The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-07-17
The Fire-W OrShippers.

In an interesting letter from India to
the Syracuse Courier, a correspondent
signing the initials an T. G. ;" says
"You have all heard Of the Parsees They
are the Jews of Bombay. They are race
that was excluded from Persia as the J ews
have been from many countries Here
they located. They are very INDUSTRIOUS
and are peculiar people. They are the
traders. They buy and sell the cotton
They are the brokers, the money lenders,
and shayers. They never mingle with
others. They have their own schools,
and in their way are highly educated
They take care of their own poor. They
have great wealth, and have elegant villas
on Malober Hill, the most fashionable
part of the city. They drive splendid
horses aud ride in elegant carriages If
the ladies aud children appear on the
street, they are dressed in silk. | never
saw children so elegantly dressed any
where else. Many of the young ladies
are very beautiful, but are never allowed
to receive visits from any but those of
their own race. They are fond of amuse
ments, and have theater of their own.
They are fire worshippeIs. When the
labors of the day are over they are seen
along the shores of the sea, facing the
setting sun, with their hands clasped, re-
peating their prayers They have very
peculiar notions o. life, but their cemetery
is more peculiar still. 1t is different
from all others We make visit to
their cemetery, not knowing at the time
that no one was admitted. 1t is large
tract on the best part of Malober Hill. 1t
is very valuable now, but it was purchas
ed many years ago. We made application
at the gate for admission, and were re.
fused. We appealed to a young Parsee,
who happened to be passing. lie was
dressed in silk and very gentlemanly in
his appearance. He said that no Euro
peans were admitted We told him that
we were not Europeans but Americans
He said he would be very happy to oblige
Americans, but couldaot, but did consent
that we should go up the road outside The
inner wall, and have view Of the city
and bay. The sentinel took US alorg the
winding road, aud rupee given to him
acted like charm 1t opened all the
gates and passed the police There were
no Parsees in sight to stand in our way,
and we entered the prohibited enclosure
These grounds are surrounded by wall
twenty feet high, aud have been used for
"A great number Of years by this strange
people. There are no monuments in the
cemetery. There are three round towers
about fifty feet in diameter, aud fifty to
sixty feet high On the top of these
towers there is an iron CRATE The dead
are brought to the gate aud delivered to
the priests, and the friends depart. The
priests prepare the corpse and lay it Gu the
CRATE, and it is devoured by the vultures,
and the bones drop through the CRATE into
the charnel house below These towers
or vaults are called the Towers OF Silena.
We saw hundreds of yultures sitting on
these towers. and the sentinel told Us that
thew would take all the flesh from the
bones of a corpse in an hour. We asked
whv these towers The sentinel, point
ing to one, said, Parses with plenty of
money put there > to another, "Parses
with but little money rnt there, aud the
other, "parses with no money put there.
The sentinel said, when corpse is placed
on the CRATE, the strife and noise of the
vulture is frightful, and could be heard
for long distance. We saw those flowers
of Silena," aud do not care ever to be any
nearer.
. y .foxr w