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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.
Every day's experience of the climate of Bombay assures me that, in
what is called the cold season, at least, it is the most treacherous
in the world; and that, moreover, its dangers are not sufficiently
guarded against by the inhabitants. Cold weather, such as takes place
during the period from November to March, in all parts of Bengal, is
not felt here, the days being more or less sultry, and tempered only
by cold, piercing winds.
The land-wind, which blows alternately with the sea-breezes, comes
fraught with all the influences most baneful to health; cramps,
rheumatic pains, even head-aches and indigestion, brought on by cold,
are the consequences to susceptible persons of exposure to this wind,
either during the day or the night:
