The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-19

aide. Tho present lord. his grandson ia well
known as the ielvcrton whose marriage with
Theresa Longworth lodto SO many sensational
suits. He resides in Australia.
The Tower OF silence.
All Sanskrit scholars are acquainted with
the name OF MoNrER WILLIAMS. Professor OF
Sanskrit in the University OF Oxford. He was
born in India and lived there as Il child but
most Of his liio has teen spent in England.
Within the past three years. however. he has
made two visits 10 his native land. his impress
slons OF which arc cn,crtaningly recorded in
thin volume entitled Modern India (Tr0bner
& Co.. London.l This work gives a better idea
OF the present general condition Of British India
than any other book We know Of; but we men
ton IL more particularly to call attention 10 tho
account II contains Of tho famous parsee burial
places at Bombay-thc Towers Of Silence.
There are some fifty thousand so-called Fire
WorshIppers. or Parsocs. in the city Of Bombay.
Their faith. as it came from their great prophet.
Zoroaster. and rs it l. cow taught by their most
learned theologians. il said TO DO pure Mono
theism. They believe in ono Supreme Being.
without equal or opponent whom they call
Ormazl. They revere he elements. fire. earth.
and water. IA creations Of the Deity and SYM
bos his might, Tint majority OF them re-
gard the clements us vartable representations
OF tho one God Of the pirc creed is more than
probable: and this belief converts thor religion
into a sort Of panthcism But II is free from idol
worship. and 1t inculeat'sa genuine morality in
It's three fundamental preccpts-go1d thoughts.
good words. aud good beds.
The great outward distinction 81 the Parsce
religion In India. however Is tho method
which it prescribes for disposing of the bodies
Of the dead. Zoroastcr directed his followers
ever 10 maintain the purity OF tho elements
which were symbolcal OF God. This obiga-
ton forbids them TO hay dead bodies in the
earth. To keep these from the soil tho Pirseos
/ build the wonderful stone structures which ara
undoubtedly the most remarkable OF all mod
/ ern repositories for the dead.
There are six ot these Towers OF Silence. or
! Dakhmas. A. they are otherwise called. at Bonn
bay With tho exception Il square one. used
solely for criminals. they are all cylindrical and
stand IN a beautiful tropical garden on the sum
nit ol Malabar Hin. Tho view from this spo,
/ rnn scarcely bc surpassed ly any in tho world.
/ NJ Engllshman's garden could DO better kept
/ and no pen could do justice u tho gories OF its
/ towering shrubs. Expresses and palms. It
/ seems the very ideal not only OF a place Of
sacred silence. but Of peaceful rest" Tho
! towers Of solid masonry and black granite
! within tho enclosure are 80 low in proportion to
AN'lT htfNNlll Ailhl lil'b nttNf U'fn compared 10
! gigantic millstones. Tho chief structure In the
centre Of the garden. Is about fourteen foot
nigh. and ninety feet IN diameter. " 1t is built
| Of solid granite. except in the centre where
! well ten feet deep and about fifteen across.
! leads down 90 an excavation under the ma
sunrY. continuing four drains az right angles
| 20 each o'hor terminated hy hol. filled with
either charcoal or sand. Round the upper and
| outer edge OF this circular structure and COM
| p.c,ely hiding Ne upper surface from Wow. Is q
/ high stone purHpot." This rises straight from
! the solid stone work below. and IT, exterior is
similarly wht'ned But the parapct Of each
/ tower possesses an extraordinary coping.
which instantly attracts and iascinates tho
gao. 1t is "a coping formed. not Of dead
| stone but OF living yuturos. These birds. On
the occasion Of my VISIT says Prof Williams.
had settled themselves side by side in perfect
order ami in a complies circle around tho para
/ pet Of the towers, with their heads pointed in
| wri AMI - la1lly lid thoy BIT there and So
motioness WAS their whole nien. that except
FOR their color thoy might havo lecu carved
out OF the stone work" But they had an ofllce
to iunl ms tho sequel proved.
The upper surface ot the solid portion Of each
| towor. hidden from Wow boy the paraprt risiu..
some ten or twelve feet above its lryel is divided
into soycnty-two spaces for the reception Of
| dead bodies. These rrreptnnlcs are arranged
In three rings. ono within the other Tn, in
nermo-t circle, Of whi'h " Good Thoughts arc
said to be- symbolic receives the bodies of chill.
dron; the middle row. represented by tho pre-
cept Good Words" those Of women: while the
outermost To which Good Deeds belong. Is
reserved for mon.
After tho conservation OF tho nakhmas. thoy
are never visited by any living persons except
! the professional corpse bearers of the Parsens.
/ Even the priests may not approach the walls
| nearer than thirty feet. Tho corpse baarers-
| called Ausa.Sl.ar-form a class b. themselves.
with whom the other disciple OF Ioroa-trr 40
not associate. as thoir employment IL regarded
/ as impure But neycrth .rss those people ara
. respected 10y the community and amply rrmu-
/ nerntod for their services. And we'll may this
bee so for every Parsnc. rich or poor humble or
. proud, who dies al Bombay. is borne 10 his tomb
hy these whitehall -erytors. At funcrnl
the relatives and friends of the deceased follow
tho romans to one OF the three houses II
prnyer NaJr0. which stand in tho same garden
with tho towers. Herethe mOurners, an drcssol
In spOtcss white celebrate the final rites In the
presence u the sacred ire kept burning within
onch sanctuary, Whle the corpse bearers con-
| yey the body 20 tho omen stone grave on the TON
Of one NJ the Dakhmns What happens then
we will lot Prof. Monier Williams relate In his
own words;
a sudden SIR among the yultures made MS
| le'ul round on" OF the towers, began 10 Show
| symptoms ot eN'it.meut, white others swpoprl
down from nelgnlorng trees. The CAUSE Of
| THIS sudden abandonment of their previous
apathy soon revealed itself. \ funeral WAS
Son lp h' appronchnE Tho tower solicited lor
! the pr sent funeral was ono in which ofhol
mnmhgrs at the same family had before h'ru
lad, lhp two bearers speedily unlocked the
! door, ref'rcnty conveyed the body into the in
4 u nm ltlltN a nm