Page images
PDF
EPUB

to obtain longevity, which he is supposed to have the power to bestow, and which, of course, he unhesitatingly grants; or which, at least, the disinterested Brahmuns of his temples unhesitatingly promise. Hanuman is called Maruty, from Pavana being chief of the Maruts, or genii of the winds. He is also called Muhabar. HARAMZADEH, literally, "baseborn." A term of abuse obnoxious to Oriental ears; but, nevertheless, much in use in India. HAREM, or HAREEM, the ladies' apartment; the zenana, or seraglio, in an Eastern household. HARGEELAH, the butcher-bird, or adjutant, is common in India. By some persons the bird is called the bone-eater, from its peculiarity of digestion, it having the power of swallowing whole joints, such as a leg of lamb, or even entire animals, like young kids, kittens, &c., and of returning the bones and hair after the meat has been digested. When thus rejected the bones appear as clean as though they had been boiled for a considerable time, and the hair is accumulated in a single ball. HATRAS, a town in India, situated

in Lat. 27 deg. 37 min. N., Long. 75 deg. 58 min. E., in the province of Agra. It is a busy town, and flourishing. Its fort, which was strong and well built, was taken in 1817 by the British troops (being then occupied by a refractory chief), and destroyed.

HATTA SCHERIF, a warrant, pro-
clamation, or decree, issued by the
Sultan of Turkey.
HAUNKUS (or driver), the implement

used by the mahouts to stimulate and direct the pace of elephants. It is commonly about twenty, or twentyfour inches in length, generally made of iron, though some have wooden hafts; the tip is pointed, and about six inches below it is a hook, welded on to the stem, forming nearly a semicircle, whose diameter may be four or five inches. At the

H

butt of the shaft a ring is let through, for the purpose of fastening the haunkus to a line; the other end of which is fastened to some soft cord, about half an inch in diameter, passing, very loosely, eight or ten times round the elephant's neck, and serving in lieu of stirrups, to keep the mahout from falling over to the right or left, on any sudden motion, as well as to retain his feet in their due direction.

HAUT, a weekly market, held in India on stated days. A bazar is a daily market.

HAVÍLDAR, a native serjeant of sepoys or peons. HEGIRA, the Mahometan era, which dates from the flight of Mahomet to Medina, on the 15th of July, A.D. 622. The Mahometan year is purely lunar, consisting of twelve months, each month commencing with the appearance of the new moon, without any intercalation, to bring the commencement of the year to the same season. By this arrangement every year begins much earlier in the season than the preceding one, being now in summer, and sixteen years hence in winter. In chronology and history, however, as well as in all documents, the Mahometans use months of thirty and twentynine days alternately, making the year thus to consist of 354 days. Eleven times in thirty years, one day is added to the last month, making 355 days in that year. HENNA, a plant that grows in many parts of the East, and is in vogue among the natives of India and Persia for its ornamental properties. The leaves are pounded and mixed up with a little oil, or ghee, into a paste, which is applied to the nails, palms, and soles. After an adherence of a few hours, it is removed, and leaves a beautiful red stain, which lasts many days, and is considered a great set-off to personal beauty. HERAT, a fortified town in the Afghanistan country, situated on the western frontier, in Lat. 34 deg. 20

min. N., Long. 60 deg. 50 min. E., in a very beautiful and fertile plain. It is one of the most ancient and celebrated cities in Asia, giving its name to an extensive province at the time of the invasion of Alexander; and subsequently it was for many years the capital of the empire established by Tymoor Lung. It was taken from the Persians by the Afghans in 1715, and was retaken by Nadir Shah in 1731. It was again captured by the Afghans, in 1749, and has ever since remained in their possession. It usually formed a government for one of the king's family; and on the dissolution of the Dooranee monarchy, in 1823, it became a separate principality under Shah Kamran, the son of the king, Shah Mahmood, and has since continued under his rule.

