BOMBAY.—THE TOWERS OF SILENCE.—A PARSEE SCHOOL.—CAVES OF ELEPHANTA.—SNAKE-CHARMERS.—FAREWELL TO INDIA.
A week passed pleasantly and quickly at Bombay, where there was much to be seen of a novel character. Bombay is unlike any other city of India, as will be discovered from the account of Frank and Fred, which we are permitted to use in our closing chapter:
BOMBAY AND ITS ENVIRONS.
"The name of this city is supposed to be derived from Bonne Baie (Good Bay, or Harbor), which it was called by the Portuguese more than 300 years ago. The harbor is the finest in all India, as it is twelve or fourteen miles long, by five or six in width; the city stands on an island about the length and shape of the one where New York is built, and in other respects it reminds you of the commercial metropolis of the United States. Bombay has its business section at the lower end, and its residences elsewhere, very much as we find things in New York; it has its Stock Exchange and other places of speculation, and when we went to the Apollo Bunder, or general landing-place, we were reminded of Whitehall and Castle Garden. The creek that separates it from the main-land, or rather from the larger island of Salsette, has been bridged over, like the Harlem River, and the railway comes into Bombay, very much as it does into New York. We could make other comparisons, but the above are sufficient to show that we feel at home in this great city of India.
"The lower part of Bombay is called the Fort, and it had a good right to have that name down to within the past twenty years. Bombay was the first settlement of the English in India; it was bought by the Portuguese from the Moslems, who conquered it near the end of the fourteenth century, and held by them till 1562, when it was given as a part of the dowry of a Portuguese princess on her marriage with King Charles II. of England. When the East India Company began operations it rented the island of Bombay from the king for ten pounds a year, and continued to pay that rental till 1858, when the Company went out of existence. A fort was built on the lower end of the island, just as one was built about the same time at New Amsterdam (afterward New York), and it stood there till the invention of modern artillery made it useless as a place of defence. Many fine buildings have been erected on the site of the fort and on its esplanade, and as you wander about the streets you are constantly impressed with the business activity that prevails.
A PARSEE MERCHANT.
"In the Fort there are many fine public buildings that must have cost a great deal of money; there are some nice bungalows, or private residences, at Byculla, which may be called the Fifth Avenue of Bombay, and also on Malabar Hill, which corresponds to the upper part of Manhattan Island, in the vicinity of the Boulevard. They tell us that during the American Civil War there was the wildest kind of speculation in Bombay, and enormous fortunes were made and lost; when the crash came everybody suffered; and even to-day the city has not wholly recovered. The high price of cotton caused everybody to speculate in it, and for a while Bombay appeared to be the most prosperous city in the world.
"We will try to tell what we have seen since we came here, but there is so much of it that we shall be sure to forget something.
"To begin at the beginning, the first thing that attracted our attention was the great number of Parsees; we had seen them before in Calcutta, Hong-Kong, and other cities, but when we got to Bombay we found the streets full of them. Doctor Bronson says there are about 700,000 inhabitants in Bombay, and the Parsees are thought to be not far from 70,000; then there are 450,000 Hindoos, 120,000 Moslems, and 25,000 Europeans, while the balance is made up of various Eastern races and nationalities. So you see the Parsees are a tenth of the population, and we are told that at least half the wealth of Bombay is in their hands. Bombay is often called the City of the Parsees, and not by any means without good reason.
"The Parsees came originally from Persia, where they had been persecuted for their religious belief; they settled at Surat, and from there a good many of them came to Bombay and to other places along the coast, and it is thought that at least half of all the Parsees in India are in this city. They are sometimes called fire-worshippers, on account of their reverence for fire, and the worship they give to the sun, as the emblem of life. They regard fire as sacred, and will do nothing to degrade it; no good Parsee will venture to smoke, and it is an act of rudeness or ignorance to offer him a cigar or cigarette, or to light a cigar while talking with him. The Parsees are the shrewdest merchants of the East, and a large part of the business of Bombay is in their hands; the leading Parsee houses have branches in London and other European cities, as well as in China and the Far East generally. In every way they are the most influential of all the native inhabitants of Bombay, and are steadily gaining in intelligence and prominence. When they fled to India they brought the sacred fire with them, and it has been kept burning in their temples ever since.
PARSEE SCHOOL CHILDREN.
"Doctor Bronson found an old friend from New York,[9] who had been for ten years a resident of Bombay; through his assistance and in his company we were taken to the cemetery of the Parsees, on Malabar Hill, where we saw their strange way of disposing of the dead. He also took us to a Parsee school, where we saw lots of bright-eyed children, and heard them recite their lessons, which they did very prettily, although the language was one we did not understand. The little girls and boys 'spoke their pieces' just as girls and boys do at a school examination in Massachusetts or New York, and were quite as proud of the medals and prizes that were given to them. The afternoon we spent in visiting the Parsee school was one of the most interesting of our stay in Bombay.
