BOMBAY

a presidency, island, and city in British India. The presidency, lying between lat. 14" and 29" N., and Ion. 66" and 77° £., is irregular in its surface, presenting mountainous tracts, low, barren hills, valleys, and high table-lands. The principal rivers, the Nerbudda and Taptee, fall into the Gulf of Cambay. The valleys are exceedingly fertile, and large extents of land in the Surat and other districts, formerlv waste and barren^ have been tinned to account in the cultivation of cotton. The former want means of trsmait has been supplied by the formation of roadfl and railroads, facilitating the conveyance the productions (especially cotton) of the country the port of Bombay. The climate varies; so that while Bombay and its vicinity are very unhealthy, other places, such as Foonah, are very favourable Europe ans. The chief productions of the soil cotton, rice, dates, and cocoa-palms; sugar and indigo are raised in Candeish. The area of the presidency is 205,665 square miles, which includes 81,852 longing to Bombay proper, 52,493 to Sindh, 71,320 to native states. The pop. of Bombay presidency, including Sindh, is 14,000,000, and with native states above 20,000,000. In 1856 the ports were £11,577,304; exports £10,291,916; 1870-71 the imports had risen to £14,677,838, the exports to £25,800,893, all including treasure. The growth of cotton in Bombay received a great impetus during the American war, so that the quantity of raw cotton exported to Great Britain in 1863 amounted to 3,004,196 cwts., and in 1867 to 3,326,538 cwts. Latterly, however, it has somewhat declined. The quantity exported in 1870-71 was 2,851,846 cwts., valued at £8,736,628.— The city and seaport are situated on a narrow point of land at the extremity of the island of the same name, and connecteid with the mainland and the interior extensions of the Bombay and Baroda, and Great Indian and Peninsula Bailways, the former being curied to the island of Colabah, the s.w. point of the harbour. The town is divided into two tions, one lying next to the sea and surrounded with fortifications; the other, called the Black, or Native Town, is situated about 1 mile n.w. The streets the former are narrow, and the houses high, with projecting verandahs. The bazaars in the lower part of the town are narrow and dirty, and chiefly kept by Parsees, an industrious and intelligent race Persian descent. The European population partly within the fort, but mostly in villas bungalows with verandahs, and surrounded with extensive areas, called compounds, in various parts of the island. Bombay Castle, the government offices, and almost all the merchants' warehouses and offices are within the fort. There are several churches in Bombay, which is also the see of Anglican bishop, l^e Black Town is on a low and used to suffer from inundations; but much been done to remedy this, though the place is very unhealthy. In 1859 a university was opened, and several schools and colleges in other places affiliated to it. The commercial activity of the port g^atly increased, owing very much to the export cotton. By far the greater portion of the exports and imports of the presidency pa through Bombay. The harbour is one of the lai^^ and safest in India; while its scenery and that of the neighbouring tinent presents a rare combination of grandeur beauty. It is 12 or 14 miles long, and from 4 wide. It is situated between the klands of Colabah, Bombay, and Salsette on the one hand, and mainland and islands of Caranjali and Elephant a the other, and is defended by formidable batteries. There are large and commodious docks, the ships and basins being calculated for ve els of any Ship-building UHcd to be extensively carried frigates and even ships of the line having been built here. Bombay is the chief Indian port connected with the est a>)li8hmcnt of steam navigation between India and this country. In 1837 three steam ve els sailed between Bombay and Suez; there is now regular transmi ion of the m.ails by steam every wcfk. There is also regular steam oom in i mic at i on with China, Australia, Sinj^^apore, Mauritius, . of railway between Bombay and Tannah, on the island of Salsette, 20 miles distant, opened in 1853, was the of first Indian railway constructed. Pop. in 1871, t) 646,636. — ^The island of Bombay is about 8 miles long from N. to s., and about 3 miles broad, formed by two ranges of rock running parallel to each other to on opposite sides of the ishuid. The interior was are formerly liable to be overflowed by the sea, to prevent whid i substantial walls and embankments were constructed, but the lower parts are still covered be with water during the rainy monsoon. On the s.w. and and 8.E. it terminates in two peninsular projections inclosing a bay between them. the Bombay was obtained by the Portuguese in 1530 imfrom an Indian chief at Salsette; by them it was in ceded to Great Britain in 1661, and in 1668 it was and transferred by the king to the East India Company. Next to Madras it is oldest of our po esaionB in the East. From the commencement of the last century it has gradually increased in importance, and has now attained a h^h degree of prosperity. 279