HERI HARI, in Hindoo mythology,

the conjoint forms of Siva and Vishnu. This singular union of the two great deities of the Hindoo sects is involved in much obscurity, and the little light that we have on the subject is not of the most becoming description. The union is, perhaps, little else than the caprice of the votaries of the two deities. The sculptures of them in this form somewhat resemble Ardha Nari. In pictures, Vishnu is painted black, and Siva white. HILSAH, the sable fish of the Ganges, which seems to be midway between a mackarel and a salmon. Whether for form, general appearance, or flavour, the Hilsah is, perhaps, the richest fish with which any cook is acquainted. It is very oily and bony, and when baked in vinegar, or preserved in tamarinds, the hilsah is remarkably fine. HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS, These mountains, which are believed to be the highest in the world, form the northern boundary of India, separating it from Thibet. Their greatest height has not yet been determined. The highest peak which has been measured is 27,000 feet.

the.

The sloping brows of the mountains, as they recede from the river, are laid out in fields and orchards, where the apricot and walnut_grow to an enormous size; pear and apple trees are also to be found; but the cultivation of the two latter being little understood, the fruit which they produce is of a very inferior quality. The woods and thickets clothing the sides of the hills are filled with pheasants, which, crowing all around, frequently mock the hungry European traveller, who depends upon his gun for a dinner, since, notwithstanding their abundance, it is difficult to get a fair shot, and even though the bird may be winged, it cannot always be picked up afterwards. Wild grapes and currants must be added to the list of fruits to be found in these provinces, and, from the former, two sorts of intoxicating liquor are produced; the superior kind having some pretensions to the name of wine, while the inferior,-a spirit obtained by pouring, in the first instance, hot water over the residue of the fruit,-being cheaper, is drank abundantly by the lower classes. Wheat, barley, and rice, together with a multitude of smaller and inferior grains, are grown in these provinces, but the quantity does not equal the demand, and a large portion of that which is consumed is imported from other places. Tobacco and opium are also cultivated, but not to any extent, the former, in common with all that has hitherto been grown on the hills, is acrid, and of bad quality. The vegetables consist of spinach, a peculiar kind of carrot, peas, beans, and turnips, the latter bitter and unpalatable; garlic, not of the best kind, and abundance of useful herbs. In some parts of the hills, the arable land is so circumscribed, that the poverty-stricken inhabitants compelled to support a miserable existence upon horse-chestnuts, mixed with a small portion of the

are

coarser grains. Where apricot trees grow, much better fare may be obtained from the kernels, mingled in the same manner with pulse, while the fruit dried serves to feed the cattle. The inhabitants of the Himalaya gather themselves together in villages, a custom which prevails over every part of the hills, isolated habitations being very seldom to be seen. The quantities of apricot trees, which mark the sight of former hamlets, and which grow so abundantly, as to leave a doubt upon the mind of the most scientific botanist, whether they are indigenous to the soil, or an introduction from foreign countries, show that the population was much more numerous at a former period. This fact is also attested by the terraced fields, once blooming with cultivation, but now suffered to run to waste in the midst of the most profound solitudes. The ravages of the Goorkas, who made a very tyrannical use of their conquests, selling whole families into slavery, and oppressing the people in every way, are adduced as the principal causes of the scantiness of the present population. Sickness also,-those frightful pestilences, the small-pox and the cholera,-have had their full share in thinning the ranks; it is well known, that the inhabitants of whole villages have been swept away in this manner, and, in many places, the facilities for communication are so small, that a large tract of country might be reduced to a desert, without the people of the adjacent districts knowing any thing about the matter. Villages are frequently perched upon some steep hill, surrounded on all sides by almost unfathomable ravines, access being only afforded by a tree thrown across the narrowest part of the chasm; people thus situated, if struck with disease, would die off like sheep, alike destitute of friends to assist them in their utmost need, or to mourn over their untimely fate.

