proportion
of the grain, varying from one-eighth to one-fourth. In Bengal the
caste was spoken of by early English travellers under the quaint name
of the frymen." [276] In the Central Provinces also grain-parching
is distinctly a woman's industry, only twenty-two per cent of those
shown as working at it being men. There are two classes of tradesmen,
those who simply keep ovens and parch grain which is brought to them,
and those who keep the grain and sell it ready parched. The rates for
parching are a pice a seer or an eighth part of the grain. Gram and
rice, husked or unhusked, are the grains usually parched. When parched,
gram is called _phutana_ (broken) and rice _lahi_. The Bharbhunjas also
prepare _sathu_, a flour made by grinding parched gram or wheat, which
is a favourite food for a light morning meal, or for travellers. It
can be taken without preparation, being simply mixed with water and
a little salt or sugar. The following story is told about _sathu_
to emphasise its convenience in this respect. Once two travellers
were about to take some food before starting in the morning, of
whom one had _sathu_ and the other _dhan_ (unhusked rice). The one
with the _dhan_ knew that it would take him a long time to pound,
and then cook and eat it, so he said to the other, "My poor friend,
I perceive that you only have _sathu_, which will delay you because
you must find water, and then mix it, and find salt, and put it in,
before your _sathu_ can be ready, while rice--pound, eat and go. But
if you like, as you are in a greater hurry than I am, I will change my
rice for your _sathu_." The other traveller unsuspectingly consented,
thinking he was getting the best of the bargain, and while he was still
looking for a mortar in which to pound his rice, the first traveller
had mixed and eaten the _sathu_ and proceeded on his journey. In the
vernacular the point is brought out by the onomatopoeic character
of the lines, which cannot be rendered in English. The caste are now
also engaged in selling tobacco and sweetmeats and the manufacture of
fireworks. They stoke their ovens with any refuse they can collect
from the roads, and hence comes the saying, '_Bhar men dalna_',
'To throw into the oven,' meaning to throw away something or to make
ducks and drakes with it; while _Bhar-jhokna_ signifies to light
or heat the oven, and, figuratively, to take up a mean occupation
(Platts). Another proverb quoted by Mr. Crooke is, '_Bharbhunja