Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-10-04

ny of them can read, write, play on the
indian guitar, make up accounts accu-
rately: and, in some transactions have
had with them, they appeared very SEN
sible and intelligent. All public bust
ness, however, is transacted by the
men. The women do not appear in
mixed company; but in influencing at
fairs, and in private negotiations, they
are powerful instruments.
Such was the lovely Yamma, and
such were the promises OF hope, when
it was her fate to be rescued from i'm
minent peril by the intrepidity of Cap
tain s.. She had accompanied her
mother, in a covered and gorgeously
decorated hackery, to garden house,
which belonged to the father on Cola
bah. They staid in the garden rather
longer than their attendants wished,
pleased with its cooling fruits, neat
walks, silver streams, and shady trees
The golden hanna glittering mangoe,
anil imperial jack, attracted their gaze
and touch. At length their bullocks,
in splendid hourings, proud of the mu-
sic Of the silver bells which played In
suspension from their necks, approach
ed the bed of the tide, which | have
before described as separating the ISL
and of Colabah from Bombay. The
raft was beginning to ply in the low
err part Of the channel, but the carriage
road, along the crest Of the high rock,
was practicable though the rising tide
might be seen glittering in streams a.
cross its black ravines. The drivers
and runners Gale ulated that the bullocks
would cross before the tide covered the
rocks, and they urged them at full
speed 4 strong breeze, however,
came into Bombay harbour, with the
flow from the ocean; and before the
hackery reached the shore, the ladies
saw with terror that the devouring ell
ement was floating them, that their
footmen were swimming and in great.
agitation, striving to keep the bullocks
heads towards the land. Alarm soon
finds utterance. Themother and daugh-
ter mingled their cries, and wept in pi-
ty more for each other than for them
selves; but their agony was drowned
by the roar of the food, and the crowd
a, the ferry were too much absorbed
in their own views, and too distant had
it been otherwise, to afford them aid.
CAT this awful moment Capt. s.
was galloping from the fort; and, hop
ing that he should be in time to cross
the rocks, he made directly for the
course ofthe hackery, saw the life-strug-
gle ef the men, heard the piercing cry
for help by the women, and plunged in
to their assistance. His horse was a
strong docile Arab, and Captain $
being exceedingly fond of field sports,
had accustomed him to swim rivers,
and even the lower part of this ferry,
though a quarter ola mile wide. The
horse, therefore, swan, as directed, to
the hackery, and Capt. S, having
perfect confidence in his strength and
steadiness, placed the daughter, who
was as light as fairy, before him
and with the mother clinging behind,
gained the shore in safety, while the
hackery and bullocks were swept away
by the force of the tide. The terror oil
the animals, preventing their effectual
struggle, destroyed them; for moment
after the perilous escape OF the ladies'
the hackery was upset, and the bullocks
were drowned.
"Many battles and dangers require a
longer time in description than N ac-
tion-It was just so in this case
Short, however, as the time had been,
crowd was gathering; and not only
the ladies, but all tongues were loud
in thanking Capt. s. for his gal
liant conduct Meanwhile he gazed on
Yamma with wonder, and she on him
with grateful surprise. Many ofthe Par
sees have fair compilations, and Yam
mas was transparency so. Indeed, she
looked, though pale with fright, and
dripping with brine, so much like We
nus rising from Oceans bed, that 5
pronounced her, in his own mind, the
ioveliest of the creation. He galloped
to the tort, procured palankeens' and
saw the fair Parsees conveyed home IN
safety. i,
81 wish for Capt SIS sake-l
wish for the sake of happy termlra-
ton TO my story-that his acquaintance
with Yamma had here terminated; out
am impelled, by the laws OF history
and the nature of my information, TO
proceed, not with the wing OF fancy,
but with the plume Of plain matter-oi,
fact. In short, then, Capt. S--use
every means in his power to WIN the
love of Yamma. He corresPonded with
her through the medium Of fakiers, or
religious mendican,s and fortune-tell-
lens. He loved her to distraction; he
offered to marry her; for - had a
soul too noble to ruin the object OF his
alteration. She listened to the magic
Of his addresses; she forgot all the Gus