FIRST IMPRESSIONS 



which he can avail himself at any time. The chief ad- 

 vantage, and in fact object, of this system being that as 

 the whole of this leave is on full pay, the recipient can 

 afford the expense of his passage home and back, and if 

 he travels by the mail, gives him six clear weeks at home. 

 But I am afraid I have rather wandered from my story, 

 so must now come back to it. 



Every Englishman landing for the first time in Bombay, 

 must necessarily be struck with the extraordinary con- 

 trast it presents to any city or cities he may be acquainted 

 with either in England or even on the Continent, for despite 

 its reputation as the most European of the three Presidential 

 capitals of India, the Oriental atmosphere about it is quite 

 as marked as that of Madras or Calcutta, though possibly 

 its European population in proportion to its size is 

 larger and, to use the modern comprehensive phrase, more 

 up-to-date which is but natural seeing that it lies three 

 days by land and several by sea, closer to London and Paris, 

 the recognized centres of civilization. 



In the matter of public institutions, such as Clubs and 

 Hotels, Bombay, at the time I write of, was, and probably 

 is still, far ahead of its two sister cities ; the Byculla and 

 Yacht Clubs being well known for their excellence, while 

 Watson's hotel, at that time the only institution worthy 

 of the name in India, had a wide and well-merited reputation 

 for comfort and excellence of its cuisine. 



But even while enjoying these comforts, not to say 

 luxuries, products proper of Western civilization, the 

 newly-arrived traveller will find it difficult to forget he is 

 in the East, for the irritating mosquito buzzing continu- 

 ously around him, or a cockroach two inches long at 

 least scurrying across the matted floor, would in them- 

 selves be sufficient to remind him of the fact. 



But there is evidence more conclusive still in the huge, 

 lofty rooms, with whitewashed walls all bare and punkahs 

 swinging overhead, to say nothing of the white-jacketed 

 black waiters " Boys " as they are termed, though some 

 seem perilously near the limit of three-score years and ten 

 who, barefooted and silent, perform their duties with a 

 willingness and promptitude difficult to extract from their 

 smarter brethren in the West. 



5 



