. Pen and pencil sketches; being reminiscences during eighteen years' residence in Bengal. at his mansion—Hindustanee music—The Nach—Contrarieties in the Hindoo character—The Durga Pujfidescribed—Its mystical character. Nihil est aptius ad delectationem lectoris, quam temporumvarietates fortuna3que vicissitudines.—Cicero. Nothing is more calculated to entertain a reader than thevariety of times and the vicissitudes of fortune. Let me conduct the reader to the precincts of theBara Bazaar, a sanctuary where wealth and poverty,dirt and splendour, filthy odours and lovely sweetsof Arabia, in all t
. Pen and pencil sketches; being reminiscences during eighteen years' residence in Bengal. at his mansion—Hindustanee music—The Nach—Contrarieties in the Hindoo character—The Durga Pujfidescribed—Its mystical character. Nihil est aptius ad delectationem lectoris, quam temporumvarietates fortuna3que vicissitudines.—Cicero. Nothing is more calculated to entertain a reader than thevariety of times and the vicissitudes of fortune. Let me conduct the reader to the precincts of theBara Bazaar, a sanctuary where wealth and poverty,dirt and splendour, filthy odours and lovely sweetsof Arabia, in all their opposite extremes, meet andmingle together, and sleep placidly beside eachother. My feeble pen, I fear, will never command a de-scription that will do justice to this extraordinaryemporium, or be able to embody any account likelyto give an adequate idea of this place and its variousmysteries. I02 PEN AND PENCIL SKETCHES. The entrance to it is like the approach to Pande-monium. A hot confused vapour meets the intruder ;and the hissing hum of busy thrifty bargain-driving. FAKEEB IN THE BAZAAK. natives, mixed with the silver tinkle of preciousmetals, blend together in endless sounds and uncouthnoises. As you near it, an almost fearful anxiety,a timid anticipation shrouds you, lest you are on the THE BAR A BAZAAR. 103 eve of meeting a vision of enchanting female beautysurrounded by Eastern magnificence too heavenly forthe eye to look on, or some horrid apparition whichwould at once chase reason from her throne. Howshall I give the reader a just idea of this place ; howlead him amid the gloom and twilight of itsshadows, along its tortuous passages, which ramify,artery-like, in innumerable and endless directions;how marshal the strangers steps to the severaldepots of goods to be met with in this huge pantech-nicon ? There is nothing within my recollection that I canat present compare it to; nor is there anything whichis not procurable within its precincts, except mea
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1883
