The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-07-15
SOME NEW osoxs.
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plated wAs TO supplement the results OF
recent Investigations OF marine life by In
shutting series OF deep-sea sound
ines In the Indian Ocean. His hopes how
ever. Of discovery In this direction were frus-
trated by the refusal OF the Berlin Academy
Of Sciences to grant MIN q travelling allowance
out OF the Humboldt fund-a refusal unQues-
tionably duo to his vigorous advocacy of the
doctrine Of evolution. He was therefore oom.
PEELED to oonnne his researches within his
special department OF study namely. animal
and plant life To that end he took with him not
only the microscope. the dissecting kniis. and
the other simple instruments which formerly
made up the equipment OF the naturalist but
tho elaborate apparatus rendered necessary by
the improved methods and extended aims OF
modern biological inquiry. Tho fruit Of
Hnockers Investigations was . collection OF
specimens which has materially enriched the
jena Museum Of Natural History. and series
Of scientific dissertations suggested by his OBJ
servstions. which were either road from his
Professors chair in the university or made
known to other students through periodical
publications Aside. however. from the special
purpose Of his journey. 1t was impossible
that an admirably equipped and trained OBJ
server. like Prof. Haeckel. should fail to $50
much that would oscaDe an ordinary eye. and
to draw from what he saw conclusions OF Decu-
liar interest and value. 1t Ii the part OF his
experience which lay outside OF his special
held Of study. and which he reoounts In q con-
veraatlonal way. that we find set forth In
narrative called A Ifsato Cevlon. This book.
whose charm lies in our conviction Of the au-
thor's thorough competence and absolute
trustworthiness. has been translated into Eng
lish by Miss Clara Bell and published In this
country BY 8. L. Casino 4 Co.
On his way to Ceylon Hneokel spent . week In
Bombay and. although. with the modesty that
comes from an appreciation Of the time and
the labor which arc prerequisites OF knOwl-
edge he disclaims any intention Of describing
tho city or commenting on those superficial
aspects OF 1t OF which he had a glimpse he
nevertheless drops one or two remarks worth
citing Apropos OF the Parsis. multitudes Of
whom are to be seen In bombay ut sunrise and
sunset. standing or kneeling on spread out
rugs. and attesting by prayer their alteration
Of the coming or departing day star. Haeokel
says: Il have never looked on at tho relig-
ious exercises Of any nation with deeper
sympathy than at those Of these sun
and FIRE worshippers. For we. the students
OF nature. who duly recognize In the light and
warmth OF tho sun the source and origin Of all
the glorious organic life upon our globe. are
also. In point OF fact. nothing else than sun
worshippers" As to the Parsi custom OF OK
posing the bodies Of tho dead on the 30 called
towers OF silence. to be there devoured by
birds. Haeckel comedies that to most Euro
peans this mode OF disposing OF II corpse 10
simply horrible just as in the classical times it
WINS regarded AZ o peculiar indignity to throw
out body to DO food for the vultures. But"
he continues. to the student OF comparative
zoology 1t seems that 1t may perhaps be moro
aesthetic and poetical to see the body OF one we
I, lNx.nH in faxr ,intt hut I'm
powerful l,eaks Of birds OF prey. or. like the
Hindus. to know that it is burned to ashos.
than to think of it Us undergoing that slow and
loathsome process of decomposition into food
for the worms which is inevitable under the
present conditions Of European sepu!ture. and
which is no moro revolving to feeling than it Is
injurious to health. being. in fact. the source OF
much disease"
1t is VOL known that the Cnghalese under
which term is comprohendod only that part OF
the population Of Ceylon which IL supposed to
be descended from Aryan emigrnnts. who con-
Quered the island more than 1000 years ago.
are devout Buddhists. Prof. Haeckel. however.
points out a strange inconsistency in their
willingness to torture animals. whose life,
nevertheless. nothing would induce Thorn to
take. There is no doubt he says. that Gauta-
mas Injunction against deprvinG any sentient
creature OF life Is. on the whole. scrupulously
needed by every Buddhist in Ceylon. 1t Is
true that the Cinghalese are at no pains to dis
guise their satisfaction when a naturalist
fires at the monkeys and flying foxes that rob
them OF their bananas. or when q planter
shoots the elephants that tread down their
rice fields. the leopards that carry of their
goats. or the palmcats which devour their
fowls But as rule they will give no
assistance or encouragement. and take the
Ali
selves" For this reason almost all who belong
to the flshermen's caste in Colombo or Gale
are Roman Catholics: they have renowned
Buddhism to avoid all religious objections to
catching fish. Prof. Haeckel goes on to show
that the mild Cinghalese who are so sQueam-
ish about staying any living thing. seem to re-
gard the torturing Of horses or oxen As de-
lightful entertainment. either because they I'm
agine the lower animals to DO devoid Of sensa-
tion-a strange misconception. which to this
day Is occasionally encountered in Europe-or
because they think that by these brutalities
they are avenging their wrongs upon cruel
princes and warriors. whose degraded souls.
according to tho theory OF transmigration.
have entered into the forms Of beasts.
1t is certain that In Ceylon the oxen
are always marked with their owners
name In large letters cut quite through the
skin. Nothing too. could be more barbnrous
than the native method OF breaking horse to
harness. 1t seems to be taken for granted that
horses have an inherited aptitude for pulling
vehicles. So. without any previous training.
an unbroken colt is fastened In front OF a rude
cart by n cumbrous and inconvenient tackle.
and then subjected to every kind OF torture.
till 1t takes to its heels in sheer desperation.
1T is dragged. for instance. by the nostrils.
which In the horse are particularly sensitive; ;
its ears are wrung almost out Of its head ropes
are tied to its forelcgs. and half a dozen howl
ing and shrieking youngsters drag the poor
beast forward while others hold on to his tail
and belabor him behind. sometimes even
scorching him with torches. 1t is in
fact difficult to conceive why the English Gov
eminent hns not long since put an end to this
brutality to animals"
Prof. Haeckcl saw no reason to doubt the
correctness OF the theory which ascribes AN
Aryan origin to the Cinghalese. He says that
the physical tyne OF the race when free from
adnlixture. is extremely beautiful. He adverts
frequently to the graceful figures OF the female
children. and to the well-developed bodies and
limbs OF the elder girls. who NJ the same time
have remarkably small hands and feet. The
color OF their skin is q light cinnamon-brown.
THAR evas ara almond - n n mad nd thair lila oil