‘Hindustan is a country of few charms. Its people have no good looks; of social intercourse, paying and receiving visits there is none; of genius and capacity none; of manners none; in handicraft and work there is no form or symmetry, method or quality; there are no good horses, no good dogs, no grapes, muskmelons or first-rate fruits, no ice or cold water, no good bread or cooked food in the bazaars, no hot-baths, no colleges, no candles, torches or candlesticks.
‘In place of candle and torch, they have a great dirty gang they call lamp-men (diwati), who in the left hand hold a smallish wooden tripod to one corner of which a thing like the top of a candlestick is fixed, having a wick in it about as thick as the thumb. In the right hand they hold a gourd, through a narrow slit made in which oil is let to trickle in a thin thread when the wick needs it.
‘The rich keep a hundred or two of these lamp-men. This is Hindustan’s substitute for lamps and candlesticks! If their rulers and Begs have work at night needing candles, these dirty lamp-men bring these lamps, go close up and stand there.
‘Except their large rivers and their standing-waters which flow in ravines or hollows (there are no waters). There are no remaining waters in their gardens or residences (imaratlar). These residences have no charm, air, regularity or symmetry.
‘Peasants and people of low standing go about naked. They tie on a thing called (lunguta) a decency-clout which hangs two spans below the navel. From the tie of this pendent decency-clout, another clout is passed between the thighs and made fast behind. Women also tie on a cloth (lung), one-half of which goes round the waist; the other is thrown over the head.
