The Bay of Biscay

Mozoomdar indeed felt that God was near. As he traveled the Bay of Biscay, which he thought would be ridden with storms, he attributed his calm passage to “the grace of the Almighty.” Note: 35Ibid, 33. Yet God’s proximity stood in contrast to the ever-increasing distance separating Mozoomdar from his friends and family. Over a month had elapsed since his departure, and a letter to Saudamini shows that these loved ones often came to mind. A chair given to PCM by his friend Dr. Dutta in Kolkata was the object of much attention by the sailors, who fitted a small pillow to its headrest. Mozoomdar expressed gratitude for the chair, which helped him to sleep on nights when the stuffiness of his former cabin kept him awake. His recently improved health served as an occasion to hope for the wellbeing of his distant compatriots, to whom he asked Saudamini to send his love. Even the luxurious lifestyle of the passengers reminded him of home, for it so starkly differed from the poverty he and his wife suffered in their early marriage.Note: 36Mozoomdar’s lack of means stemmed from his decision to work, without compensation, for a Brahmo Samaj newspaper and his estrangement from family, which resulted in the partial loss of his inheritance. See Bose, The Life of Protap, 22-30. In sum, Mozoomdar’s anticipation of London was outpaced by nostalgia for home.


  1. Ibid, 33.
  2. Mozoomdar’s lack of means stemmed from his decision to work, without compensation, for a Brahmo Samaj newspaper and his estrangement from family, which resulted in the partial loss of his inheritance. See Bose, The Life of Protap, 22-30.