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Part II, .15 Science in Short Chapters. - .20 Zanoni, bv Lord Lvlton, - - .20 A Daughter of Hetli. . - - .20 The Right andWrong Uses of the Bible. Rev. R. Heber Newton, .20 Night and Morning, Part I, - .15 Do. Do. " Part II, - .15 Shandon Bells, by Win. Black, - .20 Monica, by The Duchess. - - .10 Heart and Science. - .20 The Golden Calf. - - - .20 Dean's Daughter. - .20 Mrs. Geoffrey, by The Duchess, .20 Pickwick Papers. Part I, - - .20 Do Do. Part II, - - .20 Airv Fairy Lilian. - - .20 Macleod of Dai e. ... .20 Tempest Tossed, Pair 1. - - .20 Do. "II, - .20 Letters From High Latitudes. - .20 Gideon Fleyce, by Henry W. Lucy. - - 20 India and Ceylon, by E.Haeckel. .20 The Gypsy Queen, - ■ .20 The Admiral's Ward, by Mrs. Alexander, .-.".-• &} New York: JOHN W. L0VELL CO., 14 & 16 Vesey St. T WO GREAT NOVELS. GIDEON FLEYCE. By HENRY W. LUCY. 1 vol. 12mo. Handsome Paper Covers. No. 96 of Lovell's Library. 20c. "When 'Gideon Fleyce 1 has been read, the|answer will be that Mr. Lucy has sncceeded. He has devised an excellent plot, and he has told it ad- mirably. It is partly political ; it is partly a love story, though that element has comparatively a small share in it ; and it is a novel of incident. Mr. Lucy's comments upon political matters are delightful. " — Scotsman. " This is one of the cleverest novels we have read for a long time. The author is sure to take a high place among contemporary novelists, may perhaps some day prove his fitness to rank among the great masters of the craft." — Sheffield Independent. " The novel has remarkable constructive excellence and striking situations. The flow of easy humour and the extraordinary perception of the ridiculous possessed by the aut or have here most facile display.' 1 — Daily News. " A very clever novel, and full of promise as a first venture in fiction : a highly entertaining story, ' Gideon Fleyce ' is so much above the average of novels that the accession of its author — especially as the creator of " Napper," to the rank of writers of fiction is deserving of a very hearty welcome." — Academy. " That is a powerful scene, and the whole of the sensational plot of which this scene is the central point, is managed with an ingenuity worthy almost of Wilkie Collins."— Spectator. " An excellent story, which has the double interest of an exciting plot with telling episodes and of very clever analysis of character." — Times. THE GOLDEN SHAFT. By CHARLES GIBBON, Author of "Robin Gray," &c. 1 vol. 12mo. Handsome Paper Covers. No. 57 of Lovell's Library. 20c. " Mr. Gibbon is to be congratulated on the character of ' Fiscal ' Musgrave, which is as original as it is lifelike, and as attractive as it is original. The situation which chiefly displays it is well imagined, powerfully worked out, and sufficiently striking in itself."— Academy. " Excellent in every important respect ; the story is interesting, the plot is most ingeniously devised, the characters are cleverly conceived and con- sistently drawn, while several of them stand out picturesquely m their quaint originality Altogether, we may certainly congratulate Mr. Gibbon on his book."— Saturday Review. " Mr. Gibbon is at his best in this story. It contains some really powerful situations, and its plot is well worked out. The conscientious difficulties of the Fiscal, the father of the charming herione, are well developed by Mr. Gibbon, and the story will be read with interest throughout."— Manchester Examiner. " Altogether, the ' Golden Shaft ' is gooe\ and fully equals, if it does not im- prove upon, anything Mr. Gibbon has previously written.'— Glasgow Herald. 1 'It is pleasant to meet with a work by Mr. Gibbon that will remind his readers of the promise of his earliest efforts. The story of Thorburn and his family is full of power and pathos, as is the figure of the strong-natured Musgrave . "— Athenaeum . " On the whole, we have seen nothing before of Mr. Gibbon's writing so good as this novel."'— Daily News. For sale by all Newsdealers and Booksellers. The Trade supplied by The American News Company and Branches. JOHN W. IiOVEIili CO., 14 & 16 Vesey St., New York. LEVE & ALDEN'S Independent Special Round-Trip Ticket -TO- CALIFORNIA, ONLY $190-00, Go,ag via NEW ORLEANS, SAN ANTONIO, EL PASO, TUSCON, Arizona, LOS ANGELOS and MERCED, to S-a.:et fbaitcisoo, Returning via SACRAMENTO to OGDEN, thence over the Denver & Rio Grande Railway— THE GRAND SCENIC ROUTE OF AMERICA— to SALT LAKE CITY, and all Mountain Resorts in Colorado, PUEBLO, MANITOU and DENVER, thence by the Popular BURLINGTON ROUTE TO CHICAGO. ^ First class Passsage Tickets, good to start from NEW ORLEANS on WEDNESDAY, APR. 18 and good to return from San Francisco between May 5 and July 4, 1883. The above described Excursion Tickets to San Francisco and Return, are now for sale at the following rates at LEVE & ALDEN'S offices: Hound Trip from New York,, only $225.00. 207 Broadway. Boston, " $230.00. 15 State street. Philadelphia, " $220.00. N.E. cor. Broad and Chestnut streets. Montreal, " $230.00. 136 St. James street. Quebec, " $235.00. 28 St. Louis street. Cleveland, " $210.00. 221 Euclid avenue. Cincinnati, " $200.00. 131 Vine street. Chicago, " $195.00. 114 Washington street. St. Louis, " $190 00. 521 Pine street. New Orleans, M $195.00. 19 Camp street. Round Trip from New York, only $225.00. Circulars containing detailed information now ready and can be had upon application at any of the above named offices of LEVE <& ALDEN, CMef Office: 207 Broadway, New York. INDIA AND CEYLON 2 BY ERNST HAECKEL. w^\x TRANSLATED BY MRS. S. E. BOGGS - . ■ NEW YORK: JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY, 14 and 16 Vesey Street. Copyright, 1883, by JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY, INTRODUCTION. Ernst Heinrich Haeckel was born in Germany in 1834, and is now a Professor of Zoology at the University of Jena. He was among the first German writers to agree with Darwin, and is one of the foremost leaders in that school of biologists, having published several works on biological themes in which he has advanced some interest- ing theories of his own. For earnestness of study, and for the forcible and lucid manner in which Prof. Haeckel ex- presses his ideas, he ranks at the head of all the scientists of to-day. I have endeavored in the following pages to give a coherent version, if not strictly literal translation of Prof. Haeckel's interesting "Letters of Indian Travel," which appeared in serial form in the Rundsclum (1882). Although the ter- ritory traversed by the Professor is no terra incognita to most readers, and many travelers, still he writes so enthusias- tically and entertainingly about subjects which have here- tofore appeared in merely scientific dress, statistics reports, and encyclopaedias, that I trust a version of them will be acceptable to the American reader. Translator. INDIA AND CEYLON FROM THE GERMAN OF PROFESSOR ERNST HAECKEL. TRANSLATED BY 8. M BOGGS. Ok the Way to India. " Eeally going to India?" questioned my friends in Jena; and, Eeally going to India, I repeated, I know not how often after I, at the close of the past winter, fully im- pressed with the melancholy dreariness of our North-Ger- man February, decided to spend the next winter in the tropical sunshine of that wonder-island Ceylon. In this age of travel, when no part of our globe is spared by the adventuresome tourist, a voyage to India is no great- feat. "We speed across the most distant seas in the com- fortable and luxurious steamships of the present, in less time, and with less ceremony and fewer accidents, than at- tended the dreaded journey to Italy a hundred years ago. Even a " tour around the world in eighty days" is become a familiar thought; and many inexperienced cosmopolitans, who possess the funds necessary for such a tour, imagine that it gives them a better, a more comprehensive "edu- cation," than they could obtain by ten years' hard study in our best schools* 8 INDIA AND CEYLON. With this fact in view, I can scarcely hope that my jour- ney to India will arouse any particular interest — especially as an abundance of the best literature descriptive of that wonderful country is already in existence — and I ought perhaps to apologize for asking the reader to accompany me. My personal interests as naturalist and nature's friend alone prompt the journey I am about to undertake. The most earnest desire of every naturalist that has made the organic forms of life a lifelong study, is to stand face to face with the wonders of nature in the tropics; for only here, under the enhancing influence of the sun's light and heat, are developed those astonishing types of form com- pared with which the flora and fauna of our temperate zone are but weak and colorless imitations. Already as a boy, when poring over my favorite descrip- tions of travel, nothing charmed me so much as the primi- tive forests of India and Brazil; and later, when Humboldt's " Views of Nature," Schleiden's "Plant Life," and Dar- win's " Voyage Around the World. " influenced my'plans for the future, a journey to the equatorial region became my chief desire. Believing that if I were a physician I might accomplish my purpose, I studied medicine in addition to botany and zoology; but a long period was to elapse before the realization of my cherished dream! The various at- tempts I made twenty-five years ago, after the termination of my medical studies, to accomplish the long-dreamed-of tropical journey were of no avail. I was fortunate enough, however, to spend a whole year on the shores of the Medi- terranean, absorbed in studying the multifarious population of its waters. Soon after my return from the Mediterranean certain professional duties, and an unexpected change in my pri- vate affairs, thrust all plans of travel into the remote back- ground. On Easter of 1861 I entered upon a professorship in the University of Jena, a position I have occupied for twenty years. Daring this time my vacations have been spent, in imitation of my distinguished master and friend Johannes Muller, in studying zoology along the seashores. An ex- traordinary predilection for the interesting study of the lower sea- animals — particularly the zoophytes and proto- zoans — gradually led me to visit every coast in Europe. INDIA AND CEYLON. 