New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-25
BAYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERS.
LXXVII
Bembay-.The Native Population.

Editorial Correspondence Of 7. Treuue
BOMBAY Monday. Jan. ), 1858.
Ash missed attending the Governors Ball ON New.
Years Eve Iaccepted the more readily IN Invitation TO
attend nanch at the country residence OF my Parsee
friends on rhc following evening. servant came to my
room early on New.Years morning, with tray heaped
with fruit large bunch of roses and apote note from
Dossahhov Merwariee Wadya and his associates CON
tanning tie compliments of the and an invitation
10 be- at Parell at halfpast nine O'Clock. could not
helm being struck with the difference between NewYear
in Bombay and in New. York. While my friends were
making their round of calls mued turs, and with red
roses and frosty hands sitting open yeraniah
as lightly clad as possible looking down the palms
ard paravas in the gardens below and listening 10 the
songs of birds gathered all the hOuset tops my New
Years gift consisting of pummeon "a fruit resembling
the shaddock but ofmuch finer ayor) pile OF oranges,
and golden bananas, and PdicH, Tor chewing Wrappedn
a glded betel leaf
Three COMMUNICABLE who were in Bombay, with the
execution of the MsSiOnarieswere also invited as well
as two Enghmen but the remainder of the guests were
native. Parsee and Hindoo pleasant drive of five
miles brought to the cOunryhouSe which Is built on
land granted the family by the East India Company
on account of the services they have rendered ship
builders Ii spacious onestory bungalow, and
brilliantly lighted up for the occasion with pendent lamps
of cocoa nut oil, which gives out very delicate and
pleasont perfume while burning We were ushered into
hail. around the sides of which touches made in
imitation of sofas and not lazy and luxurious as the
Turkish diyan. The floor was carpeted, and the mus-
cisns and nautch girls seated in group in one
ner.
Dossabhoy. and our friends. IIirjeebhoy the head
builder in the Bombay Dock ard Jamsetee and Curvet
lee received us cordially and Immediately on taking
our seats lunches OF fragrant were presented to
u.s. over which fresh rosewater sprnkled from sill
yer vase Another servant then appeared with tray OF
pauns which the Parsees were already chewing vg0r.
ously Indeed you rarely a native, OF whatever
condition. without pawn in his mouth. IL is composed
of chips of betenut cardamum seeds and beteleaf 10
which some add lime made from muscleshells. In or.
der to be like the commenced chewing, and found
the taste very much like sassaras but more astrlngent
IL by no disagreeabe, and must be rather con-
ducye 10 health than otherwise il would not have be-
come universal custom Both the leaf and nut are ex
celent tencs The juice swallowed but the prac'
tce of chewing makes both the mouth and teeth Tor the
time, of bright red color was quite shocked on
landing see many natives las thOught) splitting
blood.
In short time the musicians had finished tuning their
instruments and the two nautchgrls (Bayaderes took
their places on the floor The word BayGdere Is French
Invention and is unknown in India These girls were
about twenty-five years OF age, small III stature dark
brown in complexion, plain in features and inert and
apauid in expression They far from being as hand
some or graceful the Ai6eS who danced for in the
temple of Luxor They wore very full robes of gay
color descending nearly to the ANGLE, but confined bya
broad shawl far below their hips as 70 restrict the
motion Of their feet They had also shaws around their
heads rowsers of red silk, and slippers The musicians
CONNER ced singing a melancholy, monOtOnous measure
with a lively accompaniment on their lutes The girls
Joined in the singing occasionally lifting their arms with
the utmost deliberations slightly shifting the position of
their feet Now advanced few steps and slowly
roreated now the other. never saw dance so spirit
less fnd inexpensive.
some Of the songs on the other hand pleased me ex-
ceedrqiy Less Wild and Barbarc than the Arab chants
thew are peryGded with the same expression Of longing
and Of love and though sung by voices which
.lrU barsh ed a Of
tenderness After Witnessing two or three dances,
were called into the other room, to a collation. of fruits
and weetneats in which the Parsees joined u.s. contrary
to the usual custom Of their sect This restriction, how
ever does not to be part OF their faith, but to
have resulted from long residence among the HindOos
ho maintain such religious distinction Of caste that tO
the Balmn the touch OF one OF the lower orders is
Gefem and can only be removed by bathing and change
cfarrsre The MUsseimans in India have adopted the
sane notions and will neither eat with Christians
drink from the same vessels The Arabs and Turks are
much more liberal, and among them have frequently
dipped ny hand into the dish with very holy
During the intervals, the nautchgirls made q change
in the fashion of their dress, by binding their robes in
such manner that they reached only to the knees and
giving their turbans eattened form such as is worn
by the natives of Bengal In fact the dance which
ceeded vas called the Bengalee 1t differed little from
the preceding, except that the measure was more ami
mated and the langud shuDg of the feet done In some
what quicker time The song which accompanied 1t,
was translated to me- and ran thus: my beloved Ma
bob take me 20 Calcutta; with the hOwdah the ele
rlaUt the saddle on the horse" This il the style
UOetry Of which these songs are usually composed, bu
81 me Of them cannot be safely translated There
rautch girls who have fame among the natives equal %
that of Taglion Esler in Europe, and who paid
AT the rate of 500 rupees night but they are 10 be
found Al the Courts OF the native sOveregns in Northern
India where the matches are got up on grand scale.
Last night on my way home from the Botanic Garden,
net a magnificent marriage procession IN the streets
of the native town First large number Of beau
tu cLdre in open vehicles, the pearls and spanges Of
their dresses gitterng in the light of torches which
were borne on long poles and waved in rOtous jubilee
10 the sound of the music Behind them boys in
ieWeled robes on horseback, with servants holding
goden-frDged umbrellas above their heads The music
"A pierciDg medley of flies, drums, and lutes-came
Iext AID then the bridegroom mounted on white
tor,e He was a man OF about twenty, clad in splendid
robes OF white silk, embroidered with gold His turban
cleaned with pearls and his cheeks and forehead were
covered with gold leaf He was living FL Dorado but
sat so grave and motOnless his horse staring straight
before him. that he might have been taken for bedzen-
ed statue servant, holding silver resembling
fan. walked on each side of him, and behind him came
the dowry borne on mems heads IL was contained in
twenty or thirty miniature houses arranged to form
a quadrangle with temple in the center.
passed number of houses Illuminated for marriage
festivities and from of them there came the sound
of flute more shri and piercing | have no doubt
than any other flute in the world Its tones we're 20 in
tensely shrill to become tangible They were shot
out of the open windows like barbed arrows and when
ever any one struck you followed by keen sense
of pain They flew whisting down the street. rafting
the walls transfx all civilized ears and foyfur