The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-25

Description of bombay.
New York, January 24.--Cable adyces
from India state that within the past few
weeks the population of Bombay has been
cut In two by the ravagos of the buhonc
plague. II this be correct over $50, GOO lives
have been sacrificed. as the population OF
Bombay, at the 1891 census, was $50 00t
and It undoubtedly increased since those
| statistics were gathered. probably TO $780,
| 900.
| Yet Bombay has all along been APP
plauGed by the Anglo-Ipdan press as the
| first city of India. owing to its sanitary
| advantages. Experienced East Indians
| like Rudyard Kipling have held Bombay
| nm as an example of cleanliness to her
rival city, Calcutta. In kipling's story OF
| Calcutta called tho city Of Dreadful
Night" he makes a prominent feature OF
| what he bluntly terms fhe Big Calcntta
| stink" Yet the plarue wipes out 20 per
cent. weekly of Bombay's population. ana
, the natural conjecture is, what would be
the mortality in Calcutta should 1t gain
foothold in that city?
| bombay is usually considered the most
European of The Oriental cities. principal
Inv because of it's numerous manutacto-
RIGS. The city is situated on an island
of the same name. the island having an
area of fifty-nv square kilometcrs. Orig
inally It belonged to the Portuguese, they
having occupied it in 15S2. When the
Infanta Cathirina married Charles II 1t
passed into the possession OF Great brIt-
ain. IL being part of the dover OF the
royal bride.
4, this ti,nr the Island was reyarhod ~
worthless. and in consequence was trans
ferrcd to the East Inlia company for an
annual payment of cio, or $50. But ap-
prcciating its marine advantages the
East India company withdrew thelr
head Offices from Surat and made Bonn
bay its principal seat
From that time the fortunes or the
place have grown prodsioHsly. The in
PRODUCTION NJ steam navigation aud Tho
opening of the Sue2 canal marked cporhs
in it's development and today. in many
respects. ou,ranks Calcutta in imror-
lance and mp to the beginning OF me
plague was almost the oquh Oh the oluef
5 city In population.
bombay doomed tremendously as a re-
sui, of our civil war. Shut out from tho
cotton markets Of the Southern States.
) the English manufacturers turned to
BOMBAY for their supplies. This caused
the city to grow and flourish in an unpre
codented way and. Of course, there were
much Specializing and overirading. Then,
/ when our war ended and the cotton
States of the South resumed their normal
relations with England the commerce OF
Bombay suffered reaction and panic
but 1t speedily recovered ;rom these dis
" asteis. -.
= In turn the Southern cotton growers vii
= probably benefit by the plague in bombay
lust as the Western grain growers are ben
ctiting by the famine in Bengal. Inc cot
u ton growing country around Bombay ma
5 probably been decmated by the plague II
II the same proportion as the population y
mil nj
d which there are seventy, must have BEEF
1. forced to close their doors by the genera
l. sickness The first of these mills was es
tablshcd in 1854, and was paying ventur
from the outset Now there are thousand
/. nj looms and millions of spindles, giVin
d employment to s. 900 workmcn. From thi
Ia /, can be seen that Boubays mportane
u as a manufacturing center Is OF the mrs
. magnitude,
lie the island and fronts upon n harbor whi'
II las no peer the world over, not eNcep'h
the famed bay OF NAPLES the harpors y
rio Janeiro or New York. II was TN
= harhor which caused the East India com
10 many tn change its base, and the wisdor
In of the move has been abundantly proven.
T. Annroaching the city from the sea on tn
( western side. on the left Is Malabar pom
n n high ridge running out INTO tne sea Al
lie terraced TO the top by many splendid viiia
d. hinh command a magnificent view
IT. so,ithward is Kolaba point, and across u
intervening waters. known as Back DAY
o, rises the city. ,or
nd Rornding Kolaba point Is the wonuer
he mi harbor studded with craggy isiahni
a rrsat and small. and crowded with snil
en- ,ing The water space being fourteen mii'
a In length by Ave in breadth; some d's
h. ,arce across the harbor is the island
TO Flephanta. with many strange ana u'
Ill oanny caves -, ,ho ,itv 4
nv THE most curious part OF me Guy
NJ. Thai section called The Fort. whMh
rot strictly speaking, iortlhea place.
ali and its area is now occupied chIeu
= nv government buildings and mercah,i
AN ofaces, In this neighborhood are me 10"
hall the mint. the cathedral and inc GU
lust outside the fort is the Victori
2 terminus OF the Great indian fehinau
z ra,i,vay said TO be one OF the hne
structures of the kind in the worln a ~
erection having cost upward OF sho.o'v.
Passing IN the harbor there Is an e
tensiye system OF quays ana DOCKS, oi
a, which. Princes dock. Is repu'ea
have cost over So .000 900. Next com
z M,yspon bay. which commands me ma
hnr ard is the chief center OF the sn,
s,no interest. Everywhere are the sa,
~ numerous native craft. while IN
dooks themselves are the steamers "
Sozen steamship lines that ply petwe
pritain and the East: TO say NOUNS
- Foreign vessels, And here II may De nv