9 In the preface of my "System of the Medusae" (1879) I have given a summary of the shores on which I fished, sketched, and made microscopic observations. But the diversified coast of the Mediterranean, whose attractions are, in many respects, far superior to any other place, always remained my favorite hunting ground. I twice crossed the boundaries of my favorite territory. The winter of 1866-67 was spent among the Canary Islands, chiefly on Lanzarote, a volcanic island almost devoid of vegetation. In the spring of 1873 I made a delightful excursion on an Egyptian war- ship, from Suez to Tur, of which I give an account in my "Arabian Corals" (1875). Both of these journeys took me to within a few degrees of the equatorial region — quite near enough to give me an idea of its exuber- ant vegetation. The more a naturalist sees of our beautiful world the more desirous he becomes to enlarge his sphere of knowl- edge. Shortly after my return from Genoa (1880)— where, thanks to Mr. Montague Brown, the English consul, I obtained many zoological and botanical treasures — chance threw into myhands Kansonnet's excellent work on Ceylon, and the tantalizing reminiscences of Portofino made the wonders of the Indian cinnamon-island appear all the more alluring. I consulted various route-books, and was re- joiced to find that the "struggle for existence" between the several Indian steamship lines had, naturally, reduced the high rates of passage, and had doubtless also abated many of the nuisances formerly attendant upon an Indian voyage. The announcement by the Austrian Lloyd Steam- ship Company that they now ran two lines of steamers to India (both touching at Ceylon) was of special interest to me. My numerous trips on the Mediterranean had very favorably impressed me with the Austrian Lloyd, and I at once concluded that through them I might at last attain my long-cherished wish. The voyage from Triest to Ceylon, by way of Aden, requires about four weeks. Six days are spent between Triest and Port Said, two days in the Suez Canal, six in the Red Sea, and eleven on the Indian Ocean between Aden and Ceylon. From three to four days are spent in touching at the different ports on the route. Ac- 10 INDIA AND CEYLON cordingly a six months' leave of absence would allow two months for the voyage to and from India, and four months for travelling in Ceylon. Circumstances which need not be here mentioned favor- ing an immediate decision, I began at once to prepare for the journey. Leave of absence was easily obtained, and a generous sum of money for the collection of natural curiosi- ties was cheerfully granted by the Grand-ducal Govern- ment of Weimar. In our day the naturalist who goes to the seashore to investigate marine plant and animal life, requires more than a microscope and the few simple instruments of twenty — nay ten years ago. The methods for biological, and particularly microscopic research have wonderfully developed in the past decade, and a complicated apparatus is now considered indispensa- ble for the performance of the simplest tasks. Consequent- ly I was obliged to ship from Triest, sixteen chests and boxes. Two contained only the most necessary scientific works; two enclosed a microscope, physical and anatomical instru- ments; two others held the implements required for col- lecting, and the means for preserving, specimens of Indian flora and fauna. The remaining boxes contained several thousand vials, nets of all description, fishing-tackle, photographic camera, and the various articles I should re- quire for sketching in oils and water-colors; a double-bar- relled gun and ammunition, and lastly a supply of linen and clothing for a six months' journey. In face of this imposing outfit, the preparing and pack- ing of which caused me infinite worry and labor, I may consider myself rarely lucky in that not a single wish con- cerning my undertaking remained unfulfilled. It is a well- known fact that among all the investigations of marine life undertaken in late years, none have brought to light so many astonishing results as the deep-sea explorations of ,the English zoologists Sir Wyville Thomson, Messrs. Car- (jpenter, Murray, Moseley, and others. Twenty years ago it was believed that no life existed at the bottom of the ocean, that organic life ceased at a depth ^^ of two thousand feet; but the deep-sea investigations of ; the last ten years have substantially confuted this erroneous belief. That the ocean is densely populated to the depth INDIA AND CEYLON. 11 of twenty-seven thousand feet with creatures of various species heretofore wholly unknown has been proved; and it has also been demonstrated that the different zones of the ocean are as abundantly supplied with diversified plant life as are the different flora-belts of the mountains. The unequalled explorations of the Challenger expedi- tion were confined chiefly to the Atlantic and parts of the Pacific oceans; the vast expanse of water comprising the Indian Ocean was not invaded, except at its most south- erly boundary. Consequently an almost inconceivable wealth of new and wonderful creatures will doubtless re- ward the naturalist who first casts his perfected deep-sea net into the unexplored basin of the Indian Ocean. Then was not I excusable if, while preparing for my journey to this unexplored region, I wished that I might be the one to discover hidden treasures? Even though the attempt proved abortive, it would still be the first ! But deep-sea explorations are a costly pleasure, even though they be conducted, as I proposed, in the simplest and most inexpensive manner. I could not think of undertaking such a project with my own private means, but I hoped to receive substantial support from those institutions which were founded solely for scientific pur- poses. In this I was disappointed, and the initial investigation of the Indian Ocean remains to be made by a more fortunate explorer. For me it is to be hoped that the surface-water of that tropical sea will yield so much that is new and interesting that my brief holiday will be all too short for the full solution of its problems. In contradistinction to this and some other far from agree- able experiences while preparing for my journey, I received the warmest encouragement and support from many valued friends, who, directly my plans were made known, sought in every way to further them. My heartiest thanks are due to Charles Darwin, Dr. Paul Eottenburg, of Glasgow; Sir Wyville Thomson, and John Murray, Esq., of Edin- burgh. Also to Professor Edward Suess, of Vienna; Baron von Konigsbrunn, of Gratz; Heinrich Krauseneck, and Captain Eadonetz, of Triest. My special gratitude is due to his royal highness the Grand Duke Carl Alexander of Saxe- Weimar, the Rector 12 INDIA AND CEYLON Magnificentissimus of the Jena University, and to the hereditary grand dnke, through whose kindly agency I re- ceived letters of introduction from the English Colonial Minister to the governor of Ceylon. My arrangements at last completed, and the sixteen boxes sent in advance to Triest, I was ready to take leave of dear quiet Jena on the morning of the 8th of Octo- ber. When the last moment arrived, I found that a six months' absence from home would be no easy task for the father of a family who had already attained the age of forty-eight years. With what different emotions would I have taken my departure twenty-five years ago, when a tropical journey was the chief aim of my life! True, the experience of twenty-five years of teaching and zoological study would enable me to accomplish more than I could have done a quarter of a century ago. But I was twenty- five years older. Would the concrete wonders of tropical nature possess the same fascination for me now that I had penetrated the abstract dominions of natural philoso- phy? These and kindred thoughts, together with the most doleful impressions of my last farewells to home and friends, passed through my brain as the train bore me through the cold gray autumnal mists which enshrouded my beloved Saale valley. Only the tallest peaks of our magnificent musclieUcalJc mountains rose above the misty sea; on the right, Haus- berg with his " rosy radiant summit," the proud pyramid of the Jenzig, and the romantic ruins of Kunitzburg. On the left stretched the wooded heights of Ran thai; and, further on, Goethe's favorite retreat, charming Dornburg. I waved an adieu to these dear old mountain friends, and promised to return to them in good health, and richly laden with Indian treasures. As if to ratify the promise they gave me their friendliest morning greeting: the dense fog suddenly fell from their shoulders, and the triumphant sun rose into a perfectly cloudless sky. Thousands of dewdrops bLized like jewels in the azure cups of the lovely gentians decorating the grassy slopes on either side of the iron road. I took advantage of the several hours' halt in Leipzig to make some necessary additions to my travelling equipments, INDIA AND CEYLON. IS and to enjoy a brief view of the noble masterpieces in the public picture gallery. Then on to Dresden and Vienna. After a brief halt in the latter city I continued my journey to Gratz. It was a glorious sunshiny Sunday, and the alpine beauties of the Semmering glowed with splen- dor. It was twenty years ago when I botanized in the woody ravines and flower-adorned alp-farms of romantic Steiermark, but every nook on the Schneeberg and the Kax- Alp is still remembered with pleasure. In those days the youthful Doctor Medicinae was more devoted to the inter- esting flora and fauna of the mountains, than to the in- structive clinics of Oppolzer and Skoda, Hebra and Sieg- mund; and often, while gathering the hardy alpine plants, dreamed of the luxuriant vegetation of the tropics he was now so soon to see. I spent a day in Gratz, where I found really excellent accommodations at the " Elephant Hotel." Could a more appropriate name have been found for the first hostelry in which I lodged on my way to India? The elephant, aside from his eminent position as one of the most important animals, is conspicuous in the armorial bearings of Ceylon, and I accepted the hospitable treatment of the Gratz elephant as a favorable prognostic of the acquaintance I hoped soon to make with his Indian brother. Just here I shall take the opportunity to insert an observation made for the benefit of my travel-loving fellows, especially for those that care less for the number of black-coated waiters at a hotel than for attentive service from them. A long and varied experience with hotels of all grades has taught me that the traveller may, to a certain extent, judge the state and condition of these useful institutions by the titles they bear. I have divided them into three classes: the zoological-botanic, the dubious, and the dynas- tic. I have found that by far the best of the three is the zoological-botanic, as, for instance, the " Golden Lion," u White Horse," " Silver Swan," " Green Tree," " Golden Vine," etc. You cannot be certain of good and cheap accommodations in the houses which I have classified as dubious, and which have no affinity with either the first or the third group; they bear various names (frequently that of the proprietor himself), and are of too hetero- 14 INDIA AND CEYLON geneous a character for a definite generalization. I have had chiefly doleful experiences — high prices and inferior accommodations — with the dynastic class, such as the " Emperor of Russia," " King of Spain," etc. Of course, hy this classification I do not presume to establish a general rule, hut, on the whole, I believe that the critical and un- pretending wanderer will find that I am right. The " Ele- phant" in G-ratz substantiated its claim to an honorable place in the zoological-botanic class. Baron von Konigsbrunn, a distinguished landscape paint- er in Gratz, who had heard of my proposed journey to Ceylon, cordially invited me to inspect the sketches he had made while on that island in 1853. The baron travelled through the palm forests and fern ravines of the