The water-carrier:-
if provided with a bullock for the purpose of conveying two large leather bags, each containing about twenty gallons, is called a Puckaully; but if he carries the water himself, in the skin of a goat, prepared for that purpose, he then receives the designation of Bheesty. The bags for a puckaully are made of strong hide, sewed very firmly at the front, which is at right angles with the bottom, where the leather doubles, and, consequently, has no seam ; the back part is diagonal, forming a kind of spout behind, opposite the bullock's knee ; while the top is left open, rather in a funnel form, for about a foot, that the water may be poured in: the spout is first rolled up, and then tied with a strong strip of leather.
Every puckaully carries also a small bag, that he may serve as an ordinary hand-bheesty, when required. This is made of the skin of a goat, taken off in a particular manner. Being put into a solution of lime, the hair soon quits; when the inside fleshings are carefully scraped off. A tan is then made of the bark of baubool, (mimosa,) kltui, (catechu,) and alum.
The puckaullies, or, as they are usually called, the bullock- bheesties, replenish their bags by driving their cattle into some tank, or pond, up to their knees, or even deeper, then baling in the water, by means of a small leather bucket, holding about two quarts, or more. The hand-bheesty usually sinks his bag under water, when it soon fills. When drawing water from the wells, the leather bucket, called a dole, is used by both the puckaully and the hand-bheesty.
The constant application of a wet skin to the clothes on the hip, necessarily disposes them to rot: on this account, most bheesties use a piece of cloth, called karwah, which having been dyed in grain with a composition, consisting chiefly of the solution of shell-lac, effectually resists the moisture.
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