Grellman’s Vocabulary, wherein we are to make considerable allowances for German intonation, especially regarding the vowel u, and the dipthong oo, as in dur, and door; and for dori, and doory; the slight differences between which, so far as is connected with orthography, would probably disappear if the words were spoken by a German gypsey, and a nut, respectively. Add to this, that the natives of India use the letters L, and N, rather promiscuously: thus, they say either leel, or neel, (for blue); the capital of Oude is as often called Nucklow, as Lucknow, and the word noon, (salt,) is very commonly pronounced loon; as in the gypsey language.

If it is considered that the foregoing comparison did not take place at a time when Colonel Richardson had the opportunity to examine closely into the particulars, by having access to European gypsies, whose familiar conversation, when explained, might have furnished numberless instances of accordance, which, from his accurate knowledge of the Hindostanee language, might ever have been such as to enable him to understand a gypsey colloquy; we must admit that strong probabilities exist, as to the nuts and the gypsies being branches from the same stock. Colonel Richardson observes, very properly, ‘Should any real Hindostanee scholars ever investigate this matter on the spot in Europe, their evidence and observations will probably settle the matter effectually, one way or other, for ever.’ He likewise remarks, that ‘Grellman, from a want of knowledge of the Hindostanee, lost many opportunities of producing the proper word, in comparison with the gypsey one’—and again, he forcibly remarks, that ‘It is not the accidental coincidence of a few words, but the whole vocabulary he (Grellman) produces, differs not so much from the common Hindostanee, as provincial dialects of the same country usually do from each other.’