cinnamon island in company with Ritter von Eriedau and Professor Schmarda of Vienna, the latter of whom has given a com- prehensive description of the island in his " Tour Around the World." Unfortunately the sketches which Baron von Konigsbrunn made, and which were originally intended to illustrate Professor Schmarda's work, were never published, a fact to be regretted, as they are the best and the most perfect of the kind I have yet seen. Alexander von Hum- boldt, certainly a competent judge, who submitted the views to the inspection of King Eriederich Wilhelm IV., expressed for them his highest praise. These paintings, which illustrate Ceylon vegetation and scenery, possess two different — and, in a measure, opposing — qualities, which are rarely found in like works of art. They are, a conscientious adherence to nature in the re- production of details, and an artistic freedom in the in- dividual treatment and effective composition of the whole picture. Many of the landscapes by our most celebrated artists possess the second, but do not even suggest the first quality; while, on the other hand, in many of the so-called views of vegetation, by practical botanists, the absence of aesthetic perception is only too obvious. For a perfecc picture, the synthetic and subjective glance of the artist is as necessary as the analytic and objective eye of the natu- ralist; in other words, the perfect landscape must, like the portrait, unite striking resemblance to the subject with artistic perception of individual characteristics, and this attribute Konigsbrunn's sketches possess to a wonderful INDIA AND CEYLON 15 degree. I take this occasion to express my sincere thanks to the modest as well as gifted and original artist, and hope that his charming works of art may soon find their way from the obscurity of his studio to a deservedly promi • nent place in public. On the 11th of October I bade adieu to the multitude of old and new friends in Gratz, and continued my jour- ney on the Southern Railway to Triest. In the same com- partment with me w r as an elderly gentleman whom at a first glance I recognized as English, and our first half -hour's conversation revealed a very interesting personage. It was Surgeon-general J. Macbeth, who had spent thirty-three years in India, in the service of his mother country. He had taken active part in a number of battles; had travelled throughout India, from Afghanistan to Malacca; had ascended the Himalaya Mountains, and travelled in Ceylon. His varied experiences on land and among different peoples, as well as his observations as physician and naturalist, were, as you may imagine, highly interesting and instructive, and I was almost sorry when our arrival at Triest near midnight concluded a most enjoyable conversation. The three days I was compelled to wait in Triest for the sailing of the Austrian Lloyd steamer were passed in the society of old friends, whose hospitable treatment made the hours pass so quickly that no time was left for a visit to poetic Miramare, that enchanting castle by the sea, whose natural beauties eminently fit it for an act in the tragedy of " Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico," a promising subject for the dramatist of the future. Nor was I able to make an excursion to Muggia Bay, the body of water so rich in sea animals, which became famous through Johannes Muller's discovery of the curious snail (Entoconcha mirahilis) which lives in the sea-cucumber (Holothure). Aware that the Austrian Lloyd Company had frequently accorded special privileges to scientific travellers, I hoped to obtain similar favors. I was success- ful beyond my expectations, and here express my gratitude to the manager of the line, Baron Marco di Morpurgo, and to the directors, among whom is my esteemed friend Captain Eadonetz. ' And now to embark! I had my choice between the two splendid ships which 16 INDIA AND CEYLON. 8ailed at the same time (15th October). The Helios touched at Aden, Bombay — where she remained eight days — Ceylon, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The Polluce touched at Jedda (the famous port of Mecca), Aden, Ceylon, and Calcutta. I chose the former vessel, which would give me a chance to visit Bombay and obtain a view of the Indian peninsula. Besides, the Helios, which was the better, faster, and larger of the two ships, was almost new, and of very attractive appearance. In addition to this, the name had a peculiar fascination for me. Could a more auspicious title than that of the ever-young sun-god be found for the vessel which was to bear me from the gray fog-regions of the north to the radiant sunshine and palm forests of the tropics? Nomen et omen / Why might not I as well as my neigh- bor cherish a little superstition? Surely I might reckon on the favor of the sun-god, in whose honor I named a whole class of dainty protozoans, Heliozoa, i.e., sun-animals! Therefore, most worthy Helios, let this zoological oblation kindly dispose you towards an admiring mortal, and safelj bring him to the haven whore he would be! The very first days of the voyage proved that the gait oi our Helios was a capital one. Although the sea was pretty rough there was comparatively little motion. Especially pleasant was the unusual neatness of everything about the vessel; there were no offensive odors from the kitchen and engine room — odors which contribute more towards seasickness than the rolling and pitching of the ship. Consequently I, and most of the passengers, escaped being seasick. The weather was uninterruptedly clear, and the sea generally smooth. Of all the voyages I have made, the one on the Helios was by far the pleasantest. Of course the agreeable company on board, and my cordial relations with the ship's officers, did much towards making it so. The larger half of our company was composed of English army officers, government officials, and merchants. The other half was made up of Germans, Austrians, Bombay merchants, and a few missionaries. There was but a mcngre representation of the fair sex: only one German and five English ladies. My amiable country-woman, who sang and played on the piano, contributed not a little INDIA AND CEYLON. 17 towards the entertainment of her fellow-passengers. She had spent the summer with her children in Frankfort, and was returning to her husband in Bombay — a semi-annual separation between husband and wife practised by so many German and English residents of India who are solicitous about the education and morals of their children. As is generally the case on a voyage of considerable duration, the passengers on the Helios became pretty well acquainted with each other, and formed themselves into little coteries. One group was formed by the missionaries, among whom was a Mr. Eowe, an American, who has written a very readable book on "Every-day Life in India;" a second group was composed of the English officers and merchants; a third comprised the Germans and Austrians, the ship's captain and doctor, and myself. As I have said before, the weather during the entire voyage continued uniformly fair; the sky was serene and. cloudless; the sea smooth, or only gently undulating. Our good ship made every one of her ports at the appointed time; the victims of the demon seasickness were but few. This uninterrupted sameness at length became monot- onous. Beading, writing, cards, chess, music, vocal and instrumental, everything that is usually practised to re- lieve the tedium of a long voyage, had been exhausted the first week out. Consequently the five periods into which the day was divided by as many meal-times grew to be of more importance as the journey progressed. Unfortunately for me my poor German-professor's stomach is so very ca- pricious on shipboard that— although I am rarely seasick — I always lose my appetite, while that of my fellow-passen- gers seems to increase in inverse ratio as mine diminishes. However, this condition of affairs enables me — as objec- tive spectator — to observe the colossal capacity for what physiologists term the "consumption of luxuries." I have ever cherished a secret admiration for our able cousins across the Channel, whose gastronomic feats far surpass our own; but what I saw accomplished by an English major on board the Helios exceeded anything of the kind I ever be- held! This brave warrior enjoyed not only the five regular meals, with a liberal accompaniment of wine and beer, but most ingeniously managed to dispose of all manner of toothsome sweets and various beverages during the inter- 18 INDIA AND CEYLON. yening periods. To me this gastronomic wonder seemed to have arrived at that state of development in which the perfected digestive organs are capable of constant activity, and I am strongly tempted to believe this activity was con- tinued throughout the night, for I frequently saw the major stagger from his cabin at unconscionably early hours. I have heard that the greater number of English resi- dents in India who die from diseases contracted in that country invite their fate by excessive indulgence of the ap- petite. As the meals on board an India-bound steamer are famous affairs — of vital importance indeed to some of the passen- gers — I may as well give the curious reader an idea as to what composes them. Coffee and bread are served at eight o'clock in the morning; at ten follows a general breakfast, at which appear eggs, meats, curry and rice, vegetables and fruits. At one o'clock " tiffin" — which is a luncheon of cold meats, bread and butter, potatoes, and tea. At five o'clock the regular dinner is served: soup, meats, with at- tendant relishes, farinaceous dishes, dessert, fruits, and coffee. Lastly, at eight o'clock in the evening a meal of tea, bread and butter, etc., concludes the list. Very few of the passengers fail to make their appearance in the dining-saloon at the appointed hours. After meals the passengers promenade the deck, or recline in comfort- able Chinese chairs, and discuss the never-changing tint of the azure sky and water. An ever- welcome incentive to increased mental activity are the different marine creatures which occasionally ap- pear: dolphins disporting around the vessel, gulls and pet- rels encircling gracefully overhead, or darting down upon their finny prey. Sometimes swarms of flying-fish skim swiftly across the crests of the waves. The delicate medusae always charmed me most, and I was only sorry that the swift course of the vessel prevented me from securing some of these beautiful animals. In the Mediterranean Ocean, which is especially rich in sea-nettles, I saw two mammoth specimens: a blue Pilema pulmo, and a golden- brown Coty- lorhiza tuberculata, and in the Indian Ocean a rose-colored Aurelia, and a dark-red Pelagia. The voyage from Triest to Bombay (twenty-four days) was accomplished under such favorable conditions that there is INDIA AND CEYLON. 