Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 6.djvu/188

TWO SINDEES. ever told of North American aborigines or the Arabs of Zaharah. His chief occupations at present are cultivation, fishing, hunting, and breeding horses, cattle, and sheep.

"The Sindee does not in general dress so handsomely as the natives of India. Moslems in this province wear little gold about their persons, except a ling or seal. The old shave off the hair according to the ancient practice of Islam; the young take no small pride in their long locks which are parted in the middle of the head and allowed to hang down to the shoulders, or tied up in a knot under the cap or turban."—pp. 283–4.

"In regard to amusements, pattanga, or kites, are flown by all classes high and low, but the diversion is not so favorite a one with grown up persons as it is in India. Betting on pigeons is an amusement peculiar to the higher classes; a tumbler of the best kind is selected and trained to tumble as quickly and often as possible when thrown up by the hand. As heavy sums are laid upon the result of a trial between two noted pigeons the price of a single one will sometimes be as high as a hundred rupees."—p. 287. Fighting bubuli, a kind of shrike, cocks, rams, are also common to the Sindees, and they are fond of wrestling and wrestling matches between professionals. Games with cards, dice, and cowrees, are but too common, and the Sindee is an eager player. The Sindees are one of the most gambling of Oriental nations, and all sexes and orders have an equal passion for play. As games of skill, chess and backgammon are in especial favour, and several variations of the former are practised. Children again have the "well-known European diversion of forfeits, touchwood, blindman's buff, prison base, and tipcat," besides these common to India are marbles, peg-tops, &c., in their respective seasons. "Throughout the Moslem world," writes Captain Burton, "the two great points of honour are bravery and chastity in woman. Judged by this test the Sindees occupy a low place in the scale of Oriental nations." It may be hoped, however, that there are many exceptions among them, and that on the whole they are little worse than their neighbours.