Europeans, Malays, Arabs,
Chinese, and Hindus frequent the grove. Far into the night this debauchery
continues, and I trust the authorities will soon clean it out."
The carriages continued on their way to Malabar Hill, and made a thorough
survey of the locality. At the southerly point they came to the village of
Walkeshwar, whose pagoda-like towers they had seen from the ship, filled
with residences, though not of the magnates of the city. Most of the
buildings here were very plain. The hill is not a high one, but along its
sides the elaborate bungalows of the merchants and others were erected, all
of them with fine gardens surrounding them.
Breach Candy, on the seashore, in front of Cumballa Hill, is the most
aristocratic neighborhood, and contains the finest mansions. Tramways,
which is the English name for horse-cars, extend to this locality, as well
as to most other important parts of the city; and there is a station on the
steam railroad near it, though most of the wealthy residents ride back and
forth in their own carriages.
The Tower of Silence, in which the Parsees expose their dead to be devoured
by birds of prey, was pointed out to them. No one but the priests are
allowed to enter it; and the relatives leave the body at the door, from
which they take it into the building. It is placed between two grates,
which allow the vultures to tear off the flesh, but not to carry off the
limbs.
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