A very handsome man, swarthy even for a native of Bengal, with his
black glossy hair most picturesquely disposed, alike on his head and
in his whiskers and moustache, gave me, after an Oriental salute,
the following statement. His teeth were exquisitely white, and his
laugh or smile lighted up his countenance to an expression of great
intelligence. His dress was a garb of dark-brown cloth, fitting close
to his body and extending to his knee. His trowsers were of the same
coloured cloth, and he wore a girdle of black and white cotton round
his waist. He was accompanied by his son, (whom he sometimes addressed
in Hindoostanee), a round-faced boy, with large bright black eyes and
rosy cheeks. The father said:--
“I was born in Calcutta, and was Mussulman--my parents was
Mussulman--but I Christian now. I have been in dis contree ten year.
I come first as servant to military officer, an Englishman. I lived
wit him in Scotland six, seven mont. He left Scotland, saying he come
back, but he not, and in a mont I hear he dead, and den I com London.
London is very great place, and Indian city little if you look upon
London. I use tink it plenty pleasure look upon London as de great
government place, but now I look upon London, and it is plenty bad
pleasure. I wish very often return to my own contree, where everyting
sheap--living sheap, rice sheap. I suffer from climate in dis contree.
I suffer dis winter more dan ever I did. I have no flannels, no drawer,
no waistcoat, and have cold upon my chest. It is now near five year I
come London. I try get service, but no get service. I have character,
but not from my last master. He could not give me; he dead ven I want
it. I put up many insult in dis contree. I struck sometime in street.
Magistrate punish man gave me blow dat left mark on my chin here.
Gentlemen sometime save me from harm, sometime not. De boys call me
black dis or de oder. Wen I get no service, I not live, and I not beg
in street, so I buy tom-tom for 10_s._ De man want 30_s._ De 10_s._
my last money left, and I start to play in streets for daily bread. I
beat tom-tom, and sing song about greatness of God, in my own language.
I had den wife, Englishwoman, and dis little boy. I done pretty well
first wid tom-tom, but it is very bad to do it now. Wen I began first,
I make 3_s._, 4_s._, 5_s._, or 6_s._ a-day. It was someting new den,
but nine or ten monts it was someting old, and I took less and less,
until now I hardly get piece of bread. I sometime get few shilling
from two or three picture-men, who draw me. It is call model. Anyting
for honest bread. I must not be proud. I cannot make above 6_s._
a-week of tom-tom in street. Dare is, well as I know, about fifty
of my contreemen playing and begging in streets of London. Dose who
sweep crossing are Malay, some Bengal. Many are impostor, and spoil
’spectable men. My contreemen live in lodging-house; often many are
plenty blackguard lodging-houses, and dere respectable man is always
insult. I have room for myself dis tree mont, and cost me tree shilling
and sixpennies a-week; it is not own furniture; dey burn my coke, coal,
and candle too. My wife would make work wid needle, but dere is no work
for her, poor ting. She servant when I marry her. De little boy make
jump in my contree’s way wen I play tom-tom--he too little to dance--he
six year. Most of my contreemen in street have come as Lascar, and not
go back for bosen and bosen-mate, and flog. So dey stay for beg, or
sweep, or anyting. Dey are never pickpocket dat I ever hear of.”