Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-01
FEATURES OF BOMBAY.
A Country Where nl-Paid Ser
wants Annoy Travellers.
A Snake and NIansoose Fight - Feats Of
Female Contortionist-D Dinner with
Parsee Gentleman-O Oriental
Dress and Customs.

Dress and Customs.
Albert de Leur, writing to the Philadel-
phia Press from the city of Bombay, asserts
that hotel life in that town is annoying for
a cause that would seem strange in any
other country The walters receive about
twelve cents per day, and this cheapness
populates tho caravansaries with a crowd
OF men and boys, who become simply un-
bearable in their endeavors to look after
guests necessities. Bells are yet to be
introduced, and if you wish for any thing 1T
is the custom to stick your head outside the
door of your room and call ''boy," and your
apartment is Immediately crowded with a
gang of eagerly inquiring individuals, who
tumble over each other in their endeav0r to
receive your command. Your room is apt
to be invaded at all times, day or night, by
the washerman, the decrepit old lady who
is anxious to clean your nails, or the snake
charmer with his basket Of deadly cobra,
who has sneaked into your room by the
cOnnlvance of some cousin attached to the
hotel.
Of course, we invited the snalIe-man to
perform, and two hooded cobras, of at least
five feet in length, were exploring the
apartment with a carelessness that enlarged
the circle formed by the spectators. The
sparingly-dressed proprietor brought forth
a reed instrument, and the reptiles moved
their Shiny bodies in accordance with the
cadence of the music. A little boy about
five years old, the son of the snal1e-charmer
took them in his hands and seemed to be
perfectly at home with his terrible play
mates. In little round basket, standing
a nm a
fined, and to create little excitement one
Of the tourists accidentally turned over the
basket, when battle royal ensued. The
little animal, about the size aud looks of a
weasel, appeared to have sufficient courage
to entitle him to the body of an elephant as
he fairly few across the room savagely
attacking one of the snakes.
In a second the room was too interesting
to be comfortable, as the snake-charmer
appeared unprepared for the occasion, and
his commands were not obeyed by his prop
erty. The little native dropped his play
mates, ran screaming out of the room, and
the blood oozing from the neck of the
largest cobra proved that the mangoose was
attending to his business with vengeance.
He killed the snake, and his master had to
nit him over the head with piece of wood
and stun the brave chap before the second
snake could be put in has basket and so es-
cape his born enemy. It was stated that
the mangoose is the only creature to which
the bite of the venomous reptile is innocuous
When the battle was ended the man who
kicked over the basket was found perched
upon table to view the engagement, so he
said. After pecuniary balsam had been
applied to the snalze-charner's bump of &C
constituencies he demon cd 90 ,,acit,
as juggler in manner that would have
made Prof. Hermann green with envy.
A female contortionist about twenty years
of age, splendidly formed, but of rather
small stature, was our next visitor She
went through a series of exercises, tying
herself into so many peculiar knots that we
doubted if nature had provided her with
backbone, out were convinced when she
commenced her eyelid performance. A
dagger, about a foot long, and as sharp as
razor, was fastened to the floor, point up
wards. The performer laid small cambria
needle horizontally across the fine point of
the weapon, and standing before it bent
backward until she moved the needle from
its position with her eyeGds without touch
ing the floor with any thing but her feet,
unfolding wrinkle of female eye capacity
we had never dreamed Of
Before we understood the design proof
of her dexterity was given which chilled
the circulating medium in our veins a
little babe of about ten months Judging by
American Standard was laid upon q
cushion. aud a small orange placed upon
the naked baby in the vicinity of its com
missary department The woman then
took sharp sword, shaped something like
a cimeter and with a swift downward blow
cut the orange without harming the child
Having received an invitation TO dine at
the residence of a Parsee gentlsman we
dismissed the Hindoo to array ourselves in
the brass buttons OF Uncle Sans navy.
Arriving at the palatial home of our sun
worshiping host, we found the drawing
room peopled with ladies' and gentlemen.
who, by their dress only. were distinguish
able from the ones apt to be met in such
an assembly. The gentlemen were all Par
sees, with three exceptions, who were En-
glishmen dressed in the dinner costume of
the civilian.
The natives wore long surtout coats of
gray material. shirt with nine seams folded
on the breast. white stockings. patent leath-
er shoes and peculiar shaped hat, some
thing Ike the inter of Roman Catholic
Bishop. They all wore the kusti or girdle,
made of seventy-two woolen threads. in
such manner that it gives the appearance
Of fiat cord. 1t is wound around the body
three times. and we are informed that no
contract between those people was con-
sldered binding except the ends of the Cir
dies or the contracting parties are held in
their hands.
The ladies Of the company wore loose
gowns of somber-colored silk, heavily en-
broidered- They had their long black hair
pushed back from the temple no Shetland
pony fashion there-long filsgreed gold ear
rings embeliished with diamonds. like the lit
tie embroidered slippers they wore The
drawlng-roon was very large and furnished
IN European style, with a grand piano,
which was not placed there for ornament.
as the daughters of the house were accom-
plished musicians. At dinner European
stylel we observed that bowls had
bean nlacea IN 'front.' OF all the ParasA mar.