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IS 179.2 Story of an Emigrant.
fort and next to the Strand is the drill-ground, and below
this again a large race course. South of Maidan are several
suburbs, and beyond these a zoological garden.
Driving past the imposing orange-colored palace of the
viceroy, called the government house, which very much
resembles our capitol at Washington, but is neither so large
nor so elegant, we finally strike the Esplanade, where the
Chowringhee road meets the Red road. We stop a few
minutes at the Esplanade to take a look at the gay picture.
The Esplanade is crowded with a surging mass of humanity,
all going from the river bank to their homes in the Eastern
part of the city. It is the sixth day of the new moon, and
thousands of men, women and children have been down to
the river, washed themselves in its waters, and offered
sacrifices consisting of fruits and flowers. The women are dressed
in white, red, yellow, green, blue or violet garments. The
smallest children sit astride on the left hip of their mothers,
the men carry large baskets of fruit, mostly bananas, on
their heads for the river-god received only a small portion,
and the rest is to be eaten at home. Here and there among
the pedestrians is a well-to-do Hindoo who takes his family,
consisting of two or three wives and a crowd of children, to
the river in an ox-cart. There are hundreds of musicians
and. peddlers in the throng, and all are joyful and rejoicing.
It must be observed that only people of the lower classes
take part in such public demonstrations in company with
women and children. Fashionable women would never
walk beyond the gardens around their own houses and do
not appear in company.
Soon carriages are seen passingbv in longrows, either down
the Red road or to the right along the Esplanade toward the
Strand. WTe follow the latter and arrive at the river beach
where thousands of people are yet busy with their sacrifices
or trading with peddlers for fancy goods and dainties, while
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