BUNGALOW, a species of rural villa or house, so called in India. Bungalows which form the residence of Europeans are of all sizes and styles, according to the taste and wealth of the owner. Some are of two stories, but more usually they consist of only a ground floor, and are invariably surrounded with a veranda, the roof of which affords a shelter from the sun. In the chief cities of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay some of the bungalows are really palatial residences, while in the mofussil they are of more mod erate pretensions. In general, they are provided with exterior offices, to accommodate the large retinue of domestics common in Indian life. Besides these private bungalows, there are military bungalows on a large scale for accommodating soldiers in canton ments; likewise public bungalows, maintained by government for the accommodation of travelers, and in which seem to be blended the characters of an English road-side inn and an eastern caravanserai. These bungalows, though they vary greatly in actual comfort, are all on the same plan. They are quadrangular in shape, one story high, with high-peaked roofs, thatched or tiled, projecting so as to form porticoes and veran das. The B. is divided into " suits" of two, three, or four rooms, provided with bed steads, tables, and chairs; windows of glass, and framed glass doors. Off each room is a bath-room, and earthen jars of cool water. Travelers are expected to carry their ser vants, cooking-apparatus, wine, beer, bedding, etc., with them; but the kliitmutgar of
the better class of bungalows supplies table-ware, condiments, and even sometimes food and liquors, and he is usually skilled in cooking. Government charges one rupee, or two shillings a day, to each traveler for the use of the bungalow. A book is kept, in which travelers enter their names, the time of their arrival and departure, with the amount paid, and any remarks regarding the state of the B. and its attendance he may think proper. Natives seldom stop in these public bungalows, for though legally open to all, they are almost exclusively resorted to by Europeans ; and natives even of good condition are fain to seek " the squalid desolation of a tottering caravanserai," or village " dhurrumsala." At every travelers' B. is stationed a government peon, who acts as watchman, and is bound to assist travelers' servants in procuring supplies of fuel and food in the nearest village. The distance between each B. on a trunk-road is generally about 12 or 15 m.—an Indian day's journey. The introduction of railways will very soon put an end to the present system of traveling in India—a fact greatly to be desired, as the annoyance experienced moving slowly on with baggage and servants at the rate of a stage a day is almost inconceivable.