Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 7.djvu/121

 BRINJARIES. (366)

HE peculiar tribe of Brinjaries has already been noticed at article 161, ante; but the excellent Photograph of Lieut. Waterhouse cannot be passed by, as the figures are so essentially characteristic and excellent. The man wears a red and white turban, a white tunic and dhoty, and a red scarf over his shoulders. He is sitting on his feet closed together, a posture peculiar to Brinjaries, leaning on his spear shaft, and his hookah stands by him; his sword is across his knees. He is five feet six inches in height, and thirty years old. The woman is Rattan, five feet two inches in height, and fifty years old, whose dress is thus detailed:— red printed sari, red petticoat, and blue waistband; she wears a great many ornaments, a gold or gilt ring through the nose, massive silver ear ornaments, silver and gold chains and neck ornaments, silver bracelets and anklets, and the high comb peculiar to the Brinjari women.

Wherever they are met with all over India, the Brinjaries are the same; neither they, nor their costumes or occupation, alter in the least. From Sind to Assam, from the foot of the Himalayas to Cape Comorin, they are the regular, and, for the most part, the principal—often the only, public carriers in the country. To the districts of Central India they bring from the sea coast, salt, spices, and condiments: and take back, or to other places, grain, oil seeds, hemp, and whatever they may find, either as a profitable speculation of their own, or provided by their agents and correspondents. All India is not covered with railways yet, nor likely to be for several generations to come. Metalled roads do not traverse all localities, but the Brinjari drivers can penetrate everywhere at the proper seasons, and remove all there may be to export.

It is an interesting sight to meet a drove of Brinjari bullocks on the march. Before all stalks the patriarch of the drove, bearing the common standard,—a huge beast,—whose horns and forehead, dewlap and shoulders, are ornamented with long bunches of hair, tied up fancifully with scarlet or blue cloth, embroidered with coloured cotton patterns and cowrie shells; a fine bell hangs at his neck, whose