19 scarcely anything of interest to chronicle. My former vo} r - ages iti the blue Adriatic were chiefly along the picturesque shores of Istria and Dalmatia, the rosemary-scented islands of Lissa and Lesina, on the latter of which, in 1871, I spent a very pleasant month in the Franciscan monastery with the eminent Padre Buona Grazia. This time our course was more toward the west — toward the middle of the Adriatic, as we were to land for several passengers at Brindisi. Above the heights of Canossa hung a black cloud, the shadow, perhaps, of — but I will not introduce politics here! On the morning of the 17th (October) we landed at Brin- disi. As we were to remain until noon I went ashore to view the few unimportant remains of ancient Brundusium, and wandered along the ramparts to the railway station. This structure, as well as the modern city itself, is not what one would naturally expect from the ostentatious title the latter assumed at the opening of the Suez Canal : the "entrepot for the commerce of the world." The overland mail is transferred to the steamer imme- diately after the arrival of the mail train, and the passen- gers — those going to and those returning from India — make the change from the cars to the steamer or vice versa with equal celerity, seeming in no way disposed to rest or refresh, themselves in the only hotel in the place. Both hotel and railway station were deserted the morn- ing I was there ; and not a soul was to be seen except the telegraph operator and a station porter. The flat coast with its vegetable gardens, plantations of reeds, and scattered date-palms, is very uninteresting. An old cathedra] with a stately dome south of the city is the only object worth transferring to the sketch-book. The English general whom, with his family and retinue, we were to have taken on board, did not make his appear- ance — his luggage having failed to arrive with him on the train — so we set sail again at noon without him. The fol- lowing morning we steamed past the Ionian Islands; with pleasure I hailed the sight of stately Oephalonia, and greeted proud Monte Nero, on whose snow clad height I once spent a memorable day in the shadow of a majestic Finns Ccplia- lonica — a noble evergreen found only on this island. Farther on we passed romantic Zante — " Fior di Levanfce" 20 INDIA AND CEYLON — sailing so close to its southern shore that we could plainly see the long rows of vaulted grottoes and eaves in the red marble cliffs. In the afternoon Epirus appeared on our left, and on our right the solitary island of Stamphania. Late in the evening we passed battle-stained Navarino; no less attractive and picturesque was the view of Candia, whose southern coast we skirted on the 19th. Fleecy clouds, scudding before a fresh breeze across the deep blue sky, cast fleeting shadows on the rugged bosom of the island, and occasionally enveloped Mount Ida's snow- crowned head. The next morning there was nothing but water on every side; but the increasing warmth of the temperature, which made us change our heavy clothing for lighter summer attire, apprised us of the nearness of the African coast. When we went on deck on the morning of the 21st the Egyptian shores were not yet in sight, but the water of the Mediterranean had lost its incomparable azure tint, and was of a greenish hue that, as the ship progressed, gradually changed to a dirty greenish-yellow — the effect of the muddy waters of the Nile. And now appeared numbers of tiny sailing craft, principally Arabian fishing-boats. A huge sea- turtle drifted past the vessel; several land-birds flew on board, and at twelve o'clock noon we sighted the light tower of Damietta. At four o'clock a small steam launch brought a pilot to the Helios, and an hour later we cast anchor in the harbor of Port Said, which is at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal. The Helios remained here a day to take in coal and provisions. In the evening I and a number of the passengers went ashore to a cafe, where we met the doctor of the Polluce and several of her passengers — that ship having arrived at the same time with the Helios. The following morning I mounted to the top of the light- tower, which is 160 feet high — the tallest in the world. Its electric light is seen at a distance of twenty-one nautical miles. The massive walls of the tower are built of the same material as that in the moles of the harbor — an arti- ficial stone which is composed of two parts sand and one part hydraulic lime. The view from the tower did not come up with my expectations, as, with the exception of the town itself, and the flat stretches of sand surrounding it, nothing but water is to be seen. INDIA AND CEYLON 21 I next visited the costly piers, which were constructed, at an enormous outlay of money and labor, to protect the en- trance of the canal from its two principal enemies: the mud from the mouths of the Nile, and the sand from the desert. The western mole has a length of 3000 metres, and is con- siderably stronger than the one on the east, which is only half as long. For the construction of these moles 30,000 blocks of stone — each of 10 cubic metres, and 20,000 kilo- grams weight, — were required. From the harbor I sauntered to the Arabian part of the town which is separated from European Port Said by a stretch of sandy desert ; both quarters consist of parallel rows of streets which cross each other at right angles. The motley and original scenes in the filthy streets were the same one sees in every smaller Egyptian city, and in the suburbs of Cairo and Alexandria. The European quarter is composed chiefly of shops and stores, and has perhaps 10,000 inhabitants. The expec- tations of grandeur entertained by the founders of Port Said have been only partially realized, and the imposing " Ketherland hotel" already wears an air of solitude and desertion. I purchased a number of articles, considered indispensable by the voyager to India ; among them a white broad-brimmed sold hat, and a comfortable bamboo exten- sion-chair. So much has been written about the Suez Canal — the wonder of modern times — that I shall not weary the reader by repeating well-known facts. T7e passed through the greater part of the canal on Sunday (23d). The morning in Menzaleh Lake was delightfully fresh and clear ; thou- sands of pelicans, flamingoes, herons, and other aquatic fowl literally covered the sand-banks with which the lake is interspersed. After crossing Abu Ballah Lake we en- tered the narrowest part of the canal at El G-uisr, where- occurs the deepest cutting in the whole line. The high walls of» sandy soil on either side are studded here and there with gray tamarisk shrubs ; swarms of Arab children appear along the banks and clamor for MclcsMsli. Several boys play the flute and dance with considerable grace. At neon we pa.ssed Ismalia, the deserted city founded by De Lesseps, and in the evening we anchored in the Bitter Lakes. 22 INDIA AND CEYLON. Travellers to India dread the voyage through the Eed Sea, it being the hottest and most disagreeable part of the route. Although it was the cooler season of the year we on the Helios were fully convinced that the dread afore- mentioned was well founded. But two thirds of the Red Sea, or Arabian Gulf, are within the torrid zone, yet the entire expanse of water composing it might well be called a tropical sea. Similar physical peculiarities characterize its shore from Suez to Perim — from 30°-13° N. Lat. In- deed the dissimilarity between its northern and southern extremities, removed from each other by a distance of three hundred miles — is much less than the difference be- tween the Eed Sea at Suez and the Mediterranean at Port Said, although the two localities are separated by but a narrow isthmus. But this bridge of land, which is the connecting link between Asia and Africa, has existed for millions of years, consequently the animal and vegetable population of the neighboring seas have developed perfectly independent of each other. Those along the Mediterranean shore belong to the Atlantic Ocean, while those of the Red Sea country are allied to the flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean. Both shores of the Red Sea, the eastern coast of Arabia, as well as the western coast of Egypt, are almost devoid of vegetation; not a single large river flows from them into the sea. Above the sterile shores, on either side, tower lofty mountain chains whose aspect is of the most forbidding character. Between these ranges, which glow with the intense heat from the sun, the narrow Arabian Gulf lies like a trench between two high walls; here, dur- ing the hot summer months, the mercury rises — in the shade at noon — to 40° R. ! I was assured by the officers of the Helios, who had made the voyage during these periods, that this terrible heat was almost intolerable, and that often they had been afraid reason would desert them. Even yet, at the end of October, the heat was intense. The ther- mometer, which hung in a shady corner on deck, registered from 22°-26° R., and once in the "airy" cabins the mer- cury rose during the day to 32°, and at night it stood at 26°. The little air that stirred was oppressive, and every attempt to mitigate the intense heat proved unavailing. Every window, every hatchway, was left open day and night; two rows of ventilating chimneys conducted air into the INDIA AND CEYLON 23 hold of the vessel; the punkas in the saloons were kept constantly in motion. The air from these huge fans, to- gether with an unlimited supply of ice water, alone enabled ns to endure the excessive heat. At seven o'clock on the morning of the 27th we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, and I breathed, for the first time, the fervid atmosphere of the torrid zone. The sky directly above us was perfectly clear, but away in the east, above the Arabian coast, loomed dense masses of storm-clouds that were illumined every second by flashes of heat light- ning. There was a repetition of this cloud-picture in the eastern sky every evening, but no rain-storm came to re- fresh us. The first three nights in the tropics, the mercury never once fell below 25° in the cabins. I, as well as most of the gentlemen, slept on deck, where it was at least three degrees cooler. On the night of the 30th we passed the straits of Bab- el-Mandeb, and the island of Perim — the Gibraltar of the Eed Sea — and on the morning of the 31st we anchored in the G-ulf of Aden. Aden, as you know, is situated on a rocky peninsula, that, like Gibraltar, is connected with the mainland by a narrow neck of land. In 1839 it fell into the hands of the English, who fortified it, and made it an important station on the route to India. It has a popula- tion of 3000 souls. Most of the ships stop at Aden for coal and provisions; but, as the cholera had been raging there for two months, and we were not certain whether we would be allowed to land, we had taken in supplies at Port Said. However, on landing we found that the epidemic had shortly before entirely disappeared. The Helios was immediately surrounded by boats, and all sorts of peculiar wares were offered for sale by the dusky natives — ostrich feathers and eggs; lion and leopard skins; antelope horns; formidable saws of the saw-fish; dainty little baskets and trays, etc., etc. I was more attracted by the venders of these articles; there were genuine Arabs, negroes, Somalis, and Abyssinians. Most of them were of a dark-brown color, that, in some shaded into a