The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-11-26
Reverence of the Parsees for Animals.

Although the COW is the only sacred ami
nal of the Hindus reverenced by the Par
sees, for they pay no special regard to the
monkey or the other animal divinities of
their neighbors, they are the protectors of
the whole animal kingdom, dogs and
pigeons being their most esteemed proteges
Bombay is the paradise of both the bird
and the quadruped. At certain hours of
the day, at feeding time, 1T is almost
impossible to walk or drive through the
streets without treading on several of these
birds, rendered fearless by long con-
tinued immunity from harm. On the green
as the open space in the centre of the fort
is par ercellent styled, the intensely bright
sky is clouded by the countless blue wings
swooping down for their food. Statisti
clans have frequently demonstrated the
enormous waste of human food that occurs
daily on this one spot. Enough, they
assert, to feed whole village of human
paupers; but the Parsees persist in their
within, for it has nothing to do with their
religion, in spite of the pleadings of politi-
cal economy. If there be some poetical
feeling at the bottom of their love for their
pigeons, which, we may say here, are the
same species as own wild-pigeon, there can
be no title of such sentiment about the
dogs that infest the city. Nowhere else in
the world can be seen such specimens of
the genus canis.. The dogs of Pera and
Constantinople are sleek thorough-breds
compared with the pygees of Bombay.
During daylight they are hidden away in
holes and sewers, but an hour after sunset
they sally out in search of companionship
and food, and make night hideous with
their yelping and growing. The jackals
of Calcutta are sufficiently irritating to
susceptible nerves, but their noise is music
itself by the side of the Parsees' four-leg
ged friend.
There are very stringent laws in force
against interfering with these animals, and
one of the most serious riots that ever took
place in Bombay had its origin in the STAY
ing of one or more dogs by some English
sailors. The Parsee population worked
themselves up into a furious state OF excite
ment, attacking with sticks and stones
every European that showed himself, until
the authorities were obliged to call out the
military, and an English regiment was
marched into the fort from their barr acks
on the adjoining island of Coolaba. The
riot occurred in the month of May, the
hottest season of the year, and several OF
tho soldiers were killed by coup de soleI il
their short march of mile and a quarter
The disturbance was eventually quelled
but not without further loss of life. Thi:
occurred twenty-five years ago, and the
dogs have been since unmolested.-A, G
CONSTABLE, in Harper's Magazine for Dec
There have been souls dedicated t.
heaven from childhood, and guarded b.
good angels as sweet seclusions for hol.
thoughts, and prayers, and all good pur
poses, wherein pious wishes dwelt lik'
nuns and every image was a saint; and ye
in life's vicisstudes, by the treachery o
reason, by the thronging passions OF grea
cities, have become soied and SINFUL
They resemble those converts Oh the Rhin
which have been changed to taverns; fror
, whose chambers the pious inmates hav
long departed, and in whose cloister tn
footsteps of travellers have elfaced til
, images of buried saints and Whose wall
are written over with ribaldry and til
, names of strangers, and resound no MOI
r with holy hymns, but with revelry an
loud voices.