The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-09-02
THE TOWERS OF SILENCE.

From tho midst Of Il grove Of palms
rise two circular towers, near which
stands Il large building loOkin not un-
like some public institution i'll any we'll
TODD city in America, ami which is, in
truth, one Of the temples which seem 50
necessary In every Indian landscape.
The s'toWers OF silenee''-what does
not the fancy picture when that name
is heard for the first time? a religious
retreat, where one wearied with the din
and turmoil of tue city below may enter
and find peace and rest. Such a retreat
as Taine must have reached In the
Pyrenees when he felt that in such
spot and with such influences the s'1mi-
tation (" must have been written. Or,
yerhaps, it Is designed as place Of pun
ishment, and persons caught in crime
are brought here to wear out in silence
their term of sentence, which will last
till life flickers feebly aud hope dies.
Away runs Imagination, but laxative
wallah," or, literally speaking, fell
low, who is our guide, soon brings
| back wandering fancy by the appalling
announcement that the towers are, in
truth, the Parsee cemetery or mortuary.
Directly a Parsee dies he is brought
| to the temple, and then after the other
rites are performed the body is disrobed,
anointed with sacred oils; after that it is
taken to the towers, which arc about
| thirty feet in dimeter and entirely
open at the top; and then placed upon
aniron grating for the vultures to come
and devour the flesh. In every direc-
ton one can see the majestic palms
bending low with their burdens OF
vultures and kites waiting for new
prey; the air abonnds with their
hi 10, .a0 1af1aTD
with the sickening odor of decaying
flesh. While a body is being placed
in position the edge of the tower is fill
ed with cawing, chattering spectators,
hungry to make the first plunge upon
the victim. With one accord they
dash down out of sight, and one knows
by the change from tumult to quiet
| that the Parsee interment is taking
place. That which but 4 short time
| ago was q human being, with hopes,
and fears, and aspiration such as still
animate us who gaze transfixed with
horror, is being torn shred by shred
and carried into the air, to he dropped
aud picked up, and quarreled. over, or
else to be consumed with genuine
| Satisfaction. No sooner does Il stated
bird fly on lazy wing to some Elr-Oh
treet op to sleep Off the effects of his
gluttOny than fresh one arrives upon
tho scene to carry on the hideous work.
Others sweep down upon us, theliving,
and brush our very faces with their
noisOmc wings. Beside us stand some
Parsees, who watch the circling birds
with loving interest, and one English
speaking guide tells us that they fire.
quently stand and watch them till they
know their dead to have been con-
sumed. AS soon as the birds have
cleaned all the flesh from the bones,
! they are dropped into we'll at the bot
tom of the towers, where they are COW
cred with quicklime and consumed.
The tower is then flooded and deodor-
lied, and SO, is claimed, there is on faint
in the air, any one having the sense
Of smell unhlunted feels that that boast
is not founded upon truth.-Ron1d0y
h,did) letter.