Bombay owes very little to its first European settlers, the Portuguese; in whose excuse it may be alleged, that they were not very auspiciously circumstanced with respect to the neighbouring native powers, while Goa, being the chief seat of their government, this dependency was not greatly considered during the period in which the latter-named city flourished in its brightest splendour. The beauty and excellence of Bombay harbour, however, rendered the colonists desirous to erect a fort on the most convenient site, and by this fortunate selection, from a mere cluster of rocks, intersected and flooded by the sea, the island has become one of the greatest emporia of Indian commerce. In remoter periods, Bombay was subject to the visitations of pestilential disease, which carried off immense numbers of its population at a time; but from these it is now entirely free. The number and variety of the religious edifices scattered over the island attest the freedom permitted to the followers of every sect. One of them, erected in honour of the Hindu goddess Bomba Devi, is supposed by some persons to have afforded a name to the island. Others contend for a Portuguese origin, and mention Buon Bahia, or 'good bay,' as the probable source. The temple of Mahadeo is a singular edifice, and though none are of great importance, nor exhibit the splendid features which distinguish many of the places of worship belonging to Mohamedans, Hindus, and Roman Catholics, in other parts of India, all add to the interest of the scene. The large Portuguese village or town of Mazagong, which is dirty, and swarming with pigs, is, however, very finely situated, occupying the shore between two hills, and is, moreover, celebrated as being the place at which the fine variety of mango, so much in request, was originally grown. The parent tree, whence all the grafts were taken which have supplied the neighbouring gardens, was said to be in existence a few years ago, a guard of sepoys being stationed round in the proper season to preserve its fruit from unhallowed hands. From these groves, in the time of one of the most luxurious Moghul emperors, Shah Jehan, the royal tables of Delhi were furnished with their principal vegetable attraction, couriers being despatched to bring the far-famed mangoes to the imperial court. Moore has alluded to the circumstance in Lalla Rookh, attributing the acerbity of the critical Fadladeen's temper to the failure in the supply of mangoes. Mazagong-house was the residence of Sterne's Eliza; but the interest which this heroine of the ultra-sentimental school formerly excited, has become very much faded, and there seems to be some doubt whether her existence will be remembered by the next generation.

Although there are residents of Bombay, of many years standing, who have never taken the trouble to visit the cave temples at Salsette, these extraordinary and mysterious remains of an unknown period attract considerable attention, and numerous parties are made for the purpose of exploring them. Cultivation is now extending so widely in the island of Salsette, that the desolate grandeur of the scenery, which formerly distinguished it, will be soon lost amid the more cheering traces of human industry. The road to the caves follows the line of a deep valley, well planted with mango and other trees, and shut in on either side by eminences, clothed with fine timber clustering thickly between ragged and fantastic rocks. The Mahratta villages which occur in this route are poor and mean, but the inhabitants thriving. They possess goats in considerable abundance, which afford excellent milk, while the kids obtain a ready sale at market, a fore-quarter being considered a dainty dish at European tables. These people cultivate fields of rice and coco and cashew gardens; they have also herds of buffaloes, which not only furnish ghee, but are slaugh

tered for food, the Anglo-Indian residents in this part of the world not disdaining to eat the beef occasionally. In the journey from Bombay, the tra vellers usually encamp on the borders of the jungle, or take up their quarters in some old Portuguese church, many of the descendants of the original colonists remaining still upon the island, while the priests, who have the care of the religious edifices, are usually very kind and hospitable to strangers. Upon the approach to the steep mountain, in whose side the caves are excavated, the country becomes more wild and intricate, the footmarks of tigers, occasionally very fresh, showing that these formidable savages have made their lairs in its caves and fastnesses. The ascent of the mountain is made through narrow rocky paths, rather difficult for the palanquin-bearers to penetrate, and which the more robust visitors usually climb on foot. Nothing can be more beautiful than the scenes presented in this route: at the summit of every eminence, a new and splendid prospect is obtained, while the deep channels worn through the rocks, the overshadowing trees, and the luxuriant, though coarse, junglegrass, and tangled thickets, produce an endless variety of the most enchanting landscapes. When parties visiting the caves proceed thither by moonlight, and having numerous torch-bearers in their train, the effect is greatly heightened; for while every object is distinctly visible, so bright a flood of radiance being poured from the pale planet when she shines from an Indian sky, the flashes of the torches through the trees, as the long files wind up the mountain's side, add considerably to the grandeur of the spectacle. The first indications afforded in this wild and long-deserted scene, that the busy hands of men have been at work, are yielded by small square tanks, cut out of the solid rock, in a dip or valley immediately beneath the caves, whose vast entrances may be discerned partially revealed between the brushwood, while high mountains, covered with jungle-grass, closing round, give an air of great solemnity to the The tanks are filled with very pure water, and prove highly refreshing to the bearers and other attendants who have toiled their way on foot. Half an hour's march brings the visitors to the gigantic mouth of a cavern, having a range of pillars in front. The sight of this yawning entrance into subterranean halls, which may lead one knows not whither, is exciting to strong imaginations, which run wild as they enter scenes fitted for the abode of Eblis, and from which the author of Vathek might have imbibed his inspiration; leaving to more sober calculators the measurement of heights and breadths, these persons give themselves up to the contemplation of the strange and wondrous work. These extraordinary excavations have been so often and so minutely described, that it is not necessary to go over the ground again. To ordinary visitors, there is little or nothing to interest in their mythology, and it is far more agreeable to those who are gifted with poetical temperaments, to indulge in the dreams which these awful solitudes produce, than to bore themselves with inquiries concerning the idolatrous worship to which they have been dedicated; and dull must that soul be which is not filled with solemn thoughts, and which does not experience a degree of awe, while threading the mazes of these mysterious remains. Parties occasionally bivouac for a night or two in these caves, which is certainly by far the best way of enjoying the excursion to the utmost. There are such numerous convenient cells, fitted for the retreats of hermits, cut into the sides of the hill, and perfectly independent of the larger caves, that it is easy to make a selection. Many are comprized of two small apartments, an outer and inner chamber, and these are usually chosen for the purpose. Care, however, must be taken not to dislodge some grim occupant, in the shape of a tiger, these animals being apt

