ABSTRACT
In a maritime sense, the term lascar referred to any non-European seaman. John Pope writing oflife on board the Country ship in which he was serving for three years from 1786 had plenty of time to observe them:
They eat twice a day, rice and ghee with a litde fish, being the whole of their allowance. Nay they find the fish themselves ... They have no watch, all hands being continuously on deck, rain or fair weather. He had intended to learn to write their language but I find there is not a man on board that can either write or read. The songs that they sing when at work I find nobody understands. I suppose they must have some meaning - [they] are mosdy in rhyme and have a great deal of melody in them.63
