PALANQUIN (sometimes written Palank-eos, and Palkee), a kind of covered litter carried, by means of poles, upon the shoulders of men, which forms the principal vehicle for personal transport in Hindustan, and varieties of the vehicle are used in other eastern countries. In Hindustan the palanquin is described by Captain Basil Hall, in his Fragments of Voyages and Travels,' third series, vol ii. chap. vi., as about six feet long by two and a half feet wide, and provided with con , veniences which enable it to serve at night-time for a bed, and in the day-time for a parlour. A pole is attached to each end of the palanquin, near the top, to carry it by. As the poles, which rest upon the shoulders of the bearers, are not elastic like those of a sedan-chair, Captain Hall states that a palanquin has not the same unpleasant motion as that vehicle ; and Bishop Heber also, who gives an account of dAk tra velling in the ' Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India,' published after his death, observes that " the motion is neither violent nor unpleasant," but that, being incessant, it is impossible to draw in a palanquin, and not very convenient to read, excepting a large print. Only four bearers can, iu an ordinary palanquin, place their
shoulders beneath the poles, two at each end ; but in passing over diffi cult ground two others will occasionally bear part of the weight by thrusting a bamboo under the body of the palanquin ; and in travelling there are two or more sets of bearers, who relieve each other by turns. While walking or running with their load, the bearers, who form a peculiar class among the Hindus, keep up all incessant noise, sometimes like grunting or groaning, and sometimes approaching the character of a song, or of wild vociferation.
The mode of conveyance is undoubtedly ancient. A conveyance of this sort was used by the Egyptians, as is shown by a representation found at Beni Hassan. In western Asia they are usually carried by camels ; and one of a similar character is borne by an elephant, but this is usually called a howdah.