Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-05-04
MISC ELL A N ECU S.
YAMMA.-AN EASTERN STORY.

The truth of the following story is avouched by
the author of The volume in which we find it. Ii
is from Sketches and tales OF Soldiers Life" by
the author of Eileen years IN India I" led my
friend towards the Parsee cemetery on the sea
shore. The Parsees neither burn nor bury the
bodies OF their dead, but expose them in two
ceptaces, one for males and the other for females
made of solid masonry, and open at the top for the
admission of birds OF prey. Having deposited the
corpse in one OF these sepulchres, through door
at the bottom, il is lett, slightly covered with
muslin cloth, to be devoured. The bones are then
carefully collected aud buried in an urn, with GER
tain ceremonies. This mode OF sepucher wns
common in ancient times, in some parts OF Persia
Ii excites surprise now by its seeming barbnrsIn;
and that it should be practiced by such an en-
lightened, humane tribe as the Parsees Of Bonn
bay, who are Justly called the Quakers ofthe East
is strange. Precept and example will, however,
school the human mind to any thing, and there
fore we need not wonder at strange customs, when
we reflect, that our own are considered surprising
and ridiculous in their turn.
AS we were approaching this piece Of sepul-
chre, we behcd about forty men and women,
whom we recognized as forming Parsee funeral
procession. Amidst them WINS corpse, which we
afterwards found TO be that of young female, on
a cot, or low he'd that served for bier. They all
seemed TO be her near relations; ami instead OF
all the solemn decency which had before obser-
we'd NJ such ceremonies, this exhibited hurry and
seci ecy: the hour was unusually early the amen-
tations were not loud there was no beating OF
breasts by the women but in long dresses smear.
ed in ashes and paint, and with dlshevelled hair
streaming TO the morning breeze they were utter
ing low groaIls and imprecntons. Tears were
flowing COZ iously down two ofthe women's cheeks
and we could hear them lament that ever they had
been born, and utter wildly suppressed rejCicngs
that she whom they bore alo"g was dead. When
they arrived at the receptacle, instead of unlock
ing the door, aud placing The body OH the platform
with tenderness 1t was thrown, with appa ent de-
tesaton, from the parapet, and we heard the echo
fits fall With "A thrill Of horror.
All this naturally reused my curiosity, and tliro
the fundamentally of ilormongee and MoHagee
to the latter of whom promised my interest res.
pecting the canteen, by way Of bribe for divug gin;
the secrets of his sect, received the following
particulars, which have every reason 10 heliev
perfectly true, aud in strict accordance with The
Parsee usage.
Llmjee Doragee, respectable trnder in jewels
had daughter named Yamna, whose beaut
eq"ahed The lustrc of the finest hiamond.-Sh
appeared among the virgins of her tribe, ns gen
OF Go'conla amidst beads of glass Her parent
saw III her az ~ flattering mirror, their fondes
wishes. They pearled her jet hair with many
costly transparent row, their rubies' burning Clio,
were pendant from her graceful nose; while mn
ny far famed mine glitlered on her bosom, shark
led on her fingers and arms and shed ito light n
her toes aud ankles. This charming young Pa,
SEQ, or Peri, was about fourteen years old, nn az
at which The female figure attains the sound per
lection Of beautiful ripeness in India. lndee
marriage takes place generally at much EARL,
perod In life bur, in Yammas ease the your
man to whom she was affianced, had been detain'
at Surat nearly Two years by important CONNER
c'a' aHa'rS IN which he was deeply concerned, ar