Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-22

ter. If he is so disposed. viii then give the
necessary Instructions. and an aid-de-
camp will send a chit they call g
note over here, inviting the traveller TO call
upon his excellency at his office or at the
government house an hour named
Much Formally.
There is a great deal of Formally In Of
fetal and social life over here. All the
ceremonies and etiquette are modelled upon
those OF the royal palaces in England. and
the governor of each province. as well as
the viceroy of India in Calcutta. has his
court.
different code of etiquette must be fol-
lowed in social relations with natives. be-
cause they do not usually open their houses
to strangers. Letters of introduction should
be sent with cards by messengers or
through the mails. Then. If the gentleman
to whom they are addressed desires he Will
call at your hotel. Many of the wealthier
natives. and especially the Parsees. are
adopting European customs. but the more
conservative Hindus still adhere TO their
traditional exclusive habits, their families
are invisible and never mentioned. and
strangers are never admitted to their
homes.
Natives are not admitted to the Euro
pean clubs. There is mingiing of the
races in society. except in a few Isolated
cases of wealthy families. who have adopt
Gated in Europe. While the same prejudice
does not exist Theoretically. there is actual
ly a social gulf as wide and as deep as that
which lies between white and black families
in Savannah or New Orleans. Occasionally
there is a marriage between a European
and a native, but the results have not en-
couraged others to initiate the example.
Such unions are not approved by public
sentiment In either race, and are not usu-
ally attended with happiness. Some of the
Parsees. who always excepted, and are
treated as distinct race and community,
mingle with Europeans to a certain degree.
but even In their case the line is sharply
drawn.
The hours for meals in India little
unusual. Coffee or tea Is served between &
and o'clock in the morning in your room;
breakfast in the dining room between 10
and IL; tiffin or lunch between 30 and
O'Clock, and dinner at s and $40 in the
evening.
In the Native District
The native district of Bombay is not so
dirty nor SO densely populated as in most
other Indian cities. The streets are wider
and some of them will admit of a carriage,
although the cross streets are nearly all too
narrow. The houses are from three to five
stories in height, built of brick or stone.
with overhanging balconies and broad
caves. Sometimes the entire front and rear
are of lattice work. the side walls being
solid. Few of them are plastered ceilings
are unknown and partitions. for the sake Of
promoting circulation seldom go more than
half way to the top of room There Is no
glass used. and every window has heavy
blinds to protect the interior from the hot
arr and the rays of the sun. Willie our
taste does not approve the ARRANGEMENTS in
many cases, experience has taught the peO-t
pie how to live through the hot summers
with the greatest degree of comfort and
any one who attempts to introduce inpova-
lions IS apt to make mistakes
lne fronts of many IF thu bouSao ora
handsomely carved and decorated the col
umns and pillars and brackets which sup
port the balconies. the railings. the door
frames. the caves and architrayes are often
peautiful examples of the carvers' skill and
the exterior walls are usually painted in
gay eolors and fanciful designs. Within
doors-t the houses look very bare to us and
contain few comforts.
The lower floor of the house is always
used for a shop. and different lines of BUSH
ness are classified and gathered In the same
neighborhood. The food market the gro
Gerry and provision dealers, the dealers in
cotton goods and other fabrics the silk
merchants. the shoe and leather men, the
workers in copper and brass. the goldsmiths
jewelers. and dealers in precious stones each
has its street quarter, which Is a great
convenience to purchasers, and scattered
among them are frequent cook shops and
eating places. which do not resemble our
restaurants In any way. but have a large
patronage. A considerable portion of the
population of Bombay; and the same is true
or all other Indian cities, depend upon these
cook shops for food as measure of econ
omy and convenience. People can send out
for dinner. lunch or breakfast at any hour
and have it served by their own servants
without being troubled to keep up kitchen
or buy fuel. 9 ..s r =
There are said to be 5000 dealers in Jew
elry and in precious stones in the city of
Bombay, and they all seem to be doing a
fourishing business, chiefly with the ma
tives. who very fond of display and
invest their money in precious stones and
personal adornments of gold and silver,
which are safer and give more satisfaction
than banks.
You can see specimens of every race and
nation in the native city. nearly always in
their own distinctive costumes, and they
are the source of never-ending interest
Arabs. Persians. Afghans. Rajpoots, Par
sees. Chinese. Japanese, Malays. Lascars.
negroes from Zanzibar, Madagascar and the
Congo, Abyssinians. Nubians, Sikhs TM-
betans. Burmese. Singalese. Siamese and
Bengalis mingle with Greeks and Europeans
on common terms. and. unlike the popula-
ton of most eastern Cities the people of
BOMBAY ALWAYS all seem to he busy