reddish bronze, and in others to the deepest black. Some of them had their hair dyed red with henna, or bleached white with lime; and the greater number wore only a white cloth around the loins. We were greatly entertained by the swarms of dusky children — from 24 INDIA AND CEYLON. eight to ten years old — who rowed out to the ship in tiny canoes made of hollow logs, and darted into the water head- foremost for the coins flung to them by the passengers. As we did not go ashore we saw but little of the town and its fortifications. The volcanic rocks on which the houses are scattered are rather picturesque. The prevailing color of the naked walls of lava is a dark brown that is here and there relieved by the dingy green of a few scant shrubs. In midsummer, life on this glowing pile of rock must be, for the English garrison, almost unendurable; and the officers are justified in naming the place the "Devil's Punch-bowl." After a six hours' delay at this inhospitable port we set sail again for Bombay. Nothing of special interest occurred during the eight days' voyage across the Indian Ocean, The autumn weather was delightful; that we were in the influence of the north-east monsoon became daily more perceptible. Although the mercury still lingered in the neighborhood of 20° R, a fresh breeze mitigated the heat during the day, while the cool nights convinced us that we were beyond the oppressive influence of the Eed Sea. The water, broken into ripples by the fresh wind, was constantly in motion; its color was a delicate blue-green — at times the tint of lapis-lazuli, but never the intense blue of the Medi- terranean. Sometimes the sky would be perfectly clear; then again fleecy clouds would entirely obscure it. Every afternoon dense cloud-masses gathered along the horizon in the north-east and south-west, and these the setting sun would transform into the most gorgeous spectacle — an ever- new, ever-changing panorama that vanished all too quickly from our admiring gaze. I stood for hours at the prow and watched the myriads of flying-fish that darted from the waves at the approach of the vessel. But more attractive always were the me- duse, of which we passed scores, blue rhizostomes, rose- colored aurelias, and red-brown pelagias. I particularly regret my failure to secure a remarkable siphonophora — of the species we call Porpita — that passed us on the 4th of November. INDIA AND CEYLON. 25 II. A Week in" Bombay. A glorious and memorable day for me was tbe 8th of November. On that day I first set foot on tropical earth, and looked with astonishment on its animal and vegetable wonders. A whole hour before sunrise I went on deck, and beheld advancing through the mists of dawn the deeply-dented coast of Bombay, above and beyond which rises that singu- lar range of mountains, the "Bhor-Grhaut." These mountains, which form the boundary wall between the extensive table-land of the Deccan, and the flat, nar- row coast of Concan, the littoral lowlands of the Indian peninsula, are composed of plutonic basalt, syenite, and other rocks, and are so cloven and crenelated that one almost believes one is looking at colossal fortresses, pago- das, and battlements. The morning sky was tinted with delicate evanescent hues which suddenly vanished altogether when, from be- tween two broad belts of vapor, the splendid Indian Helios came forth to greet his gallant namesake from the north. And now the physical details of the approaching shore were clearly revealed; the most prominent features are the extensive groves of Palmyra palms, and the magnificent harbor, in which thousands of ships may safely ride at anchor. Of the city itself we could see only the detached houses of the Colaba quarter on the south-eastern point of the island, the imposing masonry of the stately fortress, and, in the distance, the verdant crest of Malabar Hill, with its numerous villas and gardens. The tumult and bustle among the shipping in the roomy harbor was very interesting. Before us lay two white ironclad monitors, with revolving turrets, most efficient defenders of the tropi- cal city. Farther on we passed two large transports, on which were hundreds of English soldiers; and still farther on we wended our way through whole fleets of steamers that fetch and carry freight and passengers from every na- tion under the sun. Shortly after sunrise the Helios anchored near the "Apollo-bunder," the place of debarkation; sanitary and 26 INDIA AND CEYLON. customs officials came on board, and very soon the company that, for twenty-four days, had occupied the swimming hotel, dispersed in all directions. Hurried farewells were spoken, cards and good wishes exchanged, then each one made all possible haste to reach the long-wished-for terra firm-a. I was invited by a hospitable countryman of mine, Herr Blaschek, the husband of the German lady on the Helios, to spend the week of my sojourn in Bombay with him on Malabar Hill. Knowing well how the traveller's freedom of movement is restricted by the disagreeable boarding-school constraint of the English hotels in India,, I gladly accepted Herr Blaschek' s invitation; and, although I was surrounded by unusual splendor and magnificence — indispensable necessaries to the wealthy European in India, but rare luxuries to the modest German traveller — I soon felt perfectly at home among the palms and bananas of Blaschek villa. It is of course impossible to become thoroughly ac- quainted with a place like Bombay in one short week; I shall not,- therefore, attempt a detailed account of its numerous attractions. I had read and heard very little more about Bombay than that it was, after Calcutta, the largest and most important city of British India; that its commercial reputation was world-wide, and that it had a mixed population. I never saw in any of our art exhibi- tions views of this city or of its surroundings; imagine then my surprise when I found here sights which, for beauty and grandeur, can be compared only with those, of Naples or Cairo — or, better, a peculiar combination of those two widely-dissimilar cities. Bombay is like Naples in its charming situation on an undulating and verdure-clad shore, its insular appendages, and its mountains. It is like Cairo, in that it contains a motley and picturesque population, representatives of every clime and race, and in the intense hues both nature and art have given their mul- tifarious creations. The city of Bombay is situated on an island which has an area of twenty-two square miles; it lies in lat. 18° 56' long., 72° JST. 56' W. The island was first discovered and taken possession of by the Portuguese in 1529, who called it Buona BaMa (Good Bay), because of the large and ex- cellent harbor which encloses it and the several adjacent INDIA AND CEYLON 27 islands. (It is also said that Bombay is derived from Bomba-Devi, the name of the Indian goddess of the sea.) In 1661 the Portuguese ceded Bombay Island to the English, who at first scarcely knew what to do with their n%w possession. Its development was hindered chiefly by the extensive marshes which covered its surface, and which were supposed to render the climate unhealthy. When these swamps were drained, and other improved conditions established, the island rapidly developed — especially since 1820, when Mountstuart Elphinstone assumed the reins of government — and in the last fifty years Bombay has be- come the third largest commercial city in Asia. Its present population is perhaps 800,000 (including 8000 Europeans and 50,000 Parsees). In 1834 there were but 234,000 inhabitants; in 1816, 160,000, and in 1716, only 16,000 souls. Bombay, through her position as medium for the entire trade and commerce of the Indian Orient, and as connect- ing link between Asia and Europe, has again attained the prominence which was hers in the time of her greatest prosperity, the antiquity of Alexandria. Her most im- portant traffic is cotton, in which she is surpassed only by New Orleans, in North America. The immense harbor, as secure as it is extensive, is the largest and best in India. It opens towards the south, is bounded on the north by the mainland, on the west by Bombay Island, and on the north by a group of smaller islands" The island is rectangular in shape, and extends north and south; bridges connect its northern extremity with the island of Salsette, and the mainland. The greater portion of the northern half is covered by the extensive palm-forests of Mahim. The southern half consists of two long promontories, which are said to resemble the uneven claws of a crab, and which enclose the broad expanse of water known as Back Bay. Of these two tongues of land, the western, which is the shorter and the higher — it is very like the Posilippo, near Naples — is Malabar Hill, the delightful villa quarter of Bombay. Beautiful gardens ornamented with luxuriant tropical plants surround the numerous elegant villas or bun- galows which are the homes of the more distinguished resi- dents of Bombay. On the eastern tongue of land is the 38 INDIA AND CEYLON suburb of Colaba, which contains the cotton market and the tents and barracks of the English soldiers. At the northern extremity of Colaba, between it and the fort, is the Apollo bunder, the handsome quay, on which the traveller to the Orient first sets foot. The name of this landing- place is not derived from that of the beautiful Greek god, but from pallow (fish), which eventually became Apollo. Pallow-bunder is Indian for fish-market. There is an excellent hotel on the quay, the only large and first-class hotel in Bombay, and here, on the balcony, in full view of the harbor and mountains, I enjoyed my first breakfast in India. On the esplanade of the Apollo-bunder, as on the Santa Lucia at Naples, the greatest activity prevails, espec- ially in the evening, when the military band adds music to the attractions of the place, and the wealth and fashion of Bombay appears. Numbers of elegant equipages roll along the bay shore, while the native population amuses itself in its own peculiar manner around the bonfires on the strand. That portion of the island between Malabar Hill and Cola- ba, is occupied by the two most important sections of the city the "Fort," and the "Black Town." The former encloses the greater part of the European quarter, in which are to be found most of the public buildings, as well as most of the counting-houses and offices of the European residents. Most of the public buildings, which were erected at an enormous expense in the last twenty or thirty years, are imposing structures, with the Gothic arches and peristyles of the Venetian palaces, architectural characteristics that are strangely at variance with the wanton luxuriance of the tropical vegetation around them, and the motley cur- rent of Indian life surging at their portals. The proper theatre, however, for scenes of Indian life is in the Black Town — the quarter inhabited by the native population. When I first visited this part of Bombay I was vividly re- minded of Cairo. The public display of Oriental wares in the crowded bazaars, the cries of the venders, the gay cos- tumes or half-naked forms of the surging throng in the narrow streets, the tumult of vehicles and horses — all these are like what you may see in the business quarters of Cairo. But the longer you are surrounded by the turmoil of this Indian city the more apparent becomes the difference be- INDIA AND CEYLON. 