Chapter BANDANNA to BANDICOOT of B by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

BANDANNA to BANDICOOT

BANDANNA, s. This term is properly applied to the rich yellow or red silk handkerchief, with diamond spots left white by pressure applied to prevent their receiving the dye. The etymology may be gathered from Shakespear’s Dict., which gives “Bandhnu: 1. A mode of dyeing in which the cloth is tied in different places, to prevent the parts tied from receiving the dye;…3. A kind of silk cloth” A class or caste in Guzerat who do this kind of preparation for dyeing are called Bandhari (Drummond). [Such handkerchiefs are known in S. India as Pulicat handkerchiefs. Cloth dyed in this way is in Upper India known as Chunri. A full account of the process will be found in Journ. Ind. Art, ii. 63, and S. M. Hadi’s Mon. on Dyes and Dyeing, p. 35.]

c. 1590.—“His Majesty improved this department in four ways…. Thirdly, in stuffs as…Bándhnún, Chhínt, Alchah.”—Ain, i. 91.

1752.—“The Cossembazar merchants having fallen short in gurrahs, plain taffaties, ordinary bandannoes, and chappas.”—In Long, 31.

1813.—“Bandannoes…800.”—Milburn (List of Bengal Piece-goods, and no. to the ton), ii. 221.

1848.—“Mr Scape, lately admitted partner into the great Calcutta House of Fogle, Fake, and Cracksman…taking Fake’s place, who retired to a princely Park in Sussex (the Fogles have long been out of the firm, and Sir Horace Fogle is about to be raised to the peerage as Baron Bandanna), …two years before it failed for a million, and plunged half the Indian public into misery and ruin.”—Vanity Fair, ii. ch. 25.

1866.—“ ‘Of course,’ said Toogood, wiping his eyes with a large red bandana handkerchief. ‘By all means, come along, Major.’ The major had turned his face away, and he also was weeping.”—Last Chronicle of Barset, ii. 362.

1875.—“In Calcutta Tariff Valuations: ‘Piece goods silk: Bandanah Choppahs, per piece of 7 handkerchiefs…score…115 Rs.”

BANDAREE, s. Mahr. Bhandari, the name of the caste or occupation. It is applied at Bombay to the class of people (of a low caste) who tend the coco-palm gardens in the island, and draw toddy, and who at one time formed a local militia. [It has no connection with the more common Bhándârî, ‘a treasurer or storekeeper.’]

1548.—“…. certain duties collected from the bandarys who draw the toddy (sura) from the aldeas….”—S. Botelho, Tombo, 203.

1644.—“The people…are all Christians, or at least the greater part of them consisting of artizans, carpenters, chaudaris (this word is manifestly a mistranscription of bandaris), whose business is to gather nuts from the coco-palms, and corumbis (see KOONBEE) who till the ground….”—Bocarro, MS.

1673.—“The President…if he go abroad, the Bandarines and Moors under two Standards march before him.”—Fryer, 68.

“…besides 60 Field-pieces ready in their Carriages upon occasion to attend the Militia and Bandarines.”—Ibid. 66.

c. 1760.—“There is also on the island kept up a sort of militia, composed of the land-tillers, and bandarees, whose living depends chiefly on the cultivation of the coco-nut trees.”—Grose, i. 46.

1808.—“…whilst on the Brab trees the cast of Bhundarees paid a due for extracting the liquor.”—Bombay Regulation, i. of 1808, sect. vi. para. 2.

1810.—“Her husband came home, laden with toddy for distilling. He is a bandari or toddy-gatherer.”—Maria Graham, 26.

c. 1836.—“Of the Bhundarees the most remarkable usage is their fondness for a peculiar species of long trumpet, called Bhongalee, which, ever since the dominion of the Portuguese, they have had the privilege of carrying and blowing on certain State occasions.”—R. Murphy, in Tr. Bo. Geog. Soc. i. 131.

1883.—“We have received a letter from one of the large Bhundarries in the city, pointing out that the tax on toddy trees is now Rs. 18 (? Rs. 1, 8 as.) per tapped toddy tree per annum, whereas in 1872 it was only Re. 1 per tree;…he urges that the Bombay toddy-drawers are entitled to the privilege of practising their trade free of license, in consideration of the military services rendered by their ancestors in garrisoning Bombay town and island, when the Dutch fleet advanced towards it in 1670.”—Times of India (Mail), July 17th.

BANDEJAH, s. Port. bandeja, ‘a salver,’ ‘a tray to put presents on.’ We have seen the word used only in the following passages:—

1621.—“We and the Hollanders went to vizet Semi Dono, and we carid hym a bottell of strong water, and an other of Spanish wine, with a great box (or bandeja) of sweet bread.”—Cocks’s Diary, ii. 143.

[1717.—“Received the Phirmaund (see FIRMAUN) from Captain Boddam in a bandaye couered with a rich piece of Atlass (see ATLAS).”—Hedges, Diary, Hak. Soc. ii. ccclx.]

1747.—“Making a small Cott (see COT) and a rattan Bandijas for the Nabob…. (Pagodas) 4: 32: 21.”—Acct. Expenses at Fort St. David,