Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 11
Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 167
________________ MAY, 1882.] from 3 to 5 P. M. The rest of their time they spend in their houses making preparations for the next day's sale, or in purchasing new stock from vakhárs. BOMBAY BEGGARS AND CRIERS. PULSE HAWKERS. The hawkers of pulses are either Khârvis or Marathâs, Hindus by caste. Early every morn. ing they go about the town with baskets full of pulses, calling "Wal, watáná, chané," "dolichos, peas, and gram." These are put in water a night previous to soften them and the next day they are fit for eating, for generally no pulse is cooked without first soaking it in water. The hawker buys these articles in quantities, according to the requirements of his customers, and keeps the stock ready for sale. His busy hours are from 6 to 9 A.M. During the rest of the day some sell parched pulse calling "Chane, kurmur," "gram and parched rice." Besides gram and rice, they sell almost all pulses, including ground seed, and beaten rice called in Marathi pohe. At night or late in the evening they hawk about gandheri, or sugarcane cut into small pieces. BUTTER-MEN. The hawkers of butter are generally of the carpenter or Gavli caste, Hindus with a few Musalmans. The hawker of the carpenter caste starts early in the morning from Warli, Mahim, &c., and hawks about the European localities with a fresh supply of butter in a small wooden tray, and calls out, "Loni," "butter." They sell butter by a measure called cop, from the English word "cup." Each cup costs one anna. Hindûs seldom purchase butter from them. Butter is made at outstations, and imported in large quantities, which the well-to-do Hindus purchase and boil into ghi. The hawkers of the carpenter caste, who deal among Europeans, &c., make about fifteen or twenty rupees a month; the others not so much. THE COTTON CLEANERS. The Pinjâri or cotton cleaner in Bombay is always a Musalman. He beats the cotton against a tightened leather cord, till it becomes loose, and then fills pillow-cases and mattresses with it. He charges three pies for cleaning and filling one and a half to two seers of cotton. CALICO-PRINTERS. These people display much skill in printing from wooden blocks, which they hold in their hands, but their work is not much in demand, 145 since the handsomer and less expensive English prints have come into fashion. THE CARPENTER. The Sû târ goes about the streets inquiring if his services are required. He employs few tools, and in a sitting position not only makes neat furniture, but boxes of sandalwood inlaid with metal and ivory, in the most delicate and elegant patterns. PAPER-KITE MAKERS. As soon as the dry season sets in and the winds prevail, the trade of the patangwálá commences, for old and young of all castes delight in flying the patang, and while the Musalmans select those which are adorned with the crescent, the Hindûs choose those which are ornamented with stars and painted in gay colours. The price of these kites varies from one pie to twelve annas. The smaller kites are called Vavdi and the larger Patang. The paperkite makers are generally Musalmans. LOCK AND KEY HAWKERS. The hawkers of locks and keys are Bohorâs only, Musalmans by caste. They go about the town and Fort crying out "Tálá, chavi," "locks and keys," or "alaya chavi," "keys." They carry with them some scores of keys of different sizes on a large iron ring, and a small wooden box rolled in thick coarse cloth, containing implements necessary for repairing locks, and fitting new keys, a few broken screws and nails of sizes. The busy time for these men is from 10 or 12 o'clock to 4 P. M. There are very few of these hawkers, and they do not make more than two to three annas a day, SHIKALGHARS-KNIFE-GRINDERS, These are Musalmans by caste, they cry out. "Morli suri lá dhár láváyachi," asking whether any one wants his vegetable, or other knife, sharpened. The whet-stones are turned with a strap round the axle, and pulled to and fro by the alternate motion of the arms. They charge from one to two pice for sharpening a vegetable knife, and one pice or so for a penknife or other small instrument. COPPER AND BRASS POT HAWKERS. The hawkers of such articles are Hindûs. Musalmans, Banyas, Mârwâḍis, Marâṭhas, and others. They hawk about the town the whole day, and sell by weight. The Kânsårs manufacture the pots at their own houses or workshops. Few purchase them from whole

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