New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-19
BAYARD TAYLOR,S LETTERS.
LIFE IN BOMBAY.


Sdte'isi corrsspoadsnes Of rhs NJ - Is,,
Before reaching here, had slight %
INDIA hfe. The servants on the steamer oene az TO a.
and the passengers mostly belonging 70 s"e srs ALREADY
service, many pecumrities of every day ne W. 49,
hmiar 10 me. had mastered the mys.ene: r; -. -
Ilearned to say tfiA (rom the vero 'otV a. ~
stead of "lunch !" became accustomed W oe1ns a S;
Cd as sahb and even ventared 50 lax ,n'o
a. to call out boldly at table: pa" 40 "a ost 70
las" Thus the first bloom oil the ne. ,,o h;ch snr
De-all those nameless slight PecIna luz g. nIumge
round you with an enchanted circle Snen you n'''
yourself into another climate and anotner race
theless there was enough left to MAKE n9 sa","r
dian soil circumstance of no Ordinary n ;.h; af
We came slowly up the splendid oa! uu notbng but
a mile Of the town The shores beng low nothing ouO
an array ofbrown tiled poots, and snai uoIc sPe
VAS visible behind the crowd Of vessels al Anchor, va
the ofher hand however the islands OF Eephah'a anu
Panwel and the ranges OF the Mshia.V ~" D. ,;t,io
gorpeously lighted up by the evening sun SronnoS
time was allowed for sdmiring tnen 'o 5 rIa
and Acct of boats conveying ANXIOUS irlenus anu iea
t;ves Gathered about u.s. The deck was fedwNaPy
r.,n;ds or hsgosge. all was noise and CONFUSION, mere
shouts of low and there weeping mere meeting au1
uartino many scenes of the drama Oh ire az quo
same moment Finding myself lett wlCy 70 my OWE re-
sources set about 1S nsve who addressed
mo ambarked for the shore before tne oIner passeh
"a thought If leaving rupees" said the master
eStS. h"at holding no three OF his fingers tx Sohe2
I answered. Up went two fingers L". AnG 81
vent ashore for one. We came 10 STONE per ~'
Lone a;cbt of steps leading down 10 the WAFER Inc toP
&c ss ,bronoed with natives in white dresses ana req
turbans Among them were the runners Oh lme NOTES,
.nJ aeon Eund the one wanted AT small customs
office on the pier my baggage was Passe9 unc vi
NV declaring that had but two POUNDS oi lurASn ~
bscco. A line Of cabs, bugges and PaiahIu,ns WIN
their bearers was drawn up on the per ana Ill order "
4. =. vokan as nossible ItO0k one OF tle ldIleT
ms NOT pleasant sensation to be at full length IN
. cushioned box and impose one s WhOie weight anu
am nv no means feather) upon the shoulders oil Tour
men. 1t is conveyance invented oy pesPo.isl, Wnen
mems necks were foot stools and mems heads play things
have never vet been able to get into without feeling
NJ reluctance asif we're nictng injury on my bear
ers WHY should they grOanand staggerundermy weight,
vbenI have legs of my own and yet, warrant you,
nothing would please them than for me TO use those
legs They wear pads on the shoulders, which rests
the pole to which the palanquL is suspended aud go
forward at slow, sliding trOt scarcely bending their
knees or lifting their feet from the ground The monon
Is agreeable yet you obliged to lie on your back,
Won have very imperfect view OF the objects you pass
You can travel from one end of India to another In tins
style but it Is expensive and unsatisfactory convey
ance and shall never use it.
As was borne along, saw through the corners OF my
eyes, that We passed over moat and through heaVy
stone gateway. then saw the bottoms oil row OF
huted Grecian plars-a church, as have since found
That turbaned HndOOs and mitred Parsees stood IN
the doors, and finally my bearers came to halt IN
wooden verandah where received by Mr. PallanJee,
the host of the British Hotel i was ushered up Lofty
fights OF wooden steps to the third story and installed n
a small room overlooking wide prospect OF tiled roofs,
graced here and there with cOcOanut or brao PAM
The partitions to the do not reach the ceiling
there are no glass windows, but merely binds and
every breeze that comes sweeps through the whole
house The servants are mostly Portuguese, IRON Uoa
but Indas especially the country OF servant and mas
ter every person expected to have enc for his own
use chose tall Hindoo with red streak and two
white he signs of caste on bis forehead who for
half rupee daily acts guide interpreter, messenger
and valet de chambre Nothing exceed the respect
shown to Europeans by the native servants. They 60
far beyond the Arab and Turkish dOmestcs Ofthe East
or even the sayesn Egypt No Russian serf could have
greater reverence for his lord. AS natural cOnse
quence Of this they are noted for their fidelity the
ayahs nurses, said to be the best In the world
Bombay, city, presents few points of interest to
traveller. tits wholly of modern growth, and more than
half European in its appearance 1t divided into two
parts-the Fort il is called being ncosed within the
od Portuguese iorfcatiOns and surrounded by mOat
10 about mile in length extending along the shore OF
the bay Outside of the mOat is broad esplanade, be-
yond which, the northern side, city has grown
up 1he Qualifications useless OF defense,
the water OF the moat breeds musketO and evers and
do not understand why the walls should not have been
leveed long since. The city within the Fort is crowd
ed to Many of the streets narrow dark and
dirty and the houses are all of wood il is exposed TO
much danger from fire. The population and trade of
Bombay have increased much within the last few years.
that this keeping up of old defenses is great incon
vemence So far the old practices preserved that at
one particular gate where there was powder magazine
twenty years ago. no person is permitted TO smoke.
Southwark Of the Fort is tongue of and-formery the
Island Of Colaba but now connected by causeway-On
which stands the lighthouse To the northwest beyond
the city, rises Maabar Hill, long, low hight, locking
np0n the open ocean, and completely covered with the
gardens and cOuntyhOuses OF the native and European
merchants.
The mainland is distant from Bombay about fifteen
miles across the bay. Steamers run daily to Panwel,
whence there is mail coach Poonah, the old Mahrat
n capital about 10 miles distant Northward of the Is
and OF Bombay however lies thelarge Island of Salsette
Which Is connected with it by two causeways and Sal
sete has lately been united to the mainland by bridge
The strait at the northern point of the island being less
han half mile wide This bridge was built by the East
Indian Railroad Company who have already finished
IhirV-fve miles of the great road which is TO connect
Bombay and Calcutta The rails laid far Tanna
lad the trains will commence running in month or two
he Engineers are now busy in laying that part of
he line which crosses the Ghauts after which the con-
ructol Of the road will be attended with comparatively
title difficulty. The East India Company guarantees )
yer cent annually the stock for the periods of twen
years owing TO which encouragement without which,
indeed, the undertaking were impossble0 shares are
,ow at premium.
During the few days l have been here, l have made
me acquaintance among the English residents to whom
am indebted for much cordial hospitality The English
India are said to be the most hospabe people in the
.ord even to those who bring no letters ofnroducton
he kindness OF my friends, and especially of Captain
Baird Smith, of the Bengal Engineers, has supplied
with letters for all the principal towns in the interior
that have double assurance of friendly reception
believe there are no American merchants in Bombay.
Or even Consul. Appointments have been made and
onus have come out here, but none OF them seem to
axe any stay. The last one appointed Mr. Dossabhoy