Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 03.djvu/297

BOMBARDMENT. 261 BOMBAY. British Xaiul ami MiHtiirn Ojicrations i» Egypt in ISSi, bv Lieutenant-Ci)iiiinaiider Casper F. Goodrich, U.S.X. (pul)lislied by the OtTice of Xaval Intelligence, Washington, 1885), will be found a detailed accovint of the bombardment of the fortifications of Alexandria. The results anil conohisions derived from tlieni are similar to those her€>inbefore mentioned. Compare, also, the attacks on Charleston by the Federal tlect during the Civil War, and the bombardment of Forts ijackson and Saint Philip, below New Or- leans, and of Fort Fisher, near Wilmington. During tlie Spanish War much fear was ex- pressed that the Spanish squadron would bom- bard summer resorts and defenseless places on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Apart from other considerations, such a proceeding would have been a foolish waste of ammunition. It is possible that seaport cities may be forced to ]iay money to secure exemption from bom- bardment, but wanton destruction is unlikely to be attempted. Its cost is generally out of pro- jiortion to the damage inflicted, unless the con- ditions are very favorable to the attack. An inferior fleet, at a long distance from its base of supplies, cannot aflford to use up its ammuni- tion in operations which have no bearing upon the general course of the war, or which would not decrease the power of the enemy's fleet. See Coast Defex.se, Siege . d Siege Works, and Fi)RTific.Tiox, under which titles are de- scribed the military tactics to be followed and means employed for defense against bombard- ment. BOMBAR'DON. See Saxiiobn. BOMBAS'TES FTJ'RIO'SO. The title of an opera (IT'.tOt by William Barnes Rhodes, a par- ody of Orlando Furioso. It narrates the mock- heroic adventures of Bombastes, a braggart, who becomes jealous of his beloved Distaffina, slays his king for a pair of jack-boots, and is finally killed himself by Fusbos, minister of state. BOM'BAX. See Eriodexdrox. BOMBAY, bom-ba'. A province of British India, extending along the western coast of the Peninsula from about latitude 14° to about 18° 30' X. CMap: India, Bo). It is bounded by r.aluchistan on the north, Rajputana, Central India, the Central Provinces, Berar. and Hydera- bad on the east, Mysore and Madras on the south, and the Arabian Sea and Baluchistan on the west. Area, 184.23.5 square miles, of which 122.778 square miles is under direct British ad- ministrati(m. The rest is under the administra- tion of native chiefs, politically controlled by Great Britain. The western piirt of the prov- ince is partly traversed by the range of the western (iliats, running either close to the coast or retreating about 50 miles inland. They have numerous offshoots into the interior, and their slopes are covered with thick forests. Physical- ly, the province is divided into four parts: Sindli. the nortliern division, with a low surface, mostly unproductive; Gujarat, having a rich, alluvial soil, well watered; Konkan, a moun- tainous region, very little cultivated, and the Deccan. in the south, suffering from insullicient rainfall. The chief rivers are the Indus, which drains only the Sindh, the Tapti, and the Ner- budda. The climate, with a few exceptions, is hot and oppressive. A temperature of 130° is not rare, while in some places for about six months in the year the temperature averages about 95° in the shade. In the lower portions the rainy season is sometimes followed by epi- demics of fever. The agricultural products of Bombay are of considerable importance. In the northern por- tion, where the surface is generally low and even swampy, nnu-h attention is paid to the cul- tivation of rice and wheat, while in the south- ern portion cotton is the chief crop. The latter i.s cultivated mostly in the black-soil regions of the southeastern part of the province, and the area under cotton amounts to about 25 jier cent, of the total cotton area of British India, Besides cotton, wheat, and rice, Bombay pro- duces large quantities of millet, some oil-seed, and tobacco. Altogether, there are in Bombay over 27.000.000 acres under cultivation, out of a total of 196,000,000 acres for British India. The mineral production of the province is in- significant. The manufacturing industries are chiefly confined to the production of cotton and silk fabrics, leather, and brassware. The cotton- manufacturing industry was started in 1854, and since then has had a rapid development, employing over 130,000 people in 1809. Besides exporting immense quantities of raw cotton to Great Britain, Bonib.'w supplies a large portion of the domestic demand, and exports some to other parts of India. In regard to the volume of conunerce, Bombay is exceeded only by Ben- gal. In 1885 the imports and exports amounted to Rs.340,093,729 ($110,160,000) and Rs.379,- 602,960 ($123,000,000). respectively. Inl900they had increased to Rs. 453,042.205 (.$146,772,000) and Rs.439,868,383 ($142,5.50,000), respectively. The chief exports are sugar, tea. wool, cotton, cotton fabrics and woolens, and drugs ; the im- I'orts consist mostly of machinery, metals, and liquors. In 1900 Bombay, including the native States, had over 6400 miles of railway lines, or 27 per cent, of the total railway mileage of British India. The lines belong either to the Imperial Government or to the native .States, but they are mostly operated by private companies. The administration of the province is vested in a Governor and an Executive Council, whose members hold office by appointment; while the legislative power is in charge of a Legislative Council, made up of the Governor and the Execu- tive Council, with the addition of a few appoint- ed members representing the European resident.s and the natives. The native States are con- trolled by means of agents attached to the na- tive courts. For administrative purposes the province is divided into the four divisions of Northern, Central, Southern, and Sindh. Justice is administered by the high court at Bombay and nmnerous district courts. The revenue is made up from land rinenue, monopolies, taxes, and customs. The revenue and cxpenditvires for the fiscal year 1900 amounted to Rs. 135,- 703,045 (about $44,000,000) and Rs. 108,715,882 ($35,224,000) respectively. Instruction is furnished by 13 colleges, about 500 secondary public schools, over 9000 primary public schools, and 26.50 private primary schools. The University of Bombay is only an examining body. .Vltogether. there "are about 12,640 edu- cational instituti<ms, with a total attcn<lance of over 600,000 children, of whom about (!0 per cent, are Mohammedans. The population of the