But it is not to the desire of the eye, the gratification of the car, or to the fulfilment of loose, inordinate, and grosser excitements, that the almeh of the distinguished class confine their meretricious interference. Their qualifications introduce them into the harams as well as the saloons of the great ; these girls, with cultivated un derstandings, with a peculiar purity of phraseology, and the most engaging softness of manners, obtained from so entire a dedication of themselves to poetry, and the kinder feelings, possess a familiarity with the softest as well as the most sonorous expressions of their lan guage. They repeat with a great deal of grace, and they sing the unsophisticated harmonies or airs of their country, without " the borrowed aid of Italian art." We shall now proceed to give an account of the education of the almeh.
This race of women among the Hindoos,Sr.c. is formed into three grand divisions.
1st, A particular set is employed in the service of the temples, where (lancing is performed at regulated inter vals. These are not remarkable for their beauty, be cause they are the refuse of the following class.
2d, The fashionable set—The women in this class are invariably preferred ; they are accomplished in every art of allurement ; they are generally handsome ; they live decently, with the exceptions of their profession ; and the greatest number of them are in comfortable (pecu niary) situations.
The 3d and lowest class, are a shameless race. They are the common women, who have no pretensions to any sort of acquirements, and wholly depend for the neces saries of life on the trade to which they are devoted.
The fashionable class, with whose theatrical repre sentations the "great vulgar" is entertained, are origi nally descended from the tribe of Nicolas, or weavers, who from immemorial usage had dedicated the female offspring of each family to the service of the temples and the public. Happy for human nature, this absurd and degrading custom is not in much practice now ; as the uninterrupted employment which that class find under the auspices of the honourable company, together with the amelioration of their circumstances, has improved their feelings of honour and of virtue. The deficiency arising from the above cause, is made up by the pur chase of girls from different parts of the country, where the calamities of war and of famine, domestic misfor tunes, and peculiar religious customs, drive parents to the necessity of disposing of their children. An elderly woman, and one or two girls, form a set, which is distin guished after the young or the old lady's name, as for tune, fame, or chance, may render either of them con spicuous. The young girls arc sent to the dancing school at about five or six years of age ; and at eight they begin to learn music, either vocal or instrumental ; some attain a great proficiency in dancing, others in singing ; but the first art is limited to a certain period of life ; for dancing, in the Hindoo style, requires great agility and strength of constitution : and no female after the age of 25 years is reckoned competent to the task.
The expense attending the education of a girl, with such accomplishments, will probably amount to between three and four hundred pagodas. This is either managed
by contracts, or monthly payment, to the Xatuva, the dancing-master, and Palace, the singer.
When the girl attains a certain degree of proficiency, the friends and the relations of the old mother arc invited ; and after observing certain formalities and ceremonies, the young aspirante is introduced into the assembly ; where her merit and her proficiency arc examined and tried.
The expense of this first exhibition is great, including the presents to the dancing-master : and it is supported either by the betrothed gallant of the girl, or the friend of her mother. After this ceremony, and not till then, the set gain admittance to the favour of the public, and arc asked to attend marriages and every other enter tainment, funerals, and every other solemnity.
With regard to their revenues, the first source of emolument proceeds from their destination as public women. When the young female arrives at the age of puberty, she is consigned to the protection of a man who generally pays a large premium, besides a suitable monthly allowance : changes of protectors are made as often as it suits the conveniency and advantage of the old matron.
The second channel of benefit arises from the pre sents Made to them for dancing and singing : unfortu nately no standard of hire was ever established, but it is entirely left to the arrangements of the parties.
A set will probably receive from 30 to 500 rupees for the performance of three or four days, as the circum stances and disposition of the person who requests their attendance may admit; sometimes the spectators give a few rupees to them, either from liberality or vanity. The produce of this supply goes in shares to every in dividual forming the set thus : Five or ten per cent. on the whole is taken off for charities ; the residue is then divided into two shares, one of which is allowed to the dancing woman, the other subdivided into 61 shares, of which 24 are given to Xatuva, or the dancing-master ; 11 to Paraca, or the singer ; 1 to Pillangolo, or the flute-player ; 11 to Mitddalagar, or the trumpeter ; to Srutyman, or the bellows blower ; this is paid by the dancing woman out of her share.
It is stated, that Bharata Nateya, or dancing, should be composed of five angas, parts or divisions. 1st, Xata, the Pictaman, who regulates the time, equivalent to the ancient Corypluxus, and our leader or timeist ; 2d, llfindenga, or small drum; 3d, Palace, the singer ; 4thly, Srutes, the bellows, which blows the easy tunes; and 5thly, Patra, the female, who recites. An actress, as we before mentioned, must be young and healthy ; the females of Siata, Gohorjara, and Sourastra, are said, in the Pooranas, to be beautiful. The females of Car nata Virata are pretty, and the girls of Dravida are of the ordinary kind. Madras is situated in the last divi sion of the country, so that their dancing girls are not remarkable for personal beauty. Sec Wittman's Tra vels in ?siatie Turkey, p. 376, and Savory's Letters, vol.
i. p. 176. (E)