scene.

to seek these snug quarters, which seem expressly made for their accommodation. Each cave is supplied with a tank of clear pure drinking-water, in front, and the materials for a good fire being close at hand, it is easy for a party to render themselves comfortable during their sojourn. Sportsmen may add game -the partridge and golden plover-to the repast, the neighbouring woods. affording excellent shooting. Very comfortable beds are sometimes made of the long dry grass with which the hill is covered, and this, with a cloak, proves sufficient for young men accustomed to care little respecting the luxuries of their dormitories; those, however, who travel in palanquins always have a capital bed for the night's repose, and are not to be pitied should they be restricted to such accommodation for any given period. The rising of the sun, witnessed from the summit of the mountain, presents a most magnificent spectacle. As it lights up the distant horizon, it reveals a wide and beautifullyvaried prospect, extending across the sea to Bassein, a Mahratta port in the distance, and shedding its golden radiance over hills and valleys, rocks and ravines, diversified and embellished with towns, villages, and isolated buildings, all adding to the richness and beauty of the whole.

Though the most celebrated excavations of Salsette are those already mentioned, cut out of the hill at Canara, there are others at a place called Amboolee, about six miles from Versovah, a small military station on the coast. The last-named are inferior both in size and number to the temples at Canara, but are quite equal in point of execution; and indeed may be said to possess an air of superior elegance. They are certainly more regular in their construction, the arrangement of the doors and windows, the long corridors and rows of columns, being symmetrical. Many of the bas-reliefs are quite perfect, and the sculpture is remarkable for its spirit and freedom. These caves extend to a very considerable distance under ground; but light and air being admitted from apertures in the roof, which are concealed by the trees growing thickly above, they are not so gloomy as the circumstance might lead us to suppose. The entrances to these caves, of which there are two, are so completely hidden by the trees and underwood which grow thickly in front, that unless pointed out by persons well acquainted with them, they might be passed within a very short distance without exciting any observation. The neighbourhood is wild, solitary, but exceedingly picturesque; birds of the most brilliant colours disport themselves in the trees, troops of monkeys gambol in every direction, and numerous small animals render the woods almost instinct with life. There is one precaution, which is very necessary both here and at Canara, since, if care be not taken to prevent the disturbance of the bees, they will prove very persevering and dangerous enemies. Young men are apt to fire guns in the caves, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the report of a musket in these subterranean recesses will equal that of an eighteen-pounder in the open air. The bees, alarmed, will rush in swarms from their nests, which have probably been concealed in the clefts and recesses of the rock, and have been known to assail the intruders with such vigour and pertinacity, as to drive them down to the very foot of the hill, compelling them to make a hasty retreat, without fulfilling the object of their expedition. Serious consequences have been known to arise from wounds inflicted by bees, which, when numerous, bring on fever from the inflammation and irritation which they occasion. The discharge of fire-arms, however, is so tempting to some young men, even under the most inopportune circumstances, that frequently experience of a very serious nature is required to prevent this indiscreet practice. A story is related of a young officer, who, being annoyed during breakfast by the chirping Asiat.Journ.N.S.VOL.26. No.101.

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of sparrows in the eaves of his bungalow, went into the verandah, and fired off a gun. In one moment, the thatch was on fire, and before any single article of property could be preserved, the whole edifice became a prey to the flames. In the dry season, ten minutes is quite sufficient to burn a house to the ground; and, generally speaking, the inhabitants can only rush out in time to save their lives.

