english-travel-writers

"The division of the Indians into casts is the cause of great inconveniences and expense to the English, as it obliges them to hire three times the number of servants which would otherwise be necessary; for none of them, even on the greatest emergency, will perform the most trifling office which does not belong to their particular cast. The first servant is called a Banian; he is at the head of all the business, but if it considerable, he has two or three Banians or Sarcars, under him. The next is a Butler Connah Sarcar; his office is to take an account of all the money expended for provisions, to pay the butchers, bakers, &c. and answers to a clerk of the kitchen; the next is a Consummah, who is the house keeper, he has under him a compradore, who goes to market: the compradore buys all small articles for the table, and gives his account to the butler connah sarcar: the next is a butler, who is an assistant to the consummah. The other servants, who wait at table, or take care of a gentleman’s cloaths, &c. are called kissmagars. The Peadars usually called Peons run before your palenqueen and carry messages. The bearers are the chairmen, it is necessary for every person in a family to have six or eight of them, the lower casts of bearers take their turn to carry the mussall [torch] before the palenqueen; but the superior casts who are cleaner and more creditable will not condescend to touch it, therefore to every set of bearers it is necessary to have at least two boys of a low cast called Mussall Chies. The bearers business, besides carrying the palenqueen, is to bring water to wash after dinner, &c. one brings an ewer with water, and pours it over your hands, another gives a towel, but it must be a Mussall Chie, or a slave, who holds the chillumchee, for the bearer would be disgraced by touching any thing which contains the water after one has washed with it. A cook in a family will have at least one assistant, if not more, and every horse you keep must have a scice, and a grass cutter. The hooker badar will do nothing but dress a hooker and attend his master while he smokes it. These servants all are men; and often the only woman in a family is a Matrannee, a Hallicore, who sweeps the rooms, and does all the dirty offices which the others will not condescend to."

"The servants who attend in a lady’s apartment are generally slave girls, or Portuguese women; and the nurses for children are Portuguese. The gardeners are called Mollies; like all the other people, many hands do but little work; the men who bring water for the gardens, and other purposes, are called Busties; they carry the water in large leathern bags slung over their backs, at one corner of which there is a sort of spout, which they bring under the right arm; by that means they water the gardens, and throw it whenever else it is necessary. The taylors who make your linen are monthly servants; the slowness of these men can be equalled by nothing but their stupidity. All the linen is washed by men who are paid by the month. The Derwan’s business is to stand at the outward door, to announce visitors; but they are not generally kept, as a Peon, or Chubdar, will do that office."

"Chubdar are men who carry a long silver stick, and do nothing but go before palenqueen, carry messages, or announce visitors. Keeping Chubdars is a piece of state allowed by the black people only to officers of dignity in the state; and by the English is confined to the council and filed officers. The Banian’s wage is the most considerable, and depends on the situation of his master. The wages of the other servants differ according to their quality: a Consummah, Cook, &c. have thirty, twenty, or ten rupees a month; the others less; and some of the lowest order not more than three or four rupees. None of the servants ever eat, drink, or sleep in their master’s house; nor will either Hindoos or Mahomedans eat of any thing which goes from their master’s table. It is impossible to avoid inconvenience of a multitude of servants; for if you lessen the number but one, they have a thousand tricks to distress you; and from your head Banian to the lowest Mussall Chie in your family, all are combined to oblige you to keep the number which they deem proportioned to your rank."

"As their master rises in life, they insist upon more Cooks, more Peons, more Kissmagars, more Bearers, &c. The consequence of a refusal is that those he wants most, particularly Bearers, will run away; and the Banian, who is in the secret, makes so many difficulties in getting others, and has so many well-feigned excuses, and so many artful tricks to make his master feel the want of them, that although people are sensible of the fraud, they are obliged to comply with what their servants call custom, to save themselves the numberless vexations they would otherwise occasion. Most of the servants besides insist upon raising their wages in proportion to their master’s rank. This they likewise tell him is all time custom, a favourite expression with the Banians; and, in their opinion, a sufficient reason for any thing."