29 tween it and the cities of Egypt. The north-western por- tion of the Black Town (which is called Girgaum) is of a more pleasing aspect; here, in the shade of graceful cocoa- palms, are picturesque native huts, which, with the nude children playing around them, the gayly-dressed women and dusky men, pretty zebus, horses, dogs, monkeys, etc., offer a variety of the most enchanting sujects to the genre painter. To adequately describe the diverse manners and customs of Bombay's heterogeneous population passes the power of my pen. The Hindus, who form the largest section, are of rather diminutive stature, delicate build, and dark brown color. The Hindu children are most charming; their little naked forms are to be seen everywhere. Even the adult males of the lower classes wear only a narrow scarf around the loins; consequently the artist or sculptor might here with advantage study the structure of the human form, the youths of sixteen to twenty years offering specially fine models. Indeed, one might justly call these shapely lads the "fairer sex;" their features are often refined and noble, and distinguished by a dreamy expression that is very attractive. There are also some neat figures among the women, whose simple flowing garments give them an exceedingly graceful appearance, but a really handsome feminine face is rare. The girls marry very young — at ten or fifteen years of age; they fade quickly and become ex- tremely ugly old women. In addition to their natural homeliness they disfigure their faces by wearing in the left nostril a silver hoop adorned with precious stones, and many of these nose-rings are so large that the mouth and chin are covered by them. The women also chew betel, which stains the lips and teeth a vivid yellow. The forehead is striped with various colors to indicate the caste of the wearer, the arms are tattooed, and both sexes wear silver bangles and rings around the ankles and toes. In this garb the Hindu, although, he is descended from the same race — the Aryan — as that of our European forefathers, ap- pears a genuine "savage." Caste distinctions and the Brahminical faith prevail among them to this day; the Hindu still burns the bodies of his dead, and, when riding along the shore of Back Bay, you may see in the immediate vicinity of the railway station the huge ovens in which by 30 INDIA AND CEYLON. the simplest process the dead bodies are transformed to ashes — a more convenient and less costly method of crema- tion than is at present practised in Gotha. According to the census in 1872 more than three fifths of the inhabitants of Bombay are orthodox Hindus under Brahminical domi- nation; 140,000 — more than one fourth the whole number — are Mussulmans, and only 15,000 — scarcely one forty- fifth — are Buddhists. A few thousand Jews, Chinese, Africans, and a mixture of all nationalities make up the total. Accordingly you may imagine the heterogeneous character of the throng in the streets of Bombay, and guess what an infinite variety of types, forms, customs, and man- ners are here mingled together. Perhaps in no other city on the globe are more languages heard than in Bombay — especially in the European quarter, where every known tongue has its representative. One of the most important components of the population of Bombay — as well as in all Indian cities — is the Parsee, or Guebre. They number about 50,000 — only one twelfth of the whole number — but their enterprise aud industry have won for them such in- fluence that they play a prominent part in all the affairs of the city. They are descended from those ancient Persians who, after the conquest of Persia by the Mohammedans in the seventh century, refused to accept the faith of their con- querors, and clung tenaciously to the doctrines of Zoroaster. After their expulsion from Persia the Parsees fled to the island of Ormuz, from whence they scattered over India. They marry only among themselves, consequently the purity of their race is preserved. Aside from their peculiar dress, they may, at a first glance, easily be distin- guished from all the other races. The men are tall and stately — most of them corpulent; they have yellowish com- plexions, and are on the whole a handsomer and more robust people than the effeminate Hindus. They wear a peculiar long white cotton gown, wide trousers of the same material, and a tall mitre-shaped hat. Their features ex- press energy and sagacity; they are frugal and sober, and, like the Jews in Europe, thoroughly understand how to ac- cumulate large fortunes. Many of the wealthiest residents of Bombay are Parsees. As hotel-keeper, ship-builder, mechanic, and technicist, the Parsee has won for himself an enviable reputation. They are justly celebrated for INDIA AND CEYLON. 31 their domestic virtues. The dress of the Parsee farmer consists of a single long simply-fashioned garment of some bright color: green, red, yellow, etc. The wealthier Parsee children are frequently seen driving about the streets clad in the most gorgeous raiment of gold and silver embroid- ered stuffs. Many of them live in beautiful villas, sup rounded by all the luxuries, and no doubt arouse the jeal ous envy of many an impecunious Christian from Europe. A number of Parsees have founded useful and beneficial institutions; several have been knighted for services ren- dered the British Government. The public spirit and enter- prise of the Parsee, evidences his freedom from priestly domination. His faith — the doctrine of Zoroaster — which is one of the noblest natural religions, is founded on a be- lief in creative and sustaining powers.. Chief among these are the sun and his likeness fire. Multitudes of these sun, or fire-worshippers may be seen on the seashore at sunrise and sunset, devoutly attesting their reverence for the ap- proaching or departing god of day. I confess I never looked with more sympathetic reverence on the devotions of any people than upon these pious sun-worshippers. Are not we naturalists, who believe that the light and heat of the sun are the primary source of all organic life on our earth, really sun-worshippers? The religious practices of the Parsees are extremely sim- ple, and, like those of the Mussulmans, based chiefly on judicious sanitary laws, as, for instance, strict dieatry regu- lations and daily ablutions. In consequence of these rigid observances the Parsee enjoys perfect health, and his active healthy children im- press one more favorably than do the pale-faced, languid offspring of the European resident. One of the most remarkable customs of the Parsees is their method of disposing of the dead. On the rocky crest of Malabar Hill, from whence the admiring beholder looks down on a magnificent panorama of city, sea, and bay, the Parsees own a beautiful plot of ground which is ornamented with lofty palms and flowering plants. In this garden or cemetery stands the Dakhma, or "Tower of Silence." The interior of this structure is divided into three circular or concentric cham- bers, each of which is in turn divided into numerous 32 INDIA AND CEYLON. smaller chambers. The inner circle is for the bodies of children, the next for the women, and the outer circle for the men. "When a corpse is brought to the cemetery by the relatives it is received by attendants clad in white robes, and, amid the chanting of priests is placed in one of the compartments of the Dakhma. Almost immediately the " holy birds of Ormuzd," the sedate vultures perched on the Palmyra palms in the cemetery, swoop down into the open tower, and in a few minutes devour the flesh of the dead body. Swarms of ravens follow and voraciously swal- low the remnants of this feast. Later the bleached bones are gathered into a receptacle under the tower. To most Europeans this is a horrible mode of sepulture; but, as collating zoologist, I confess I think the swift destruc- tion of a dead body by vigorous birds of prey, or by fire, as with the Hindus, more assthetic and poetical than the slow, wasting, worm-eating corruption of the grave — a method that is just as revolting as that of the Parsees. Besides it is in opposition to all sanitary laws, and is often the source of dangerous disease. Among the pleasantest excursions I made while in .Bom- bay was one to the palm-groves of Mahim, in company with my host Herr Blaschek. It was a delightful Sunday morning — my first in India — and I shall never forget its many charming impressions. To fully enjoy the perfect freshness of a morning in the tropics one must rise be- fore the sun; accordingly the first sunbeams of this cloudless and beautiful Sunday found us already riding among the gigantic old banyans at the northern foot of Cumbala Hill. The native huts in the shelter of these large trees, fre- quently entirely hidden among the root-branches, were the theatre of those original domestic scenes which so divert the European stranger. Whole families in the costume of the Garden of Eden squatted along the roadside, and gave ad- ditional lustre to their brown skins by copious applications of cocoa-oil. At the same time affectionate brothers and sisters, or perhaps parents and children, were engaged in a vigorous search for the tiny, slowly-creeping insect that populates the long black hair of their heads, but being devout Hindus, and not permitted to take life, however insignificant, the little captives were merely set to one side; some of the natives were resorting to more efficacious reme- INDIA AND CEYLON 33 dies — shaving their heads, or bathing in the pools by the wayside. Others were indolently stretched under the trees, or among the branches. Far more interesting were the sights in the palm-groves of Mahim, where the "toddy- tapper" climbed nimbly to the tops of the tallest palms to collect the sap which had accumulated during the night, or dextrously swung him- self from tree to tree on the ropes stretched between them. Other native laborers were busy with the morning meal. As for me, I never wearied watching the lovely effects of the sunlight among the quivering foliage and graceful stems of the noble cocoas, and on the giant leaves of the bananas at their feet. Flowers also bloomed everywhere, and these, as well as the butterflies and moths hovering over them, were noticeable for their extraordinary size, gorgeous hues, and singular form. Here and there waved clumps of graceful bamboos of which the huts scattered throughout the grove are built and thatched. Along the paths wan- dered all kinds of domestic animals, pigs and dogs, chickens and ducks; and sporting among them, the charming forms of the naked Hindu children with their great black ques- tioning eyes! After we had rambled through the grove for an hour or more we set out for the seashore; but the path we chose soon led us to an extensive morass. Fortunately a two- wheeled bullock-cart driven by a Hindu lad came up with us; we climbed into this elegant conveyance, and after nearly sticking fast in the mire once or twice, were safely