Residences for the Governor—­Parell—­Its Gardens—­Profusion of Roses—­Receptions at Government-house—­The evening-parties—­The grounds and gardens of Parell inferior to those at Barrackpore—­The Duke of Wellington partial to Parell—­Anecdotes of his Grace in India—­Sir James Mackintosh—­His forgetfulness of India—­The Horticultural Society—­Malabar Point, a retreat in the hot weather—­The Sea-view beautiful—­The nuisance of fish—­Serious effects at Bombay of the stoppage of the trade with China—­Ill-condition of the poorer classes of Natives—­Frequency of Fires—­Houses of the Parsees—­Parsee Women—­Masculine air of the other Native Females of the lower orders who appear in public—­Bangle-shops—­Liqueur-shops—­Drunkenness amongst Natives not uncommon here, from the temptations held out—­The Sailors’ Home—­Arabs, Greeks, Chinamen—­The latter few and shabby—­Portuguese Padres—­Superiority of the Native Town of Bombay over that of Calcutta—­Statue of Lord Cornwallis—­Bullock-carriages—­High price and inferiority of horses in Bombay—­Hay-stacks—­Novel mode of stacking

* * * * *

CHAPTER XII.

Bombay—­(Continued).

The Climate of Bombay treacherous in the cold season—­The land-wind injurious to health—­The Air freely admitted into Rooms—­The Climate of the Red Sea not injurious to Silk dresses—­Advice to lady-passengers on the subject of dress—­The Shops of Bombay badly provided—­Speculations on the site of the City, should the seat of Government be removed hither—­The Esplanade—­Exercise of Sailors on Shore and on Ship-board—­Mock-fight—­Departure of Sir Henry Fane—­Visit to a fair in Mahim Wood—­Prophecy—­Shrine of Mugdooree Sahib—­Description of the Fair—­Visit to the mansion of a Moonshee—­His Family—­Crowds of Vehicles returning from the Fair—­Tanks—­Festival of the Duwallee—­Visit to a Parsee—­Singular ceremony—­The Women of India impede the advance of improvement—­They oppose every departure from established rules—­Effect of Education in Bombay yet superficial—­Cause of the backwardness of Native Education

MEMOIR.

* * * * *

Experience has, especially of late years, amply refuted the barbarous error, which attributes to Nature a niggardliness towards the minds of that sex to which she has been most prodigal of personal gifts; the highest walks of science and literature in this country have been graced by female authors, and, perhaps, the purity and refinement which pervade our works of imagination, compared with those of former days, may not unjustly be traced to the larger share which feminine pens now have in the production of these works.  It would appear to countenance the heretical notion just condemned, to assume that a robust organization is essential to the proper development and exercise