The villages seldom consist of more than twenty-five or thirty families, and though sometimes occupying commanding sites, are usually situated midway on a mountain side; the high crowning peak sheltering them from the storms. Occasionally they are to be found in valleys, but only in the more elevated; the glens, low down at the foot of the mountains, being usually too warm, while the labour of climbing to their crops would be greatly increased. Some of the houses are three stories in height, but the generality are only two; a few, but these are much less common, having but one. In external appearance, they greatly resemble the picturesque cottages of Switzerland. The roof, projecting all round, forms a shelter to the verandah or balcony, which either encircles the house, or communicates with the one adjoining. The walls are a mixture of wood and stone, very substantially put together, and cemented with mud. The apartments are not very spacious, but are commodious, and have the appearance of being well kept; the floors are composed of planks of cedar, and the interiors whitewashed or plastered with mud, which, if sufficiently beaten, affords a very fair kind of stucco. The fire-place occupies the centre, and is always. well swept, but the smoke, which has no aperture for its escape, excepting the doors and windows, and the vermin, which in consequence of the habits of the people, abounds, render their interiors abhorrent to the European travellers, who always prefer the shelter of a cow-house. Usually the cattle are accommodated upon the ground floor, the family occupying the apartments above, which are entered either by a rude staircase on the outside, leading to the verandah, or by a notched plank or inclined plane within. The doors and windows are extremely small, the latter being merely closed with wooden shutters, no substitute

for glass having yet been found. As the severity of the weather frequently obliges the inhabitants to close these apertures, nothing, save long endurance, could enable them to tolerate the smoke, which must impregnate the whole atmosphere. The fuel burned being wood, it is of course less offensive than if coal were the material; but still it cannot fail to contribute to the coating of dirt, which is allowed to accumulate upon the skin of the mountaineers, who, with few, if any exceptions, testify a great dislike to come in contact with water. The furniture of the houses is exceedingly scanty, consisting merely of a few culinary utensils, and a chest to contain the clothes. The wardrobes of the people, to judge from their appearance, can neither be very extensive, nor very costly; there is, however, among the richer classes, some attempt at magnificence, the gold and silver ornaments worn being profuse in quantity, and sometimes of considerable value. Crime, in its very worst form, seems rare, but the virtues of the native character, in these mountainous regions, must be pronounced to be of a negative description. They appear to be kind and good-humoured to each other, attaching less importance to the distinctions of rank and wealth, than is usual in even less civilised societies. At their public festivals, rich and poor, the ragged guest, whose tattered garments scarcely afford a decent covering, will be seen joining hands with persons arrayed in costly attire, and decked out with an abundance of ornaments; and, though divided into castes, the distinctions between them are less invidious than those to be found in the plains. The great ingenuity displayed by these people in the construction of numerous small articles, as well as in their buildings, and some of their bridges, shows intellectual capabilities, which the stranger, holding converse with

them, could scarcely give them credit for; and there can be little doubt, that if proper pains were to be taken in their improvement, they would shortly emerge from their present low and degraded condition. HİNDEE, a town in the province of Khandesh, in the Deccan, situated on the river Nerbudda, in Lat. 22 deg. 56 min. N., Long. 77 deg. 5 min. E. It is the head of a district of the same name, occupying the north-easternmost part of the Sindia division. HINDOO, or HINDU, one of the aborigines of India, by the Persians called Hind. HINDOOISM, a religion which may be briefly described as a very complicated system of idolatry, combining a kind of vague declaration of the unity of a Supreme Being with the worship of a multitude of gods and goddesses, amounting, according to some accounts, to upwards of three hundred millions. There are three principal sects of worshippers, the Saivas, followers of Siva; Vaishnavas, followers of Vishnu; and the Sactas, followers of the Sactis, or wives of the gods. There are two other religions, which, although distinct from Brahminism, appear to belong to the same stock; these are the Booddhist and Jain systems. HINDOSTAN, or INDIA, Hindostan is situated in the southern part of Asia, and lies between the 8th and 35th deg. of N. Lat., and the 68th and 92nd deg. of E. Long. The extreme length from north to south is about 1900 miles, and from east to west about 1500. It is bounded on the north by the Himalaya Mountains; on the east, by Assam, Arracan, and the Bay of Bengal ; south, by the Indian Ocean; and west, by the Arabian Sea and the river Indus, separating it from Beloochistan and Afghanistan. Hindostan is divided into four large portions, called Northern Hindostan, Hindostan Proper, the Deccan, and Southern India. HINDOSTANEE, the common lan

