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In India again, in connection with the Hindu Temples and their rites, we have exactly the same institution of girls attached to the Temple service the Nautch-girls whose functions in past times were certainly sexual, and whose dances in honor of the god are, even down to the present day, decidedly amatory in character.
The Indians and sepoys worship stocks and stones, and the river Ganges, and our Papists worship stocks and stones, holy wells and fountains." He put some questions to me about the origin of nuns and friars. I told him they originated in India, and made him laugh heartily by showing him the original identity of nuns and nautch-girls, begging priests and begging Brahmins.
He felt far more disgusted with the performances of the nautch-girls, and he resolved to prohibit their introduction in future. He expressed his intention to Burnett. "I agree with you," was the answer; "but I am afraid that your plans, if carried out, will make you unpopular with your courtiers." "I would rather be unpopular than sanction so barbarous a custom."
And, just as the nautch-girls, and other Oriental dancers and posturers, wear a costume which suggests nature more effectively than does nature itself, so did Grace's conventionality suggest to Freeman the essential absence of conventionality more forcibly than if he had seen her clad in a turban and translucent caftan, dancing off John the Baptist's head, or driving a nail into that of Sisera.
Two or three holy people are buried here, and the place commands a lovely view of the distant mountains, beyond which lies Mecca. The inhabitants of Jeddah are very interesting in many ways. There are some two hundred nautch-girls there; but they are forbidden to dance before men, though I have heard that the law can be evaded on occasions.
"I suspect that the performances at an English opera-house can scarcely claim a higher position than the exhibitions of these nautch-girls," observed Burnett. "I never went to an opera in England, but I should not have supposed that a scene like this would have been tolerated in a civilised country," said Reginald.
The nautch-girls sprang from their platforms into the middle of the arena and danced their most wonderful dances tossing the fallen garlands, like forest fairies at play. Then a thousand voices lifted upon the great chorus of laudation, which had been prepared in high-processional time; the drums and the sitars furnishing a dim background for the volume of sound.
Both of the children were a little elderly, as brides and grooms go, in India twelve; they ought to have been married a year or two sooner; still to a, stranger twelve seems quite young enough. A while after midnight a couple of celebrated and high-priced nautch-girls appeared in the gorgeous place, and danced and sang.
Go, get ye gone again to streets of strife reechoing Clangor of the crossings where the tides of trouble meet; For a while on fancy's wing Ye have heard the nautch-girls sing, But a Great White Way awaits you where the Klax-on-horns repeat.
Barring none, he has more of different kinds of knowledge than any man I know; becomes master of whatever he takes up authority, past question." "I wondered why you promised to take me along," Skag put in. "You'll be glad to have met him. He'll be interested in you," Cadman answered. "He's quite likely to take us to see some of the Indian nautch-girls. They're one of his fads for their beauty.
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