New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-04
for haK hour, invariably decided that they. tho
Chs aIySour scsI host vi. "a. whoswas a. mush

III
| frightened as tho best woman among us resolved
| upon preventing the cholera attacking his Amhy
ordered grand fire, ~ expe the bad ar, TO be made
at the end VI the garden, into which all sorts df
herbs aud roots were thrown 10 feed the hnnrs
| When it was well burning. he invited al the houses
held 10 walk hear il, and iDbale tLc smoke thereof
BY the time the house was well filed with rn,oka
and nearly sufiocatsd, the servant returned FROM
| the city with paper, ia which tho Mayor parheu-
larly requested Inc people to abstain from sindhns
fires with herbs az no possible good bur on the cen
| trary danger might resu. thcrefron. Never was
| fire more suddenly exting,iished and III i've minutes
not living being was 70 " seen III that part OF the
! plantation. r. ...- .. .t.-,-.T
This burning Of herbs is one Of the Indians
methods Of preventing infection. During the cholera
they had strings of sacred herbs hang around their
houses and across the streets, in the part OF the city
where many of them resided. There are many
wealthy Indians in Port. Louis.
| They formed professions aud went about the
streets carrying their gods in little temple pray
ing and chanting in the most unearthy maner.- The
Arabs formed professions ALSO and went about pray.
ing az the corners Of the streets, that the plague
might be STAYED. They looked very dcvout with
| their fine eyes turned to heaven after they had
| thrice bowed to the earth, and truly noble with
| their snowy white robes falling around them, as
| they majesticaly moved onward 20 pray at another
| corner / have never seen such perfect specimens
| of dignity and manly beauty as among these Arabs.
| When the cholera drew near us, and it was im-
possible TO have physician in the country at all
| hours, We were Obliged to go to the city.
| Sadly, and almost silently, were the preparations
| made for departure, and sad and lingering was the
look each one cast upon the deserted mansion,
| as carriage after carriage left the avenue. Who
could saw which one of that large group would ever
| return
Many of Them while that hOsptable mansion
was closed were famed by tue wings of Azrael;'
but when it was again opened, and the united fam
iIy assembled for the evening meal, though there
were fearful eyes and pale faces there were crate.
fnl hearts, for there mds not one rdcdnt chair"
Going to Port Louis, We passed the funeral of
Door black who had died that morning The coffin
was in little cart drawn by donkey; three
women were following.
The city appeared to be almost deserted the
ladies' seemed to be afraid to be at their windows
lest they should see funeral or to walk out lest
they should take the cholera and it was in vain, 10
many instances, for the physicians to try 10 reason
them out of this manner Of living. e..--
Several Of the best physicians had died. among
them Dr. g., whose beautiful daughter had short
time before joined the Sisters of Charity. No one
could account for this proceeding. She was only
daughter idOlized by her parents, by whom che had
been INDUCED in every wish from her birth, and
her leaving them almost drove them distracted. ,
A new hospital has since the cholera been estab.
.hed for the poor of the island, and the Sisters OF
Charity are in attendance. The physician of the
hospital went to see DR.. G., found him very ILL., bis
wife sick, and no one able to nurse him; promised
to send Sister of Charity. Went to the Convent
for MademOselle g., who had not seen her father
since she had left his house. She dreaded the meet
ing. and begged and prayed to be excused; but the
physician was memorable. He insisted upon her
entering the carriage and took her to her father.
II a. = Ak... k..k
she had the satisfaction Of doing all i'll her power to
make her fathers last moments peaceful but
haunted BY the idea that if she had not left him he
might not have died.
Jhe cholera is abatipg. Walked out last night,
and hearing great noise of tom.tOms, knew that
the Indians must be having some grand ceremony.
We crossed a street, entered large undergrad,
in the corner Of which was large tent Admit
lance was readily granted. We found it crowded
with Indians all seeming devoutly interested in tue
| ceremonies. At one end of the tent was kind Of
| altar, before which small fire, and in dish some
| seeds and salt. Three Indians who seemed to be
priests were very busy stirring this dish, and filling
others with ashes In the center Of the tent was
| Iudisn painted yellow with great basket like
| bird cage upon his head an immense quantity of
bells around his waist and tOm-tOms in his hands,
beating them furously, and dancing in the Nest VIC.
lent manner.
This was the personfcation of Cholera, which
was considered the daughter of the evil spirit, and
on she went frothing at the mouth, and raging as
though determined to brighten and conquer all before
| her. But in an unguarded moment, when Cholera
| stopped 10 take breath, one of the priests took
round the sacred seeds, another followed with the
sacred ashes, some of vi ch he threw on ChOleras
| garments, seeming to paralyZe her for the time.
The grains were then handed round to all the com.
pany, who ate them, then taking . little of the
ashes they sprinked it on their clothes. After this,
Cholera again commenced her pyratons, but not as
brisky as before, and the people seemed to think
| that her power was gradually departing
| These meetings were held every night during the
cholera after the daily public professions had been
forbidden by the authorities, and ridiculous as they
may SEEM they are not much more 80 than one plan
taken to conquer the cholera by the enlightened
part of the inhabtaDts namely, 10 fire all the guns
| in the Island TO pate the bad air. One day 1T
| was bang, bang, bang, from morning until night.
| The result was that many cOnyalescents were made
seriously ILL., and many nervous people frightened into
fits; that this excellent measure was abandoned.
Saw to-day one Of the fire-worshipers, young
| man about Is. He has been married three years;
his wife is about ~ He was very polite aud dignl-
fed, being one OF the better class He wore yellow
| silk pants and long white grass-clOth cape, and
| most sDgular-loOking cap, compound between y
| turtan and the Catholic priests shoye-brim OF old
| times.
| Saw in the street Malabar woman, nearly six
feet high; she was attired in many yards of yellow
| and brown plaid cloth, and seemed TO receive con-
siderable attention from another with jewels in her
nose and ears, and prOfuslOn of bracelets 1t Is
| astonishing :5e amount Of silver they sometimes
| wear One old witch.like looking creature, that
saw one day, had her arms entirely covered with
silver bracelets from her shoulders to her elbows,
rings in her nose and ears, and in the tops Of her
l. H. .k..1. Il.as