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India's religions and social characteristics. 235
mountain scenery sufficiently bold and diversified to
show a
striking contrast to the vaUey of the Ganges, and others of
India's lowlands through which we had passed. The country
now rougher and higher, the cultivation of the lands
changed, becoming better as we approached the western
coast, rice-fields giving place to wheat, millet, and other
grains. In Northern India, corn (^Indian maize) does finely.
There is an extensive network of railroads in this country
; and, what may seem singular, they are liberally patronized
by the natives. Brahmans, Mohammedans, Sikhs, and
poor Christians, rush into the " second-class " cars, riding as
cozily as the caged "happy family" of Barnum memory.
The steep grades, dark tunnels, dancing cascades, and heavily-wooded
hillsides, reminded us of home scenery in
England.
New
Reaching Bombay in the waning part of the day, a glance
convinced us that it was a seaport mart, aflame with business.
Numbering over six hundred thousand inhabitants,
this city is considered by the unprejudiced the most stirring
and progressive of any in India ; while the Pai-sees, whose
forefathers brought their holy fire with them from Persia
in the seventh century, now constitute one hundred thousand
of the city's population.
Acquisitive and enterprising,
much of the mercantile traffic of the East is under their
management. As there are no beggars among Shakers,
Quakers, and Jews, so there are none among the Parsees.
Going out leisurely upon the esplanade in early evening,
the streets are thronged with multitudes of Hindoos, Mussulmans,
Parsees, Indo-Europeans, English half-castes, with
occasionally a straggling American ; and all either on foot,
on horseback, or in gharries^ or queer, gaudily-decorated and
covered-in carriages drawn by bullocks. Costumes are gay
and varied. Jewelry, even to rings in the nose, is worn in
costly profusion. Wealthy Hindoos are lavish in dress, precious
stones, pearls, and diamonds. The bazaars here, with
their narrow streets, and filth, their trade and traffic in trin-