The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-03-30
FORTY YEARS IN THE WORLD.
Or Sketches and Tales ofa Soldiers Life.

We have often thought how aptly the va
ricties of volumes may be compared TO the
varieties of vehicles now in fashion. There
the poets of high degree dashes along the
Parnassian course like chaise and four;
then tccre is the numbering quarto, heavy
outside and in, like a broad wheeled wag-
on, differing however, in not often leaving
such deep traces behind; then your modern
novels, barouches with their fine gentlemen
and ladies cAhibitionizing. and all your
chaises, gigs. demets, stanhopes, cnbriolets.
(these are the authors with their hoods up
masqueradlng incognitio) curricle, (though
those by the by are gone out OF fashion, all
thors no longer hunt in pairs. la Beaumont
and Fletcher,) tilburies &c. may all lind
their likeness in the divers hotpressed, un-
pressed tones of the modern myrlads OF lit
erati The one before us has its similitudc
as well as the rest; we cannot but compare
it to stage coach with great variety OF
passengers, paths, and places, where even it
| the company be rather commonplace. yet
there is both variety and plenty for amuse-
| ment. Its author seems to have considered
the great business of life not so much to eat
as to write, he describes every scene, and
sketches every character he meets with.
| His Indian remembrances are the best part
of the book; he vouches for the truth OF the
following tale:
II led nv friend towards the Parsee Gem
etry on the sea-shore. The Parsees neither
/ burn nor bury the bodies OF their dead, but
expose them in two receptacles, one tor
males and the other females, made OF solld
masonry, and open only at the top tor the ad-
mission of birds of prey. Having deposited
the corpse in one of those sepulchres, thro
a door at the bottom, it is lett, slightly COW
cred with a muslin cloth, to be devourcd
The bones are then carefully collected ana
buried in an urn, with certain ceremonies
This mode of sepulture was common IN an
Gent times. in some parts Of Persia. 1t eX-
cites surprise now, by its seeming barba-
rism: andthat it should be practised by such
an enlightened and humane tribe as the Far
secs of Bombay, who are very justly caiiea
the Ouakers Of the East, is strange. Ere
cent and example will, however, school the
human mind to any thing; and, therefore,
we need not wonder at strange customs,
when we reflect that our own are considered
surprising and ridiculous in their turn.
"As we we're nearing this curious golgo-
tha. we beheld about forty men and women,
whom we recognized as forming Parsee fu-
neral procession. Amidst them was corpse
which we afterwards found to be the BODY
of young female, on cot or 10" oed' tiat
served for her bier. They all seemed 10
be her near relations; and, instead OF the
solemn lecency which had before obserV-
ed at such ceremonies, this exhibited hurry
and secrecy; the hour was unusually early,
the lamentations were not loud; there was
ne heating of the breast by the women; but,
in long dresses, smeared with ashes and
naint and with dishevelled hair streaming
to the morning breeze, they were uttering
low groans and imprecatlons. ears were
flowing copiously down two OF the women $
cheeks. and we could hear them lament
that they had been born, and utter wildly
suppressed rejoicing, that she whom they
bore along was dead.-N hen tney arliteu
at the receptacle, instead OF uniock,hs Tue
door and placing the body on the platform
with tenderness, it was thrown with aPpa-
rent detestation, from the parapet; ana we
heard the echo of its tall with ca'll OF nor
ror.
AN this naturally aroused my curiosity;
and through the instrumentality OF Hormoh-
gee and Monagee, to the latter OF whom
promised my interest respecting tne CAN
teen by way of bribe for divulging the Sc
crets of this sect, received the following
particulars. which have reason to DeieVe
perfectly true, and in strict accordance WIFI
Parsee usage. +r,der
in Jewels, had a daughter caiieu fa.'.a' -, !,
whose beauty equalled the iustre ol .he .he
finest diamond. She appeared among .so as
virgins of her tribe, as gem OF ooieones'
amidst beads of glass. Her parents saw II.