The caves at the island of Elephanta, a name given by the Portuguese, in consequence of an effigy of that animal which appears upon it, carved in stone, are still more celebrated than those at Salsette, and have attracted greater attention from the learned. The sculptured ornaments are finer, and more interesting; and there is a gigantic triad bust at the farther extremity of the principal temple, which, seen through the dim aisles of this cathedral-like excavation, is well calculated to inspire feelings of awe, not unmingled with horror. Never could the monstrous images of Pagan worship be placed in a more appropriate shrine; and though, by some strange circumstance, these caverns seem to have been early desecrated, they are so emblematical of the vastness of the power obtained by idolatry in India, that it is impossible to gaze upon these sculptured deities without a shudder.

A great number of the poorer inhabitants of Salsette, Elephanta, and the other islands of Bombay, subsist by fishing: cultivation is, however, extending in the interior; and in the course of a few years, the influx of visitors to Bombay, which must be materially increased by steam-navigation to India, will doubtless direct the attention of persons desirous to colonize, to the purchase of land in these fertile, but somewhat neglected scenes. The various remains left by the Portuguese show, that in their time, agriculture flourished in places now reduced to jungle, from the usual consequences of Mahratta conquest; and although the invaders subsequently ceded their territories to the British Government, they have never recovered from the ravages committed by a people, who may with justice be styled the most destructive upon earth.

The political history of Bombay is an extremely curious one, and would form a volume in itself, of a very spirit-stirring nature, if written with the ability which the subject demands. Originally occupied by the Portuguese, its cession, at the marriage of Charles II. with the Infanta, produced great dissatisfaction to the local authorities, who, at first, refused to submit. Subsequently, the government appointed by the crown of England showed equal unwillingness to obey the royal command, and relinquish the island to the East-India Company; and, for a considerable period, the attempts of the governors to establish their own authority, to the exclusion of persons appointed to supersede them, produced considerable disturbances, which, though causing great inconvenience and confusion at the time, would, at the present day, afford an amusing narrative.

MR. TAYLOR'S "ORIENTAL HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS."' MR. WILLIAM TAYLOR, of Madras, in an Addendum to some "Observations on Professor Wilson's Historical Sketch of the Kingdom of Pandya," which appear in the Madras Journal of Literature and Science for July last, has commented upon (we cannot say answered) a notice of the second volume of his "Oriental Historical Manuscripts," inserted in our Journal for January last. We shall, in justice to him, cite his comment, and then make a few remarks upon it.

Subsequently to my having sent in to the editor of this Journal the foregoing observations, I incidentally met with the number for January last of the Asiatic Journal, on the library table of the Madras Literary Society. It contains a brief critique on the second volume of Oriental Historical Manuscripts, little more than an echo of some statements of Professor Wilson, and in a tone of so much subserviency to him, that I might be at liberty to pass it by without remark, especially as I had written the foregoing, without knowing any thing of an article seemingly composed with so studied an effort towards the depreciation of my imperfect production, which I should be the last to consider free from faults. But, since the writer of that critique expressly indicates an opinion that I had borrowed from the pages of the Asiatic Journal, it may perhaps be as well simply to deny the implication. Adverting to the Carnalaca Chronicle, the writer says: "The whole of the 'History' was given in this Journal ten years back, and we cannot help remarking, that the coincidence of expression in the two translations is so striking, that we are almost justified in asserting that Mr. Taylor must have had this version before him at the time when he executed his own. If not, we can only say it is one of the most miraculous instances of correspondence between independent translations of oriental works ever known or heard of."

I regret that I have not the volume of the Asiatic Journal referred to by the writer at hand, to compare with my translation; but, however miraculous the correspondence alleged to exist between the two productions may have appeared to him to be, one thing is certain, which is, that I had not the slightest know ledge whatsoever of the existence of such a paper until I met with this statement of alleged coincidence and implied plagiary. I think, however, that I am able to solve the enigma without having recourse to a miracle. In the preceding observations, towards the beginning, I have mentioned my having a rough paraphrastic translation, by Mr. Wheatley, of the Carnataca Chronicle, which I had intended to make use of. My intention, had it been fully carried out, was to have given him the merit of the translation, and to have added a brief sketch of his life and labours. In pursuance of that intention, I compared the translation and original; and, as both were to appear on parallel pages, I found Mr. Wheatley's mode of translation would not do. I then attempted to render his translation more literal by various alterations'; a mode of proceeding which proved to be more tedious, and less satisfactory, than simple translation, to which I then resorted, on my own principles. A page or two, however, of his translation, with my alterations, I sent to the press, and the first section of the Carnataca dynasty, possibly a portion of the second section, gives the result of my attempt to act upon my first plan, which, to my regret, I was compelled to lay aside, and with it my proposed notice of Mr. Wheatley himself. Those who know the relationship in which I am placed

In the sixth number of the Journal of the R.A.S.

Vol. xxii. p. 22.