The Music of Hindostan c7.95

c7.95

One night during my stay a sing-song was kindly organized for my benefit among the men of the 2nd Goorkhas. They were in more than their usual good spirits over a successful hockey match with the 9th. There was no *géne* in the presence of their officers, and the performance was in no sense ‘to order’. The songs followed in such quick succession that there was no time to get down any words: most of them were danced to. One man, or perhaps two, stood out in the midst of an admiring crowd, and whirled round and round; bent knees and elbows, palms of the hands upturned, arms extended. At regular intervals a couple of bars, or four, were danced in a crouching position. At the end of a chorus there was occasionally a grunted ‘Ha! Ha!’