"Very naturally, we were most interested in the girls; they were from eight to twelve years old, and had keen, intelligent faces. Nearly all were pretty as pinks—brown-hued pinks, we may say, as the most of the complexions had a brunette tinge. Each head was covered with a gold-embroidered cap, and the rest of the costume was quite Oriental, as it consisted of loose trousers, with a white or embroidered frock. The recitations and songs were given in a manner highly creditable to the tiny ladies, and with almost perfect coolness and self-possession. As each little miss—we don't know the Parsee word for miss—came forward to receive her prize she bowed gracefully, and marched off to her seat with all the dignity of a princess. And we call these people ignorant heathen!
"On leaving the school, we were invited to visit the 'Towers of Silence' on Malabar Hill, where the Parsees dispose of their dead: it was arranged that we should be at the gate of the cemetery at seven o'clock on the following morning, when one of the prominent Parsees to whom we had been introduced would meet us. We were there at the appointed time, and so was the gentleman who was to accompany us through the place.
"The Parsees do not bury their dead, but expose the bodies to be eaten by birds. The gentleman explained why they did this, and we cannot do better than use his own words, as nearly as we remember them.
"'This mode of sepulture,' said he, 'was adopted because it was thought the most appropriate and satisfactory. Hindoos burn their dead, but we consider fire sacred, and would not use it for any ignoble office. The earth is the mother of mankind, the producer of the fruits and vegetables on which we live, and the burial of the dead in it is a defilement and an injury. Cemeteries are acknowledged everywhere to be unhealthy, and I believe you have much discussion concerning them in Europe and America. When a body is exposed here it is quickly devoured, and there are none of the gases that arise from cremation or decomposition, nor is the earth defiled in any way. So we regard this as the best way of disposing of our dead.'
"This explanation was made while we were standing in a building near the entrance of the grounds, where the sacred fire is kept burning on an altar; a part of the building forms a temple, to which funeral parties come to say their prayers, and there are several rooms where the priests and attendants bathe and change their apparel. From the windows there is a fine view of the bay and the country surrounding the city, and a neat garden shows that the attendants of the place are not idlers.
A PARSEE TOWER OF SILENCE, NEAR TEHERAN.
"The other structures in the enclosure are the famous Towers, nine in number, about twelve feet in height and thirty in diameter. In the side of each tower is a double door of iron, where the bearers enter with the bodies of the dead; through these doors no person, not even a Parsee, with the exception of the attendants, is permitted to look; and if any one passes within twenty yards of a tower he is required to bathe and change his clothing before leaving the grounds. This is not a superstitious notion, but is intended to prevent the spread of contagious diseases; and so great is the precaution, that the bearers and priests are required to go through the ceremony of purification after each funeral.
"On the tops of two or three towers, those most in use, a lot of vultures were sitting and waiting the arrival of the funeral processions: they are so eager to perform their work that they sometimes attack the bearers, and the latter always carry stout sticks for defending themselves. Our conductor told us that within an hour after the closing of the doors on a body nothing remains but the bones, and these are swept into a well in the centre of the tower, where they gradually decay.
"We took a walk among the towers, being careful not to go inside the prohibited limit, and then returned to the entrance. Before we left the grounds our guide showed us a model of one of the towers, and as he did so he told us that the system was not invented by the Parsees of Bombay, but was brought from Persia by their ancestors. The towers in Persia are entered over the top by means of ladders placed against the sides, and not through doors, as in the present instance. The funerals take place at sunrise or sunset—never in the night, and rarely in the middle of the day.
"The subject is not a pleasant one; but so much has been said about the Parsees and their mode of sepulture, that we feel justified for what we have written. From all we have been able to observe, the Parsees are not fanatical on any religious subject, but they carefully preserve their dress and original customs, and are evidently very earnest in their respect for themselves and their ancestry. There are no more intelligent men in Asia than the Parsees. At least, that is what those who know them best are ready to say.
A BUNDER-BOAT.
"From the 'Towers of Silence' we went to see the hospital for animals, which is a Parsee institution for sheltering all domestic animals that are in need of help. The theory of the charity is an excellent one, but the practice did not strike us favorably. There were many animals closely penned together, and the places where they were kept were not at all clean. There were dozens and dozens of dogs, the most of them ill-conditioned curs, in all stages of canine diseases. They receive no animal food, which would be contrary to Parsee principles, and evidently they do not relish boiled rice. Sheds and stalls were crowded with horses, cows, oxen, sheep, and other domestic animals, some of them suffering from incurable disease or injury. There were twice as many occupants of the place as could be comfortably accommodated. The hospital was founded on principles of humanity and kindness, but its practical working leaves much to be desired.
