s, which forces the air through them into the fire.
I should have said before, that the nozzle of the bellows passes through
a small semicircular mound of dried mud.

I mentioned that the natives do not use tables and chairs in their
houses. Neither do they, as a general thing, use bedsteads. They have no
beds. They sleep on mats, which are spread down on the floor. Sometimes
they use a cotton bolster for their heads. More generally their pillows
are hard boards, which they put under the mat. In addition to cooking,
the females have to prepare the rice for this purpose, by taking it out
of the husk. This they do by beating it in a mortar about two feet high.
The pestle with which they pound it, is about five feet long, made of
wood, with an iron rim around the lower part of it. Three women can
work at these mortars at the same time. Of course they have to be very
skilful in the use of the pestle, so as not to interfere with each
others' operations. Sometimes, while thus engaged, the children, who are
generally at play near their mothers, put their hands on the edge of the
mortars. In such cases, when the pestle happens to strike the edge,
their fingers are taken off in a moment.

The Hindoos have many modes of salutation. In some places they raise
their right hand to the heart. In others, they simply stretch it out
towards the person who is passing, if they know him, for they never
salute persons with whom they are not acquainted.

In many places there is no show of salutation. When they meet their
acquaintances they content themselves by saying a friendly word or two
in passing, and then pursue their way. They have borrowed the word
_salam_ from the Mohammedans. They salute both Mohammedans and Europeans
with this word, at the same time raising their hand to the forehead.
When they address persons of high rank, they give them their _salam_
thrice, touching the ground as often with both hands, and then lifting
them up to their foreheads.

The other castes salute the Brahmins by joining the hands and elevating
them to the forehead, or sometimes over the head. It is accompanied with
_andamayya_, which means, Hail, respected lord. The Brahmins stretch out
their hands and say, _aaseervaathum_--benediction.

Another very respectful kind of salutation consists in lowering both
hands to the feet of the person to be honored, or even in falling-down
and embracing them.

Of all the forms of salutation, the most respectful i