The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-07-03
ure Horshlpers.

kbkC WV SsAARSA"s
In.an interesting letter from India to
the Syracuse Courier, correspondent
signing the initials n. F. G says:
e.yon have all heard of the Parsecs'
Th.r are the Jews OF Bombay. They
or. = race that was excluded from Fer
s;a nc the Jews have been from many
Countries. Here they located. They
90 ycrv industrious, and very pecu-
liar people. They are the traders. insy
buv and sell the cotton. They are tne
brokers. the money lenders, and shayers'
Thev 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 ,hsv have Gle .ant villas on Malober
Hill the most fashionable part OF the
city They drive splendid horses ana
ride in elegant carriages; IL lne 'a .ssa'
and children appear on the street. '"oy
are always dressed in silk. ! never saw
children SO elegantly dressed anywhere
eIsc. Many of tho young ladies' are
very beautiful, but are never allowed 10
recs;vc visits from any but their own
rae. They are fond Of amusements, land
have a theatre of their own. They are
fire worshipers. When the labors OF the
dav are over, they are seen along the
shores of the sea, facing the setting SUM-
with their hands clasped, repeating their
PRAYERS. They have very peculiar no
lions of life, but their cemetrey IS more
neculiar still. 1t is very different from
Iii others. We made visit to their
cemetery, not knowing at the time that
No ono va, admitted. 1t is quite large
tract on the best part of Malooer mn.
Il is very valuable now, but 1t was Pur-
chased many years ago. We.made ap,
piica,ion at the gate for admissioh' anu
were refused. We appealed to a young
Parsee who happened to be passing. Ne
was dressed in silk and very gentleman
" in his appearance. lie sad ,na no
Euroneans were admitted. We told him
we were not Europeans, but Americans
lie said he would be very happy 10
oblige Americans, but could not, but did
consent that We should 50 up the road
outside the inner wall, in order lhat VIC
might have q view Of the city ana nay.
The sentinel took US along the winding
road, and a rupee given him acted like
a charm. Itopcncd all tho gates and
passed tho police. There were no Ear.
sees in sight to stand in our way, ana
we entered tho prohibited enclosures;
These grounds are surrounded BY wall
twenty feet high and have been used a
number of years by this strange people
There arc no monuments in the Gene
terry. There are three round towers
about fifty feet in diameter, and MY 10
sixty feet high. On the top OF these
towers there is an iron CRATE.
Tho dead are brought and deliv-
cred to the tho priests, and the
friends depart. The priests prepare inc
corpse and lay it on the CRATE, ana II Is
devoured by the vulturee, and the bones
drop throug Oh the CRATE into the charne'
house below. These towers or vaults
are called tho "Towers of Silena. we
saw hundreds Of vultures sitting on the
towers, and the sentinel told US that they
would take all the flesh from the bones
of corpse in an hour. We asked why
these towers! Tho sentinel, pointing
to ono said, )" Parsee with plenty OF mon
ev nut there," and the other, "Parsee
with NO mohUy Pus ss'ere. rue sen.''
mel said, when = corpse is placed on the
crate, the strife and noise Of tho vulturcs
is frightful, and could DC heard for
long distance. We saw these "Towers
of Silena," and no not care to be any
nearer.