Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-04-12
Hanillla.
An Eastern Siorv.

IN INDIA. 81 led my friend towards the Par
see cemetery on the scashorc. The Parsees
neither bum nor bury the bodies of their dead,
but expose them in two receptaces, one for
males and the other for females, made of solid
masonry, and open at the top for the admis
sion oil birds of prey. Having deposited the
corpse IN one of these sepulchrcs, through
door at the bottom, il is left, slightly covered
with muslin cloth. 10 be devoured The
bones are then carefully collected and buried
in an urn, with certain ceremonies. This
mode OF sepulcher was common in ancient
times, in some parts ofPersia. 1t excites sur
prise now by its seeming barbarism; and that
1t should be practiced by such an enlightened.
humane tribe as the Parsees of Bombay, who
are justly called the Quakers of the 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.
Aswe were approaching this place of sepul-
chre, we behcld about forty men and women
whom we recognized as forming Parsee
funeral procession. Amidst them was
corpse, which we afterwards found to be that
OF young female, on cot, or low bed that
served for bier, They all seemed TO be
her near relaiions and instead of all the solemn
decency which | had before observed at such
ceremonies, this exhibited hurry and secrecy:
the hour was unusually early; the lamentations
were not loud; there was no beating of breasts
10y the women; but in long dresses smeared in
ashes and paint, and with dishevelled hair
streaming TO the morning breeze, they were
uttering low groans and imprecations. Tears
were flowing copiously down two of the
wonen's cheeks, and we could hear them la
ment that ever they had been born, and utter
,,il 10 hot .ha
they bore along was dead When they arrived
at the receptacle, instead of unlocking the
door, and placing the body on the platform
with tenderness, it was thrown, with apparent
detesation, from the parape,, and we heard
the echo of its fall with thrill Of horror.
All this naturally reused my curiosity, and
through the instrumentaty of Hormongee and
Monagee, to the latter of whom promised my
interest respecting the caneen, by way of
bride for divulging the secrets of his sect,
received the following particulars, which
have every reason 10 believe perfectly true,
and in strict accordance with the Parsee usage.
Limjec Dorajcc, a respectable trader in Jew
els, had daughter named Yamma, whose
beauty equaled the lus,re of the finest dia-
mond.- She appeared among the virgins of
her tribe, as gem of Golconda amidst beads
of glass. Her parents saw in her,as in flat
terng mirror, their fondest wishes. They
pearlcd her jet hair with many costly trans
parent row, their rubies' burning glow were
pendant from her graceful nose; while many
far famed mine glittered on her bosom, spark
| led on her fingers and arms. and shed lis light
on her toes and ankles. This charming young
Parsee, or Peri, was about fourteen yearsold,
an age at which the females figure attains the
sound perfection Of beautiful ripeness in India
Indeed, marriage takes place generally at
| iii ri,,l in k,t IN, ~
case the young man to whom she was afiianccd,
had been detained at Surat nearly two years
| by important commercial affairs in which he
| was deeply concerned, and the expensive GER
| emonv on soleminzation of wedlock, had been
postponed from time TO time, in anxious expect
! alton of his return. The Parsees possess a
number Of strict and regular usages, and one
Of these is an obligation to marry only within
the tribe. ANY alteration from this practce
is punished with immediate death. Nothing
can avert the fate of the unfortunate victim.
The prospects of Yamma were at the bright
est, when, as the narrative proceeds, : 1t was
| her fate TO be rescued from imminent peril by
the inirepidi'y Of Captain s.. She had ac-
companied her mother in a covered and gor-
geously decorated hackery, 10 a garden house
which belonged TO her father, on Colabah.
| They stayed in the garden rather longer than
!
! ing fruits, neat walks, silvery streams. and
shady trees. Tie golden bandana, gltering
! mango, and imperial jack, attracted their gaze
| and touch. At length their bullocks, in SPLEEN
| did housings, proud of the rn''aie of tho silvoi
bells which played in suspension from Iheii
necks, approached the bed of the tide, which
have before described as separating The
island of Colabah from Bombay. The rat
was beginning TO ply in the lower part Of the
channel: but the carriage road along the ores
of the high rock, was practicable, though Tho
rising tide might be seen glttering in th'
streams across its black ravines. The drivers
and runners calculated that the bullock'
would cross before the tide covered the rscks
and they urged them at full speed A strong
breeze, however, came into Bombay harbor
with the flow from the ocean, and before tht
hackery reached the shore, the ladies saw viii
terror that the devouring element was floating
them, that their iooimen were swimming, ans
in great agitation, striving TO keep their bul
locks heads towards the land. Alarm soOl
finds utterance. The mother and daughie
mingled their cries, and wcpt, more in pity 70
each other Than for themselves: bu, their ago
nv was drowned by the roar Of the flood, III
crowd at the ferry were too much absorbed il
their own views. and too distant, had it bee
otherwise, to afford them any aid.
Atthis awful moment Capt s. was gal
loping from the fort; and hoping that he shoul
be in time 10 cross the rocks, he made direc II
for the course OF the hackery, saw the liz
struggle OF the men, heard the piercing CT
for help by the women. and plunged ia to ihei
assistance. His horse was a strong, dOcil
Arabian. and Capt S., being exccedingl