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KOPAL-KUNDALA.
7
the women cried and shrieked in various ways. One of the women had abandoned her child at Gangá-ságor; she had flung it into the water, and had not been able to recover it. She only did not weep.
While they were thus waiting, it got to about one pahar of the day, when suddenly the boatmen made a great noise by calling out the names of the five Pirs[1] of the ocean. The pilgrims all asked, "What is it, manjhi?[2] what has happened?" The boatmen with one voice roared out, "The sun is coming out, the sun is coming out; land, land, land!" The pilgrims eagerly came outside on deck, and began to inspect the situation. They saw that the sun had come out, and on all
- ↑ A Pir is a Mohammedan saint. The Mohammedans are par excellence the sailors and boatmen of Bengal. The two great classes of the population, Hindoos and Mohammedans, often show a mutual respect for one another's gods and religious festivals. I have seen Mussulmans fired by a sort of religious enthusiasm both during the Durga pooja and at the pulling of a Juggernath car (Ruth Jattra). I have also seen Hindus make a sort of obeisance on passing a Mussulman mosque, and when the Mohurrum is going on the lower castes of Hindus have taboots and tazeahs made, and carry them along with the Mussulmans.
- ↑ Manjhi=a boatman or rower.