hauled to solid ground. On the shore we saw groups of the curious pandanus or screw-pines, whose adventitious roots made them appear as if standing on stilts. The spiral stem forks at the top like a candelabra, every branch bearing a foliated tuft. Immense cobwebs from one to two metres across were stretched between the branches. These were the property of beautifully marked spiders of enor- *■ mous size, their bodies alone measuring six centimetres, and their slender legs ten centimetres. To capture one of the little monsters was not a very difficult task, and he soon found his death in my spirit bottle. The threads of his web were astonishingly firm and tenacious, as strong almost as linen twine. While we were engaged in the exciting spider-chase a flock of green parrots — the first I had seen 34 INDIA AND CETLON. in their native freedom. — flew screaming from the tops of the palms. A succession of zoological surprises awaited me on the sands, which the ebb-tide had left exposed for quite a dis- tance. Here I found lovely specimens of the blue medusa (Cramtessa) which measured more than a foot in diameter, and a globe-fish (Diodon) with a prickly hide and inflated abdomen. In the sand were numbers of mussels and snails — : all of them characteristic of Indian waters — which I had seen only in the zoological collections of different European museums. I also found some serpulidans, a variety of crustaceans (among them the nimble sand-crab), and numerous fish skeletons, mingled with the skulls and other parts of the human anatomy. The latter were the remains of the low-caste Hindus who had been buried in the sand on the shore. These and other zoological treas- ures filled my specimen case to overflowing when, at noon, we set out on our return to the city. Another very interesting part of Bombay is the sacred village of Walkeschwan, which is but a short distance from the bungalow of my host — between it and the governor's house on Malabar Point. I frequently, and at different periods of the day, visited this singular precinct, which is inhabited only by Hindus of the highest caste, and on every visit found something to excite my astonishment and wonder. No member of a lower caste is allowed to defile this sacred spot by his unclean presence. The centre of attraction in Walkeschwan, as in all other sacred communities, is the square pool or tank of water which is reached by broad flights of steps. It is enclosed on all sides by numerous temples and kiosks. The former are ornamented with the characteristic white domes — some of which are shaped like a mitre, others like a broad, low obelisk. The temples, like the huts of the natives, open toward the street; in the middle of the single pillared hall lies a sacred bull adorned with flowers. Other objects of adora- tion — singular stone symbols of the Phallic worship— are placed at various points throughout the village and its suburbs. These are smeared with red paint, and are devoutly worshipped by childless people who paste bits of gilt paper on them, and by offerings of flowers hope to be blessed with offspring. On the steps of the temples, or INDIA AND CEYLON 35 on those leading to the sacred pool, crouch the holy peni- tents engaged in most peculiar devotional exercises. Most of these fakirs arc impostors who enjoy their dolcefar niente at the expense of a credulous and benevolent community. Their naked bodies are smeared with oil and ashes, and their long hair, which is never combed, represents a pecu- liar kind of plica Polonica — a densely-populated zoological territory! One merit these fanatics may justly claim: strength to endure persistent self-torture. One old fellow has kept his fist clenched until the finger-nails have grown- through the palm of his hand. Another has held his arm in an up- right position until it has lost all feeling and power of mo- tion. A third has gashed his face and body, and by con- stantly applying ashes to the wounds, has kept them in a state of suppuration until he is a revolting sight to behold. It is a well-known fact that religious delusions will lead a man into all sorts of madness and folly — especially if he be under the domination of priestly impostors — but few reli- gions require the extreme measures of the Brahma cultus. My frequent sketching tours through the sacred village enabled me to study the habits of the privileged class of idlers frequenting the temples. The principal occupation of these noble Brahmanswho, as bona-jide mendicant friars, subsist on the charity of the superstitious and generous Hindus of the lower castes, seems to be a luxurious inaction and forbearance from labor. Only on rare occasions is their philosophical indolence interrupted by external religious ex- ercises — among which the ablutionary performances at least are to be commended. On such occasions the pool is filled with bathers of both sexes. I was greatly amused by the merry, clothing-disdaining youths that crowded around me to comment on the sketches I had made of the bathers. They were especially diverted by the caricature I had exe- cuted of a howling, wildly-gesticulating fakir. These lads were evidently not yet infected with the orthodoxy of their parents. The school in Walkeschwan also furnished some interesting subjects for my sketch-book. The old gray- haired teacher was immensely gratified to learn that I was a colleague of his — a piece of information I conveyed to him through pantomime. In the immediate vicinity of the temple of wisdom I had 36 INDIA AND CEYLON. an opportunity to learn something about the Hindu science of physics. A difficult accouchement was performed, with the most remarkable instruments, in the public thorough- fare, while a constable or policeman maintained order among the assembled lookers-on, and graciously explained to me the importance of the affair! Near by a second Hindu Esculapius by a series of punches and thumps was exorcising the devil from the pain-racked form of a rheu- matic patient. The celebrated cave-temples on the island of Elephanta were also visited; but, as they have already been described and illustrated in the numerous books of Indian travel, I shall confine my observations to a brief confession of disap- pointment. They did not come up with my expectations; I had imagined them far more magnificent and imposing. Actual beauty is out of the question in the grotesque sculp- tures and superfluous ornamentation of the Indian tem- ples. The disgusting and unnatural combinations of human and animal forms, the deities with three heads, distorted features, eight arms and legs, etc., are extremely repugnant to me. I am one of the few heretics who share Goethe's opinions of the i( distorted and crazy temples of Elephanta." However, the temples of Elephanta, with their sculptured minutiae, remarkable pillared halls and em- blems, cut from the living rock, will amply repay the curi- ous visitor. We made the excursion from Bombay in a small steam launch, from which we had a superb view of the harbor and mountains and of the Concan coast, be- tween which and Bombay lie the island of Elephanta, and the bare red rocks of Trombay Island. I shall always re- member Elephanta, for it was there I first looked on the wonderful exuberance of the tropical flora in its natural state. Of course I had visited the Victoria Botanic G-arden, which contains a number of the most beautiful of tropical plants, such as palms, bamboos, bananas, pandanus, bread- fruit, papaya, lotus, pistachio, etc.; but the pleasure I ex- perienced in the Garden is not to be compared with my delight when I beheld, on Elephanta, India's most impos- ing flora growing with the wanton luxuriance -which is in- tolerant of garden restraint. Here lianas of all sorts, and climbing ferns clothe the trunks of giant teaks; here the noblest cocoa-palms incline their graceful stems toward the INDIA AND CEYLON. 37 shore which is fringed with curious pandanus shrubs, and fortified to the very water's edge by a wall of mangrove roots. Here the parasitic fig, convolvuli, and other creepers twine around the black upright stems of the mighty Pal- myra palms. Here are magnificent banyans, from whose wide-spreading branches depend huge air-roots, which in time take root in the ground, and become supports to the mother crown. And there — see! there is a powerful mur- derer (a parasitic vine) strangling a noble palm in his deadly embrace, and a little farther on the fellow's brother clasps the dead trunk of his victim in his leafless and with- ered arms — the tree died first, then the same fate overtook his murderer. Among all these the slender bamboo holds aloft his huge bouquet; bananas and plantains expand their broad green plumes; deliciously -fragrant blossoms unfold their chalices; the feathery acacia unfolds its delicate canopy; prickly eu- phorbias interweave their stems into dense hedges. Thus, on Elephanta, the tropical vegetation of which I had read and dreamed for thirty years became at last a palpable reality. Among all these vegetable beauties thousands of gor~ geous insects hung in the sun-warmed air; huge brilliant ,buprestidans hummed through the thickets; hundreds of agile lizards and snakes darted among the undergrowth, flocks of gay-plumaged birds flew screaming harshly from branch to branch — all new, never before seen alive or out of a museum! And yet they were all old acquaintances. Like a happy child I darted after the enchanting creatures, laid hold of the trees and plants to convince myself that I was not dream- ing of fairy-land. My brief stay in Bombay admitted of but one extended tour to the mainland — an excursion to Lanaulie and the Karli cave-temples. In company with a fellow-traveler on the Helios — Count Hunyady — I left Bombay at noon on the 11th of November. Delightful weather favored us; at times, however, the sun became a trifle too ardent — the mer- cury registering in the shade at noon 30° E. The nights were proportionately warm, the thermometer once at mid- night marking 25°. The railway journey to Lanaulie is one of five hours' duration, and ours drew from us, besides 38 INDIA AND CEYLON. copious perspiration, many a sigh over* the torrid atmos- phere. And yet the first-class coach in which we traveled had all the modern appliances for comfort: the double roof projected on either side; there were blinds and green glass for the windows; cool leather-cushioned seats; ingenious devices for ventilation, and best of all, small compartments in which one might refresh one's self with a bath in cool water. Each of the first-class coaches contains two saloons which accommodate but six passengers. The seats or sofas — of which there are three, two lengthwise and one across — are transformed into comfortable beds at night; three addi- tional beds are put up four feet above the lower ones, thus forming six couches which are larger and much more com- fortable than the berths in the cabin of a ship. The traveler's portmanteau is disposed of by the porter; he may promenade at will through the little saloon and enjoy a view of the fleeting landscape from the numerous windows. The prospect was of exceeding interest to me, and I was happily able to secure a number of satisfactory sketches of the country we traversed during the five hours' ride. The railway which traverses a large section of Bombay, passes Byculla, Parell, and Sassoon, then crosses a bridge over the narrow arm of the sea between Bombay and Salsette Islands, then another bridge to the mainland of Hither India. Our route for several hours was over the flat lowland of Concan; numerous villages of wretched bam- boo huts and several larger but unimportant towns gave us an idea of the Mahratta population of this region. During the rainy season (from June to September) the extensive plains of the coast are covered with a luxuriant growth of tall grass, and, in some places, are cultivated with rice, corn, etc. "When we crossed them the vegetation was withered, and the broad grassy stretches sere and yel- low. The evergreen plants alone retained their fresh tint, the banana and fig trees, and that important treasure of the Concan flora, the stately Palmyra palm (Borassusfia- lelliformis). Thousands or rather millions of this noble oree are everywhere visible — now in groups, now alone — giving the lowland its characteristic physiognomy. Like the cocoa and date-palms, the Palmyra palm is one of the most useful plants — almost every part of it is used for one or more domestic or technical purposes. Especially attractive INDIA AND CEYLON. 