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Excerpt
'Our story in intimately connected with the Suez Canal,' said Hobbs 'Before it was built, those reckless adventurers went round the Cape of Good Hope to come to Calcutta. In the absence of hotels they spent the nights in barges at Chandpal Ghat No blue-eyed beauty came running across the ocean to entertain them, so if the craving got really bad, they had to quench their thirst with the strictly Indian vanety.
Then, in 1762, William Parker decided to open a bar for the entertainment of Calcutta's gentlemen Only alcohol was on the agenda, barmaids were not part of the scheme of things. The board, too, granted a licence, on the condition that the house couldn't be kept open in the daytime, for if it was, the younger lot would start playing truant
Many more bars came up after that but it was barmen, or khidmatgars as they were called, all the way Even Le Galle, who had taken the contract for wining and dining the barrister and his cromes during the tnal of Nanda Kumar, didn't have barmaids in his tavern He charged two-and-a-quarter rupees for every lunch and dinner Mohan Prasad ordered that the meals be sent to the court- sixteen lunches and sixteen dinners every day We know of Nanda Kumar’s hanging, but haven't kept track of Le Galle After the verdict was delivered, Nanda Kumar became immortal by going to the gallows but there was no trace of Mohan Prasad Eventually. Le Galle had to go to court to recover his dues for the lunches and dinners he had served - he had to sue Io get his six hundred and twenty-nine rupees.'
Hobbs handed cups of coffee to us
We were about to protest, but he said, Tm not anti-lndia, but those who are under the impression you don't get coffee anywhere in the world except at the India Coffee House should pay me a visit'
Without spanng a glance at our bewildered faces, Hobbs continued, It was after the Suez Canal was opened that eighteen-year-old Englishwomen, with nectar in their breasts and
wine glasses in their hands, started coming to Calcutta. Which is why restaurants and hotels in Charnock's city began to flourish after the canal was opened in 1869'
As he spoke, Hobbs slowly went back to the past when barmaids used to stand at the bar and serve drinks - anot local women, but authentic Englishwomen Newspaper advertisements would announce 'Our new barmaids will be arriving in Calcutta by such-and-such ship from London.' Some would come on sixmonth contracts and others on two-year ones The British representatives of Shahjahan and Hotel de Europe would write, 'Have located a beautiful girl, do you want her?' The reply would be sent immediately "We have great faith in your taste - we hope you won't let us down before Calcutta's customers1' Back would come the answer: Tve been sending barmaids not just to Calcutta but major ports round the world for many years, and I've never heard a word of cnticism Giris I've chosen have turned around the fortunes of hotels ■ they've doubled sales al the bar To tell you the truth, my only concern is that hotels in Calcutta can't hold on to the girts Before their contracts run out, the girts ensconce themselves elsewhere That harms me - they promise to send me a part of their salanes, but I don't get it if they change jobs'
'Have you seen any of these barmaids?' I couldn't resist asking.
Hobbs laughed. 'Do you think I'm a spring chicken? And do you suppose I came to Calcutta just the other day? If I'd come a little earlier I might have even seen a slave or two'
'Slaves!'
'You youngsters know nothing Even halfway through the last century, human beings used to be sold in Calcutta English ladies and gentlemen and even the local gentry would buy boys and girls from Murgitola and bnng them home If they ran away, they would place advertisements in the papers promising rewa A