Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-02

Suit Of White Flannel Worn at a
Christmas Dinner.
Mr.. COULLINGy VISIT 70 INDIA.
Some of His Experiences at tBombay-Fadl II
Of the Fahirs-Customs of tho Par.
si's-Burial of the Dead.

member that there is land that is hot
ter than this" 1t is a terrestrial kingdom,
too. and rumor even has il that hens lay
hard boiled eggs in that far-off torrid
country.
Imagine yourself eating Christmas din
ner with your venerated hide covered by a
white-fannel suit. and tho mercury cut
ting didos near the blood-heat point. This
is what Mr.. William N. Coulling did in
December, 1891. Nowadays hs likes to tell
his friends about it and to declare that it
was positively delightful.
MIR. Coulling is tho foreign representa-
| tive of the L. o. Williams Tobacco Com
pany, and nearly every known land under
| the sun has looked upon his smiling
visage. He.has unfurled his vhite-cotton
| umbrella in Mexico, and bcrne ais two
| gallon yalise and eight-pound dictionary
amongst the fragrant orange groves
| of Cuba; he has suffered his classic
| features TO be bitten by Brazilian
mosquitoes and eaten Peruvian quinlne
| by the quart he has gamboled on busy
| Piccadilly and been tieeeed by the cabmen
| of the Champs Elysees he has boon roast
| ed by African suns and scorched by Aslatic
winds-in fact, be has besn everywhere
and done pretty near everything that any
| traveller ever did do. But india is about
| the hottest country he has ever struck.
and Bombay was the place where he ate
| that Christmas dinner in that dainty sum-
mer suit. a
NICE MAN TO TALK 70.
few DAYS ago when the bricks were
melting together and tho sun was scorch-
| ING Richmond and all her inhabitants, the
representative Of the DIsPAToH 6ethought
himself OF Mr.. Coulling and OF that
| LAND that is hotter than this" 1t was a
consolation TO recall q country warmer
| than Virginia was Just then, and go the re-
porter determined to hear ell about 1t and
| to obtain every detail concerning that
| tropical kingdom.
| Mr. Coulling, who. by the way, is most
| clever talker and cultivated gentleman.
| was foupd in his Office. He was deyoting
| his time partly TO writing and largely to
| fighting the flies, which seemed to have
| decided by a unanimous vote that he was
the choicest DIT of humanity they had
ever bitten.
Yes. Hi tell you about It," said Mr.;
Coulhng, after the usual courtesies had
heen exchanged "it's about the hottest
place on earth. Bombay is powerfully
warm" he added, with a great stress on
the powerfully" Il was there in the
winter, and the range of the thermometer
even then was equally as hlg0 as ~ Is mere
now. Goodness knows whas 1t IS IN the
summer-lts too blooming not 70 eyer
| look at the thermometer. lEuess u nad
been there at that season would have
escaped this interview.
THE FEARFUL HEAT IN SUMNER.
YES continued Mr.. Ooulling. the
heat is positively overpowerlng 10 Tor
egners in the summer. and few OF them can
survive il. Those who reside in Bombay
| for the most part leaYe the town during
theqe dangerous months, and he few wEo
remain sit under punkahs all the time"
"Under pumpknSf" excitedly exclaimed
| the reporter. whose acquaintance with
| foreign languages is rather detective,
| mo. punkahs," repeated Mr.. Coul!ing,
smiling. II mean the big fans whlch arc
| kept constantly IN motiod D. ne Coones.
| The people sleep under them. ear under
them. and work under thcIn-they are in-
dispeusable."
"YOn can gain some idea of the heat in
/ Bombay added blr. CyfiAdA, wien J
tell you that they even have to put some
thing over the horses heads to keep them
from getting sunstruck."
After having heard this much about the
great Indian city, which has population
| of nearly million. the reporter 5esouIht
| the much-travelled young man to tell
something more ABOUT DUMMY
HOW THE PLACE WAS NAMED.
when the early Portuguese nayigators
roupded Colaba Point replied the globe
trotter. they exclaimed Bonn Bahia,
which in their tongue means beautiful
| bay, and from this comes the Anglocized
name of Bombay. Unfortunately for me.
my entrance into Bombay was not by
water. Hence my first view of the city
was not from a position which enabled me
| TO get a grand panorama of the bay or OF
the hills around the town dressed in the
nernetual green of tropical foliage or the
yery MAGNIFICENT public buildings which
adorn the European business and govern
mental quarter Of the city. These build
ines make Bombay the handsomest town
| in the Orient. My entry WAS by rail from
Calcntta. and was first through the out
skirtg of the city. The railroad station
| into which the train runs IS by large odds
the bsndsomest depot | have ever seen,
| and was built By the great Indian PENN
sular line at a cost of Sl,5o0,0OO or moro. IT
is said. Some of our American stations
strike me as being. maybe, little more
conveniently arranged than this one. bnt
none are so handsomely finished IN marble
and tiles and frescoes OF various colors.
From the station TO Watson's Hotel tho
drive is through one of the handsomest
business streets of the city, and one does
not see much Of the native quarter. which,
10 us of the West, IS the most interesting
part of Bombay"
SOMETHING ABOUT AN INDIAN HOTEL.
Did Won strike a good hotel ?" querled
the reporter.
"Wstson's Hotel was the principal hostel
rv in Bom hay at the time OF which speak.
and is very pleasantly situated. as it faces
square with the principal government
md public buildings. such as the library,
university. and sailors home. Around II
or in close proximity and hundred yards
to one side IS the drive and walkwoy. which
IS along the water side. and following
which one can go from the Apollo Bunda
Handing stage for all passengers and bag
gage arriving by sea- through the Maldan
1the Indian lr ne for an open field. where
there are athletic sports OF various kinds
going on IN the afternoon. Young JohD
Rull' no matter where be is aud how the
weather may be, will have cricdet, foot
ball. and such like.
But you asked something of the hotel
and life therein. Strange II NAV SOUND,
but Watson's Hotel was made IN England;
so far as its iron frame goes. and intended
for San Francisco, was told. While not
especially suited for tropical hosiery,
vet ore can be very comfortable at q cost
of about $3.50 per diem, and have room
with bath attached. For % one can get
very fair room and free bath in one OF the
many bathrooms in the hotel for the use
of guests. The dining-rooms are fairly
large and are high-pItched, and the pun,
kah is kept going, and one Is cool and
comfortable. although il is summer heat
and above at oil seasons.
SERVANTS ARE EASY TO GET.
"Should Bombay be the first point in
India touched by the western traveller
continued Mr.. Coulllng. "he will be much
troubled by natives applying for posi-
ton as gentleman's servant, and you me-
know that everybody has servant in In
dia. Your applicant may be Mahomme-
dan, or q Hindoo from Bombay, or o
Madrase. or O Goaness, but no matter
whence he comes he is apt to be rascal.
and no matter his age he is called boy.
In this connection it may be well TO say
that the Goapese arc from the Portu-
puese possession of Goa. little state
south of Bombay. This State aud its
half breed Catholic population is about
ali that is left 10 Portugal of her once vast
Indian possessions. She who was some
time shief in the land of the Brahmin Is
now about the least of the nations of the
world. Although the Indian servant got