39 were the groves of this tree on the banks of the reed-fringed ponds past which we steamed. These miniature lakes, to- gether with the naked brown forms of the natives, the two- wheeled bullock-carts, the wallowing buffaloes, and the little square reed huts, formed a lovely picture, beyond which towered the jagged crest of the Bhor-Ghaut. At Kurjut, at the foot of the mountain, the light loco- motive which had brought us from Bombay was exchanged for one adapted to the heavier grade (1.37) before us, and soon the ascent became clearly perceptible — rising over 2000 feet in a few hours. Numerous turrets and viaducts, as well as the sudden turns of the road, remind one of the picturesque roads in the Alps — the Semmering and the Brenner. (The steepest grade on the latter is only 1.40.) The landscape assumes an entirely different character; the palms which abundantly adorn the lowland country disappear, and in their room appear mighty, umbrageous •forest trees, the stately tobacco plant, and the wool-tree with its immense leaves. The escarpment of the tabular highland, which in some places presents a succession of steps or terraces, is here and there cloven by deep gorges; these are clothed with dense masses of shrubbery which give the mountain a European character, although the peculiar configuration of the Bhor- Ghaut is very little like any range in Europe. Now ihese stupendous rock-masses rise to a perpendicular wall of more than a thousand feet; now they present a succession of broad, truncated pyramids; now a mural front whose battlements and turrets at a distance appear like a mighty fortress. Although the plutonic masses which form the Bhor-Ghaut. (they are principally black trap and basaltic syenite) are totally different from the stratified sandstone of our Swiss mountains, yet, in its exterior configuration, this isolated table-land in some places is strikingly similar to them. As sudden as the transformation in the landscape, from a scene of tropical splendor in the 19th degree of latitude to one of more austere character in the 53d degree, is the change of the air we breathe. A breezy coolness succeeds the oppressive heat of the lowlands, and it is with unspeak- able delight that we inhale the invigorating mountain air. One only fully appreciates the benefits of a temperate cli- 40 INDIA AND CEYLON. mate when under the enervating influence of the tropical sun. The higher we ascend the more like home it seems; but this allusion is rudely dispelled by the information that, two years ago, in the ravine below us, an English officer was killed by a tiger. Two streams of water here fall from a considerable height, and in the rainy season form copious waterfalls; but at present they are mere threads of mois- ture, and sparse yellow grass covers the spaces which are not overgrown with jungle. Shortly before reaching Lanaulie we passed Matheron Sta- tion, which is a favorite summer resort for the wealthier residents of Bombay. Beautiful views of the surrounding country may be had from various elevations in the neigh- borhood. A singular rock formation near Matheron is called the "Duke's Nose" — in honor, I believe, of the Duke of Wellington! It was quite dark when at seven o'clock we arrived at Lanaulie — 2100 feet above the sea — and found really toler- able quarters in the diminutive "hotel" kept by a Parsee. Before retiring for the night we made arrangements for an excursion the next morning to the Karli caves, Buddhist rock-temples which, in extent and wealth of sculptures, sur- pass all others of a like character in India. We engaged ponies for a five-o'clock start; but when we made our ap- pearance at the appointed hour we found that a stately coach, drawn by two horses, had been substituted by the cunning landlord for the little mountain ponies we had hired. Although dissatisfied with this arrangement, which was a more profitable one for the landlord, we took our places in the coach, which conveyed us about half a mile over a good road; then we were obliged to continue the journey on foot for more than a mile through fields and meadows, and at last up an almost precipitous hill. The caves are situated half way up the western declivity of a trachyte hill that rises more than a thousand feet above the plateau of Lanaulie. The Karli cave-temples are much older and larger than the Brahman cave-temples of Elephanta; the sculptures are less complex and gro- tesque; the representations of human and animal forms more natural; they are, on the whole, the most perfect structures of the kind in existence. INDIA -4A7n ceXLUJS. 41 Like the temples of Elephanta, and many others of a oimihir character in India, those of Karli, as well as the forms of man and beast profusely ornamenting the walls, are excavated and cut from .lie solid rock. The lofty in- terior of the Tschaitya temple, a gigantic vault resembling the interior of a hollow cylinder, is divided by two rows of 'columns, with a broad central nave and two narrow side aisles. The numerous male and female statues, elephants, lions, etc., as well as the pillars and door-posts, are very ingeniously carved from the hard black trap-rock, and smoothly polished. Above, and on either side of this temple, are a number of smaller excavations, from which, at our approach, flew swarms of bats. Several priests who pass their lives in these solitudes solicited alms from us, and while they mumbled prayers of 'gratitude for the gifts be- stowed, harsh cries sounded from the rocks above us. On looking up we beheld a number of large black apes, which were the first I had seen in their untamed state, and which, on comparison with the dirty, naked, begging monks, seemed quite respectable as ancestors. III. Colombo. On" the 21st of November, amid the glorious effulgence of a cloudless tropical morning, I set foot on that ever-ver- dant wonder-island on which I was to spend four of the most enjoyable and edifying months of my life. The Helios, which had brought us in five days of uninterrupt- edly fair weather over a sea as smooth as glass, from Bom- bay to Ceylon, sighted the island at midnight on the 20th, and the first gray dawn was just breaking when I went on deck to behold, as soon as possible, the " promised land" of my scientific longings. Before us in the east, above the dim mirror of the Indian Ocean, lay a slender, misty bank that, when the brief morn- ing twilight of the tropics gave place to the swiftly ap- proaching day, revealed itself as the cocoa-fringed west coast of Ceylon. The conical peak towering conspicuously above the mountain chain of the central highlands was 42 ijtjjia ^NT) C1EYL0N. Adam's Peak — world-famed for the superstitious myths and legends which envelop it. When the brilliant sun ap ' peared above the mountains we were able to distinguish a second and lower range of hills between the highlands of the interior .and the coast. Soon the snowy-stemmed cocoa-palms became clearly discernible, and on approaching nearer, the salient features of Ceylon's chief city, Colombo, also stood revealed. Directly in front of us lay the fort and the harbor, on the right (to the south) the suburb of Colpetty, on the left (north) the pettah, or " Black Town." To me the cloudless sky and fresh, aromatic breeze which favored my first view of the long-dreamed-of island were signs of good luck. Usually in the morning the mountains are either wholly or partially obscured by heavy mists. The first boat to approach our vessel was that of the pilot who took us into the harbor, where we were soon surrounded by boats of a shape peculiar to the South Asiatic islands. These are hollow logs of perhaps twenty feet in length, three feet in depth and scarcely one and a half feet in width — so narrow that a grown person cannot sit in them without placing one foot behind the other. At the extrem- ity of two elastic outriggers, which extend from one side of the boat, is a balance-log that gives an astonishing degree of security to the frail craft. As I had occasion later to use these singular canoes for my zoological excursions, I had an opportunity to test their advantages as well as to experience their disadvantages. At first sight of their picturesque form, however, only my artistic perceptions were aroused; perhaps too I was influenced by their Singha- lese crews — in their way quite as rare and peculiar as the boats themselves. The natives crowded the decks of the Helios and offered for sale fruits, fish, and other products of their country, as well as trifling articles of their industry. Most of them wore only the "comboy" or "sarong," a piece of red cotton cloth that hung, apron-fashion, from a belt at the waist. They wear their long black hair in a knot fastened at the back of the head with a tortoise-shell comb, a style of coif- fure that increases the effeminate appearance of their slender figures, small feet and hands, and delicate features. The nude black Tamils, whose coal-boats surrounded the INDIA AND CEYLON. 43 Helios ■, are a sturdier race of people than the Singhalese; there is also a marked difference between these two races and the moormen, stateJj fellows in long white caftans, trunk-hose, and yellow turbans, who deal in precious stones, shells, and silver ornaments. The prices demanded for these articles are usually three or four, sometimes ten times their actual value; one of our passengers paid one rupee for a brilliant stone that had been offered but a few moments before for eighty rupees! This "precious stone/' like most of the '•'gems" of the "Kuby Island," was nothing but the product of some ingenious European manufacturer of ground glass. Gems of this sort are imported from Europe in large quantities every year. My reception from Herr Stipperger, the agent of the Austrian Lloyd in Colombo, to whom I had letters of in- troduction from that company, as well as