Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10

told that one sharp-tongued lady visitor,
rather piQued at their exclusiveness. had
afterward spoken Of the sacred semicircle
as the place where the wild asses quench
their thirst"
The view from the terrace as the sun set
and moonlight turned the bay to silver was
one hard to forget: the distant hills and
islands. the masts and rigging Of the ships
beautiful lawns, high hedges and vine-cov-
cred club house Of the nearer scene.
The people of Bombay are certainly most
nospitaoie, and many were our Invitations
while We were there.
Swells Of Malabar Hill.
Almost every one Of consequence lives
on Malabar Hill, promontory covered
with bungalows surrounded with beautiful
gardens about a half hours drive from
the city. The very good road shaded by
huge trees skirts the bay and is pleasant at
all times Of the day. Each bungalow has
Its owners name printed on the entrance
gate. so we had little trouble in discovering
our friends the first day we took tea with
them. and we found the house Of one story
only, with huge drawing room. dining room
and entrance hall in the middle sleeping
rooms with their attendant bath and dress
ing rooms. opening OFF at both sides and a
very broad veranda with matched roof COW
cred with Towering vines running the length
OF the house both back and front, and on
HoS nights uSeO as sleeping room. IN
front of the bungalow was lovely fernery
covered with loosely woven mating and
containing every variety Of fern from the
tree fern on. At the back stretched beau
uful garden filled with tropical flowers.
among others the alemanda. The stables
and servants quarters were beyond the
fernery. screened of by a high hedge of
banana trees.
Their houses consisted Of one room. plas-
tered neatly, and before the door squatted
the owner, with very little on, and his
household goods, in the shape of the most
brilliantly polished brass jars and boxes, or
pots, about him. Here and there played q
deliciousy plump brown baby, absolutely
clothesless and invariably pretty and at
tractive; and over all waved the peaceful
leaves of date palm, growing close to q
thicket of hibiscus bushes. covered with
huge, brilliant blossoms. The heavy fra
GRANGE of tropical flowers filled the air,
mingled, I must say, with the undesirable
smell Of native. But the color, fragrance.
smell and native altogether make up this
most attractive of all countries-India.
A Horrible Spot.
On the way home we passed the high wall
which surrounds the Enclosure wherein are
the towers of silence" where the Parsis
expose the bodies Of their dead to be de-
vOured by vultures, and close by in the
high palms and MIN trees sat the disgust
ing birds, awaiting their meal. We were
tOIO tnat tHey are Certainly dHecteu III some
way by the diseases of the dead whom they
devOur, as they very soon die out and have
frequently to be renewed. Past the towers
Of silence we went and down through the
crowded native bazaar, where the inhabit-
ants were just beginning to set fire to their
tiny oil lamps; on through the grove Of
high palms and along the edge of broad
meadow dotted here and there with twin
king lights. low on the ground which. we
were told, lighted up the small camps Of
native gamblers, who assemble there each
night, and so on to our hotel, which we
reached just as the last glow Of sunset
faded out Of the sky and night closed in.
MARGARET STERLING.