"Every visitor to Bombay hears of the benevolence of one of its Parsee merchants, who accumulated an immense fortune in the China trade, and used a large part of it for the benefit of the public. He built and endowed two large hospitals; constructed at his own expense the stone bridge that connects Bombay with the island of Salsette; contributed very liberally to the fund for the relief of the sick and wounded soldiers during the Crimean war, and was famous for many other charities. So great was his liberality and public spirit, that the Queen recognized his merits by conferring on him the honors of knighthood, and afterward raising him to the rank of a baronet. His name, Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, is rather difficult for American lips to pronounce; but it is familiar as a household word in the mouth of every old resident of Bombay. There is a statue to his memory in one of the public places of Bombay, but his greatest monument is in the hospitals he endowed and the public works he created.
"A study of Bombay would be incomplete without a visit to the famous Caves of Elephanta. Formerly it was necessary to go to them in a bunder-boat, as they are situated on an island seven miles from the bund or landing-place; and as the wind could not be depended on, the excursion was of uncertain length. At present you can hire a steam-launch for about seven dollars, and it will easily accommodate four persons, with their guide, and this is what we did. Steam seems to be driving sails out of use everywhere, even in unprogressive India, and the bunder-boat gives way to the launch, just as the clipper-ship does to the ocean steamer.
THE CAVES OF ELEPHANTA.
"We had a pleasant run across the harbor, and in due time reached the end of the stone causeway that leads up to the caves. The island takes its name from the statue of an elephant that formerly stood nearly half-way from the landing to the caves; it is about five miles in circumference, and is occupied by a hundred inhabitants or so, who raise sheep and poultry to sell in Bombay. The caves are about 250 yards from the water, and consist of a series of temples hewn from the solid rock, or rather of one large temple, with smaller ones at each side. From the entrance to the rear of the cavern it is 123 feet, and the width of the whole is said to be 130 feet. We do not know by whom they were made, but the general belief is that they were excavated about a thousand years ago.
"Stone pillars support the roof, and the interior is so dark that torches are needed for exploring it. The walls are covered with sculptures in bold relief, and both sculptures and pillars have been greatly injured; it is said that the Portuguese placed cannon at the entrance of the cave, and fired solid shot into the temple for several hours, in order to destroy the work of the idolaters. At present the cave is carefully protected, and guards are constantly on the lookout to prevent injury by visitors.
"The sculptures show that the temple, or at any rate a part of it, was devoted to the worship of Siva, one of the Hindoo divinities, as his figure appears in several places, and there are numerous emblems such as we find in his temples elsewhere. There is a three-headed bust to represent the Hindoo trinity—Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva—and in one place there is a figure of Buddha, which is thought to be more modern than the rest. Some persons think this temple is older than the Caves of Ellora, while others believe that Ellora is the more ancient. Nobody can tell, and perhaps it is not of much consequence after all, as either of the works is venerable enough for modern visitors.
COTTON MARKET AT BOMBAY.
"The hotel where we stop is the resort of snake-charmers, jugglers, and others, who hope to pick up a little money by amusing the visitors; of course they are not allowed to enter the building, but they gather in front of it, especially after breakfast and during the afternoon, so that we can have a performance at any time at very little cost. We had heard a great deal about the wonderful skill of the East Indian jugglers, and have missed no opportunity of seeing them when there was a prospect of something marvellous, but, from all we have observed, we unhesitatingly declare that they do not equal Hermann, Blitz, and other sleight-of-hand exhibitors in the United States.
"Travellers have written about the basket trick, in which a boy enters a basket just large enough to hold him; the performer then begins a conversation with the boy, which becomes more and more violent as it proceeds, and finally a sword is thrust into the basket and apparently pierces the occupant. He screams, and calls out that he is killed. The sword is thrust in again and again; the boy's screams become fainter and fainter, and finally cease, and it is supposed that he has been killed. The basket is soon after lifted, and found to be empty, and the boy appears in the crowd of by-standers. We have seen this trick two or three times, and in each instance there was plenty of opportunity for the boy to escape before the conversation began, and, of course, the screams could be made to come from the basket by means of ventriloquism. In another basket trick the boy remains in the basket, and the sword is handled in such a manner as to avoid touching him.
"A trick more difficult to explain is that of making a tree grow in a short time. The juggler takes a common pot filled with earth, and plants a mango-seed in the centre; then he squats in front of it, and begins playing on a musical instrument, or perhaps he sits perfectly still and looks at the ground. In a minute or so the earth in the centre of the pot swells, and then bursts, so as to show the plant springing from the seed; the shoot appears and rises slowly, and it grows and grows, till at length the leaves come out, the blossoms form, the fruit shapes itself, ripens, and is plucked off and handed to the spectators. The whole process of growth, from the planting of the seed to the ripening and plucking of the fruit, occupies about half an hour, and the performer does not touch the pot or bring his hand near the tree until the fruit is to be plucked.
