Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-02
BOMBAY DURING
THE PLAGUE

There are W. Bombays Just now.
There will be two during the twenty or
fifty years that the plague may last
bombay, the Rainbow City, and Bonn
bay, the Horrible. The latter phase Is
now uppermost. While the plague lasts
Bombay must continue dark and hide
Gus. shaded by the vulture wings Of
death. tainted in water. soil, air and food
with the bacii Of pestilence. strewn
with dead like arbattleiield wherein hum
ger. NTH and fatallsm join hands With
epidemic to decimAte the human swarm,
writes Julian Ralph In Harper's Maya.
zine.
This phase has already lasted four
years. The head and heart OF social life
is Government House. the seat of the
governor. who ranks next but one to the
viceroy in the official scale in India,
His dinners, dances and receptions are
the chief fashionable events, though very
nae nails are given at the Byculla club.
Government House is on a point Of land
dividing the sea and the harDor and here
Is at once a park n a strong hidden
fort.fication. The palace buildings conn
prise several bungalows for the gov-
ernor, the members of his staff. his SER
military bands Through the. courtesy
Of Lord CHARACTERIZATION, secretary OF
state for India FL the Gritish, government
I was enabled o1nneet Lord Sandhurst on
the ~pleasantest footing and enjoyed the
spectacle Of a formal dance at Govern
ment House. a lunch with him and an
afternoon drive through Bombay, during
which he told me, as few Others could
have done. the facts about the relations
between the government and the people,
about the fearful epidemic which has
made his regime most difficult and dell.
cate to carry on, and about the manners
and customs of those OF whom lie always
spoke humanity az ''his people" AS I
drove away, rounding the curve of the
harbor, a long, high wall, as of some an.
cient city, rose before me, and the skv
above pulsatsd. with red flashes. Chris
OF black smoke rose to. emerge into a
danse Jet cloud. which drew it's miles OF
length over the bay and beneath the blue
heavens.
"Barster! Marster!" cried my bearer:
'"see fire! see SNAKE. Plenty Hindoo man
burning up. All plague bodies. Plenty
busy. Want see?'
Remember that the incense of the ball
was fresh in my n~ostrils, the odor of the
flowers, the perfume of a hundl - Bond
street seems. The melody Of the last
waltz still vibrated in my ears, nd I
could close my eyes and still see the
swaying' figures Of the bellies and soldiers
whom / had but just left behind me.
Want see, marster? Very curious"
Yes. bearer; jump down." I replied
for I cannot pick and choose, but must
see everything to suit the eager variety
~ taStes. ~ serving WHICH Il am but a
handle of the spoon. Through a gate
in ths wall the bearer disappeared. we
followed, stumbling up some steps lin the
darkness. and coming upon four half
naked Hindoos crouching before a little
fire. These were the men whose bust.
ness 1t was to build and light the stacks
OF frewood for the dead, who now come
IN such numbers that mere is often a
waiting line" though The fires blaze
night ana day. n without a pause, like
those on the affairs OF the Parsis
This thick notes of crude bells rung to
speed the souls of the cracking. dead.
the swapping and opping CT the 1rewood
and the soft but very parvasive roar Of
the great pyres filled the air. We turned
and faced 4 high -blazini pyres. It
vas the bearer who counted them aloud.
WhiIs we stood silent, amazed n hor-