guage of India. It bears some resemblance to Persian in its characters and the termination of verbs. HISSA, share, portion, division, part. Hissa-lands are such as are divided, with respect to the rent, into shares, payable to two or more zemindars, who are called hissadars, or shareholders. HOGA, do. "That won't hoga," or do, is a

phrase in every man's mouthin India. HONAWUR, a town on the coast of the province of Kanara, in India, and formerly a place of considerable trade, Hyder Ali having established a dockyard for building ships of war there; which was afterwards entirely destroyed by Tippoo Sultaun. The Portuguese erected a fort at this place as early as 1505. There is a lake here of great extent, reaching nearly to the mountains, and abounding with fish. HOOBLEE, a town in India, in the province of the Dooab, situated thirteen miles S. E. from Dharwar, is a large and populous town, and has long been celebrated as one of the principal places of trade in this part of India. The English had a factory here in 1660.

HOOKAH, a species of pipe, much

in use in India, both among the principal natives and the Europeans. It consists of several parts. A bowl of silver or earthenware, called a chillum, receives the prepared tobacco and the lighted charcoal. This is placed on a hollow stem or tube, which rests upon a bell-shaped glass vase, filled with water, whence another tube, in connexion with the foregoing, rises, and is linked to a long pliable hose, covered with clothvelvet, or keemkaub, and decorated with gold or silver thread. At the end of the hose is a mouth-piece of cane, silver, or amber, through which the cooled and fragrant fumes of the tobacco, or guracco (q. v.) pass into the mouth of the smoker. HOOKAH-BURDAR, the preparer of the pipe; a domestic of consequence with many gentlemen in India, who give themselves up, almost wholly, to the enjoyment of smoking. Some

begin before they have half breakfasted, smoking, with little intermission, till they retire to rest. The usual mode of preparing tobacco for the hookah, is by first. chopping it very small, then, adding ripe plantains, molasses, or raw sugar, together with some cinnamon, and other aromatics; keeping the mass, which resembles an electuary, in close vessels. When about to be used, it is again worked up well; some, at that time, add a little tincture of musk, or a few grains of that perfume; others prefer pouring a solution of it, or a little rose-water, down the snake, or pliable tube, at the moment the hookah is introduced. In either case, the fragrance of the tobacco is effectually superseded.

HOOLY, a Hindoo festival, held in the vernal equinox, to commemorate the beginning of a new year. HOONDEE, a draft or bill of exchange, written in the language of the country. The Hoondee is the ordinary instrument of remittance from the Shroff or Banker in the remote interior of India to the house of agency at the Presidency. It is usually prepared on a small piece of yellow glazed paper, and is valid with or without a stamp.

HOORMUT, personal respectability. Great men, and, in fact, all persons of consideration in India, are most tenacious of their personal dignity, and will suffer death rather than permit any disgrace to be offered them. This sensitiveness is often taken advantage of to extort money. In the larger towns of Hindostan there is a class of persons who realise large sums of money from respectable but defenceless people, by threats of inflicting in public some indignity, such as knocking off the turban, pelting with dirt, or even giving foul abuse in default of their demands, being satisfied; and it requires a very strong and active arm to prevent this custom. HOSHUNGABAD, or, as it is sometimes called by the English, Hus

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »