The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-07-31
The Arab Stables at Bombay.

The Arab Stables at Bombay.
l was agreeably disappointed in
finding Bombay to be not the Orien
tai Liverpool l had imagined, but
the proper and fitting threshold of
India, an index, or rather an illus
trated catalogue, of all Eastern races.
Perhaps the most interesting spots
in which to study the mixed and cos
mopolitan character of the popula-
ton are the stables for the sale Of
Arab horses. AS it is still early in
the day, the regulation time for
''chota hazri" being somewhere about
sunrise, we shall have time to take
them in on the way down to the ba-
Ears, in which we shall probably lose
ourselves. as the geography of Bonn
bay is uncommonly bewildering at
first. The "shigram' is waiting at
the door, and the advantages of an
early start in this climate are un-
questionable. The "shigram," or
"palkee gharry,' is vehicle found
throughout the length and breadth
of India; it is an oblong black box
on four wheels. Inside there are
two seats facing each other; door
on each side, sometimes sliding in
grooves, sometimes made to swing
outward in the usual manner. The
windows are fitted with sliding
blinds. and when all are closed but
one, it makes a capital travelling
studio. Our route lies alonga broad
suburban sort of avenue, to square
adorned with a bronze statue Of
Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the great Par
see banker, and turning sharply to
the left, we halt at the entrance Of
the largest of these Arab stables.
Within the gate are lofty matched
sheds, and in the deep shadow are
groups Of the slender, swarthy ma
tives of southern Arabia in striped
nantes, with silk "kafeeyas," or tas-
selled handkerchiefs, twisted about
their heads, looking much as they do
in the cafes of Cairo, and drinking
thick Mocha from the same kind Of
little cups. Their horses struck me
as being much shorter bodied than
the horses of Africa or Syria, and
had larger average Of chestnuts or
bays among them. They are
brought by sea from the ports Of
Arabia and the Persian Gulf. An
other stable was chiefly tenanted by
Persians, stalwart fellows with ruddy,
sunburnt faces, stiff black mustaChes,
and shaver foreheads, showing a
blush patch below the rim of their
round black or drab felt caps, They
wear pale blue or green cotton kuft
ans, belted in at the waist, and hang
ing down over loose wide trousers Of
dark blue drill. Those who are not
exercising or rubbing down their
horses, many Of which are still suf
fering from the effects Of the sea-
voyage and in poor condition, are
asleep, stretched out in the shade,
on their chests or on benches, or
longing amid a picturesque litter of
camp baggage, pans, kettles, coffee
pots, and boxes, with well-worn
prayer rugs spread over them. 9th
ers are busy over their water pipes,
or "kalans"; others, again, pound
ing coffee in mortar, or winnowing
grain with graceful movements.
They are, however, none too busy to
gather behind me and to make con-
fdential remarks in Persian to each
other, as I jot down a few impress
sions Of color on small panels. To
get a better point of view, and keep
out of the way of large and belig-
erent ram, I am obliged to place my
camp-stool against post to which
several fluffy white Persian kittens
are tethered by strings; they soon
get wound up around the legs of the
camp stool, and make themselves so
generally uncomfortable that another
change Of base becomes necessary,
and this time [ get within range of
large and inquisitive monkey, whose
chain is just long enough to enable
him to play havoc with palette and
brushes, while my attention is dis
tracted by the ram, which is kicking
up a cloud of dust in the rear. One
morning, a few days later, when
making the round of these stables
with a distinguished officer who had
been in command of the commissary
department in the Afghan war, my
companion was recognized by an old
Beloochee chief, robed in white, with
vast spotless turban, hair and
beard dyed blue-black, and his long
locks hanging down each side of his
face and mingling with his beard.
This gentleman had furnished all
the horses for the campaign, and to-
gether they had sat under tree
tae English chief and the Beloochee
and counted out into little piles
IL.