SERPENTS DANCING TO MUSIC.
"Snake-charmers are numerous, and we have looked at them till we are tired of their performances. They carry small baskets about the size and shape of a Cheshire cheese, and with loose covers over the top, as we have previously described. The basket is placed on the ground and the cover removed, while the performer squats by its side and begins playing on a sort of flute. In a few moments the cloths in the basket begin to move, and the head of a cobra rises slowly from among them; the music continues, and in a little while the snake has come quite out of the basket, and is standing as erect as a snake can stand before its master. He makes a sort of dancing motion, and is evidently fond of the flute, as he lowers his head and goes back to the basket when the man ceases playing.
"While the snake is dancing the man suddenly drops the flute, and, at the same instant, grasps the snake around the neck. The snake becomes enraged, and at the first opportunity bites its master on the hand; the latter appears greatly excited, and rubs the wound with a stone, which is said to be an antidote against snake-bites, and he offers to sell it to you for a high price. The fact is, the snake is perfectly harmless, as his fangs have been removed, and he might bite the performer a hundred times over without the least injury. The snake-charmers wind the strange pets around their necks and bodies, and play with them in many ways; and when all their tricks are concluded the serpents are returned to the baskets, and a collection is taken for the benefit of the showman.
"These cobras, like their kindred in Ceylon, have a great fondness for houses, and it makes little difference to them whether the places they inhabit belong to Europeans or natives. It makes you feel uncomfortable to think a deadly cobra may be under your feet as you walk on the grass, or may enter your room while you are sleeping. The other day we were breakfasting with a gentleman whose bungalow is on Malabar Hill, and after breakfast the conversation turned on snakes; he told us of the habit of the cobra, and while we were talking on the subject a snake-charmer came along and wished to give a performance. The gentleman told him we had already witnessed the tricks of the business, but if he could find a snake about his premises he would pay him. We went to the veranda at the rear of the bungalow, and the charmer squatted on the ground and began playing on his flute; in a few minutes the head of a cobra appeared from beneath the bungalow, and as the music went on he crawled slowly out and stood erect in front of the charmer. Quick as a flash the man dropped his flute, and grasped the snake firmly by the neck; it was all the work of an instant, and before we knew what he was about the snake was his prisoner. Holding him firmly by the neck, he brought him near us, and forced his mouth open, so as to exhibit the terrible fangs, with the bags of poison at their base. Our host accepted this as a proof that the snake was not, as is frequently the case, the property of the performer, and had been secretly let loose in order that he might be caught.
"As soon as he had shown us the fangs, the man took a pair of pincers from the folds of his dress and removed the poisonous teeth; then he placed the prize in his basket, as our host had no use for it, and with a couple of rupees as a reward for his services, departed.
"If the snake had succeeded in biting the man his life would have been in great danger, as the poison is much more violent than that of the rattlesnake, and is generally fatal. Prompt application of antidotes will sometimes counteract its effects, but is by no means sure to do so; the snake-charmers have a few antidotes known only to themselves, while the English physicians make use of arsenic, in pills of one grain each, or apply Fowler's solution, and they also give large doses of alcoholic and other stimulants, in the same way that rattlesnake bites are treated in America. Our host said that from fifteen to twenty thousand lives are lost in India every year by the bites of venomous serpents. It is very rarely the case that Europeans are bitten, for the reason that they walk about very little, and besides, they are always clothed, and have their feet covered with shoes, while the natives are barefooted.
"It is getting late, and we must stop writing. We could tell more about snakes if we had time and space; more about Bombay, and a great deal more about India. It is a vast country; and though we have seen many things since we entered it, we feel there is much more that we have not seen. How could it be otherwise, when the population of India includes not far from a fifth of the whole human race, and comprises so many kinds and tribes of men that we are lost in the attempt to enumerate and describe them? We have told all we could in the short time at our disposal for observation and writing out the result, and if you want more knowledge about this wonderful land we must refer you elsewhere.
"To-morrow we leave Bombay by steamer. Doctor Bronson says we go under 'sealed orders,' as ships of war sometimes do when it is desired to conceal their destination, and our orders will be opened when we are out of sight of land. We cannot say what are his reasons for thus concealing our future movements, but we know they are entirely proper, and therefore we are satisfied. Of course you will hear from us again; you have indicated your satisfaction at what we have sent home heretofore, and consequently we shall be encouraged to continue our descriptions of the countries it may be our fortune to visit.
"And so we say good-bye to India, and good-bye, for the present, to friends at home."
FAREWELL TO INDIA.