Soon after World War 11 in 1946 when my father came to Goa on long leave from E. Africa, he took me along to Bardez with a few belongings of a friend of his who had died during the war, to be delivered to his family members in Parra. Our gracious hosts arranged for a boilam gaddi complete with enclosure and seats inside to take us to his another friend's family house. I am not sure whether it was in Arpora or Calangute.
It was for the first and the last time I had a boilam gaddi ride. Bardezcars were first to emigrate and they were also first Goans to be exposed to English language. In all other respects too they were a generation or two ahead of Sashtikars. In Salcete too we had boilam gaddi but they were used to carry goods but not as passenger carriers. Sashtikars were used to caminhao/carrieras, horse tongas and railway trains. Antonio