e. Two-thirds of the finest
equipages belong to the Parsees, who are very richly dressed in silks
and adorned with fortunes in diamonds, rubies and other precious stones.
Here and there may be distinguished rich Hindoos or Mohammedans out for
an airing. The women of the latter sect are concealed behind the
carriage covers, but the Hindoo and Parsee women show their faces, their
jewelry and their beautiful costumes with evident pleasure. Nearly all
these women wear fortunes in diamonds in their ears or in bracelets on
their arms. In no dress parade in any other city have I noted so many
large diamonds, rubies and emeralds as in this procession of carriages
in Bombay.

[Illustration:

One of the Main
Avenues of Bombay.
This Broad Street
Leads to the City
Market. The View
Shows the Florid
Architecture of Public
Buildings and the
Variety of Native
Costumes]

Another thing that impresses the stranger in Bombay is the sympathy and
the good feeling that seems to exist between the leading Europeans of
the city and the prominent natives. This is in great contrast to the
exclusiveness that marks the Briton in other East Indian cities. Here
the President and a majority of the members of the Municipal Council
are Parsees; while a number of Hindoos and Mohammedans are represented.
When the King and Queen of England were received, the address of welcome
was read by the Parsee President of the Council, while a bouquet was
presented to the Queen by the President's wife, dressed in her graceful
sari or robe of ecru silk, edged with a black border, heavy with
ornamental gold work. This mingling of the races in civic life is due to
the domination of the Parsee element, which came over to Bombay from
Persia three hundred years ago, when driven from their old homes by
Moslem intolerance. Here these people, who strongly resemble the Jews in
their fondness for trade and their skill in finance, have amassed
imperial fortunes. The richest of these Parsee bankers and merchants,
Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, left much of his great fortune to charity. He
founded a university, schools and hospitals and his name figures on a
dozen fine buildings. Other prominent Parsee families are the Sassoons
and Jehangirs. Yet, despite their wealth and their association with
Europeans, the Parsees have kept themselves unspotted from the world.
They do not recognize any mingling of their blood with the foreigner. A