Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 4.djvu/57

 BUNNEA. (184)

UNNEAS are universal all over India. They are the hucksters or small traders of the people. A Bunnea's shop or stall contains meal and fine flour of wheat, with sogie or semohne, meal of millets and different kinds of pulse, rice, split peas, and pulse of many kinds; for all these are used in the farinaceous diet of the people, which is almost universal. He sells also parched rice and peas, gram, or horse corn, and generally every article of food, except vegetables and meat, with which he has no concern. Beside these he has condiments, salt, chillies, black pepper, green and dry ginger, and garlic (but not onions), not omitting hing or assafœtida, Avhich is used (a mere soupçon) with a peculiar lichen, by high caste people to purify and flavour made dishes. He has also a small store of spices—cassia, cardamoms, cloves, and mace; sugar, too, of various kinds; goor, or molasses; and, in some instances, sweetmeats; but they are never good. He sells also ghee, and many have some butter in the mornings for their Mahomedan customers; but it is a perishable article, while ghee only becomes (if not well boiled) occasionally rancid in hot weather, and can be re-boiled. In short, the Bunnea is grocer and purveyor in general in every village and town in India. Those who cultivate their own grain do not deal with him for meal and flour, and most likely make their own ghee; but for everything else above enumerated, and many other items left out, the Bunneas' shops are the resort of the people in villages and towns throughout the country. Travellers of all kinds, artizans, ordinaiy householders, and society in general, resort to the Bunnea, as we in England do to the grocer and huckster. The latter, with us, sells cheese and salted provisions, of which the Bunnea knows nothing; but he has no objection to sell salt fish and dried prawns, whether from the coast or made in his own locality. All these articles are laid out in baskets plastered inside neatly with clay, or in small sacks and bags, as most convenient. What there is most demand for, generally "atta" or meal, ghee, and split pulse, is always before him with his scales; but every thing else is within reach, and after the Bunnea opens his shop in the morning, he rarely moves during the day.