rounded by gardens bursting with luxuriant vegetation,
amongst which acacise, palms, plantains, and
mango trees are common. The noise is very great,
and begins at an early hour in the morning; by five
o’clock one’s slumbers generally begin to be disturbed
but as the air is cool during the night, one seldom
rises before six or seven, when the barber and a cup
of tea make their appearance, and a plunge into the
cold bath is by no means the least important part
of one’s toilet,—awkward if the boy has omitted to
bring you towels, as once happened to me, and I had
to rush back dripping wet through a long passage in
very scanty attire. By the by, all servants in
India are called “ boy,” although they may be as old
as Methuselah.
After breakfast a buggie is hailed, and, if lucky
in the choice of a horse, there is much enjoyment
derived from an early drive, spinning along at the rate
of eight or ten miles an hour on a fine broad road,
dotted here and there with the unwieldy mansions of
some rich Parsee merchant, towards Malabar hill,
where many of the English families reside, luxuriating
in a steady sea breeze. Men of business generally
dispose of their limbs, when only going from one
ottice to another, by creeping into a palanquin, commonly
called palki, which reminds one very forcibly
THE BYCULLA CLUB. 21
of the narrow abode allotted to us on our last
journey. The natives are often seen driving in
small carts with an awning, drawn by two lilliputian
oxen.
The mercantile nabobs of this city live in great style,
a yacht and a villa at Matheran, the hill sanitarium of
Bombay, amidst lovely scenery, are considered almost
indispensable, and during the cooler season an afternoon
drive on the esplanade, enlivened by a military
band, is quite de rigeur, but I doubt much whether
many people would continue the custom if there were
anything else for them to do.
To a stranger the bright costumes worn by the
natives belonging to different States, nay, even the
peculiar dress of an Indian policeman, in his blue
coat, white trousers, and bright yellow turban, cat-
of-nine-tails in hand, often flourished about the ears
of those who interrupt his progress, even these, I
say, may interest at first, but the novelty soon wears
ofl. To be sure, there is the Byculla Club, of lofty
dimensions and elegant design, where, by the way,
ice and champagne cup seemed in great request ; but
unless one is fortunate enough in having acquaintances
amongst the members, one soon tires of the
pile of newspapers, and on looking round, one gener-
ally perceives that nearly every one is nodding under