182 DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY. 



Entering the city, on the afternoon of arrival, I found 

 every thing wearing the aspect of age and business. Some 

 of the shops and warehouses were extensive and made a 

 fine display. The streets were not straight by many a 

 crook, and they contained a great deal more than a whole- 

 some accumulation of filth. The houses were generally 

 built in the style initiated by the Portuguese. The upper 

 stories projected beyond the lower ; and the verandahs 

 were supported on pillars. The roofs were sloped and tiled. 

 I ascertained that the poor classes lived in huts of clay, 

 upon the skirts of the city. Towering above all was the 

 splendid pagoda of Momba Devi, one of the most remark- 

 able structures I had yet beheld. 



In our walk from the landing to a hotel, we saw but 

 few whites, and most of them were English sailors. The 

 people who seemed to being doing all the business were 

 Parsees, a comely, tall, active race ; fairer than the other 

 natives ; mild in their manners, but bold and persevering 

 in enterprise. Mr. Barrill informed me that they were the 

 descendants of the Ghebers, or fire- worshippers, of Persia, 

 and that they have a number of temples dedicated to their 

 singular religion. Strange to say, these people are gene- 

 rally acknowledged to be the best provided and most moral 

 of all the natives of India. The Hindoos and the Ma- 

 homedans attracted my attention by the peculiar charac- 

 ter of their costume. The former had an extremely de- 



