15$ 
the town-houses have been almost deserted by the English, who 
reside entirely at their country villas; the gentlemen only go to the 
fort in the morning, to transact their business; devoting the even- 
ing to domestic pleasure, and convivial meetings at their garden- 
houses. 
The large bazar, or the street in the black-town, within the 
fortress, contained many good Asiatic houses, and shops stood 
with merchandize from all parts of the world, for the Europeans 
and natives. These shops were generally kept by the Indians, 
especially the Parsees; who, after paying the established import 
customs, were exempted from other duties. 
Bombay was then one of the first marts in India, and employed 
a great number of vessels in its extensive commerce; Bussorah, 
Muscat, Ormuz, and other ports in the Persian Gulph, furnished 
its merchants with pearls, raw-silk, Cannenia wool, dates, dried 
fruits, rose water, oltar of roses, and several other productions. 
Arabia supplied them with coffee, gold, drugs, and honey. A 
number of ships annually freighted with cotton and bullion to 
China, returned laden with tea, sugar, porcelain, wrought silks, 
nankeens, and a variety of useful and ornamental articles. From 
Java, Malacca, Sumatra, and the eastern islands, they brought 
spices, ambergris, perfumes, arrack, and sugar: the cargoes from 
Madagascar, the Comorro isles, Mosambique, and other ports on 
the eastern coast of Africa, consisted chiefly of ivory, slaves, and 
drugs: while the different parts of India produced cotton, silk, 
muslin, pearls, diamonds, and every precious gem; together with 
ivory, sandal-wood, pepper, cassia, cinnamon, and other luxuries 
This valuable commerce was carried on by vessels belonging to 
x 
