r favours and
benefits; feasting, music, and dancing-women, filling up the measure of
their enjoyments without even thinking of wine, or any substitute stronger
than such pure liquids as graced the feasts of the first inhabitants of
the world.

The Nautchwomen in the apartments of the gentlemen, and the Domenie[15] in
the zeenahnahs are in great request on this day of festivity, in every
house where the pleasures and the follies of this world are not banished
by hearts devoted solely to the service of God. 'The Nautch' has been, so
often described that it would here be superfluous to add to the
description, feeling as I do an utter dislike both to the amusement and
the performers. The nautchunies are entirely excluded from the female
apartments of the better sort of people; no respectable Mussulmaun would
allow these impudent women to perform before their wives and daughters.

But I must speak of the Domenie, who are the singers and dancers admitted
within the pale of zeenahnah life; these, on the contrary, are women of
good character, and their songs are of the most chaste description,
chiefly in the Hindoostaunie tongue. They are instructed in Native music
and play on the instruments in common use with some taste,--as the
saattarah[16] (guitar), with three wire strings; the surringhee[17]
(rude-shaped violin); the dhome or dholle[18] (drum), in many varieties,
beaten with the fingers, never with sticks. The harmony produced is
melancholy and not unpleasing, but at best all who form the several
classes of professors in Native societies are indifferent musicians.

Amateur performers are very rare amongst the Mussulmauns; indeed, it is
considered indecorous in either sex to practise music, singing, or dancing;
and such is the prejudice on their minds against this happy resource
amongst genteel people of other climates, that they never can reconcile
themselves to the propriety of 'The Sahib Logue',--a term in general use
for the English people visiting India,--figuring away in a quadrille or
country dance. The nobles and gentlemen are frequently invited to witness
a 'station-ball'; they look with surprise at the dancers, and I have often
been asked why I did not persuade my countrywomen that they were doing
wrong. 'Why do the people fatigue themselves, who can so well afford to
hire dancers for their amusement?' Such is the difference between people
of opposite views in their modes of pleasing themselves: a Native
gentl