The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
INDIA.
Bishop B)wman on the Country Of Aryan
Forefathers-Interestius Personal Expe-
riences Among the People Of Hindus-

misunderstanding Personal Expe-
riences Among the People Of Hindus-
tan.
In opening his lecture on the sub
ject of India, recently, at the Unior
Methodist church. Bishop Bowman
said he was there to talk about one OF
the oldest and most interesting coun.
tries on the face of the earth. A
country about half as large as the
United States and containing a popu-
lation of from 200, ,000,0 to $50, ,O0O,-
900 souls. That portion of India
known as the plains of Hindustan ly-
ing along the banks of the celebrated
river Ganges reminded him of the fer
tile Mississippi river. AS he travelled
four thousand miles by railroad while
in India, he had good opportunity to
learn much concerning the nature of
it's soil and climate and the character
eff it's people. The most numerous
people of the country were not its
original inhabitants. The latter re-
sembled very closely the North Amer
ican Indians. While at Bombay, the
bishop said he visited what is known
as the Elephantine cave-an under
ground temple hewn out of the solid
rock. This temple, which Is located a
few miles from Bombay, he found won
derfully interesting for many reasons.
1t was a place of worship similar in
many respects to other Oriental tenn
pies, with a solid stone floor. stone
walls covered with artistic inscrip-
tions most artistically carved, and
stone pillars extending from the floor
to a ceiling of stone, the area of the
place being about $50 feet square
Concerning this wonderful work of
antiquity we had no historical infor-
nation that gave US satisfactory
clue to its origin. No race in India
claimed to have built it; neither did
any religious class undertake to clear
up the mystery that shrouded its ori-
gin. As long ago as the second cent
ury of Christ the temple was in exist
ence in its present abandoned condi-
ton, and historians at that time ap-
pear to have been as much in the dark
concerning the earlier history as the
people of later times. From what he
had read and from other information
he had obtained concerning the tenn
pie he had adopted the theory
that it must have been built by
the Ethiopians of Arabia two thou
sand or twenty-five hundred years
before Christ. This theory was great
ly strengthened by the fact that tenn
pies of similar character were to be
found in Arabia, and by other circum-.
stances of no less important charac-
ter. In many of the cities of India he
found buildings that surpassed in mag
niticence any structure he had ever
seen in America or Europe. If his
hearers could imagine all the parks in
their city merged into one large park,
with fine drives extending through it
and handsome residences scattered
over it, they would be able to form
some idea of the enhancing beauty of
the southern portion of the city of
Bombay where the English residents
had established their dwellings,. The
northern portion of the city was occu-
pied by the Mohammedans and Par
sees, and the northeastern portion by
the native masses, who lived like so
many cattle. Some of the streets in
the latter section were so narrow that
it was impossible to traverse them with
a vehicle drawn by a horse, and, as
the residents slept on them at night,
it was difficult to traverse them after
dark, even as a pedestrian. Some of
the cottages in which the people lived
IN this quarter of the city were not
more than twenty feet square. AS
small as they were. single cottage
vas often made to serve as the abode
If six generations of one family. As |
,irls married and went to house-keep-
ng at the age of ~, it was quite easy |
O find grandmothers 26 years of age, |
,reat-grandmothers 40 years of age,
md neutrality-suspicious. 60 years
# age. The bishop, when he reflect
d that India contained population
# 200, 900, 900 people, was astonished
o ind that large sections of the coun-
ry had not been placed under cultiva-
ion. All that country not under cul-
lvation, without regard to the vegeta-
ion it nourished, was called a Jungle.
IS tho Indians superstitiously refused
D kill animals, their jungles served as
he lurking-place of many wild beasts
nat prowlei about their villages. At
laces he found an open, uninhabited
ountry between villages twenty miles
part. In Lucknow he was awakened
ne night by a loud noise. Getting
p and looking from the window
his room, he noticed a pack of jack
Is were prowling about the house. He
as surprised to find that the Parsees
enied they worshiped the sun and
re. They claimed that they worship
God, and simply used the sun and
re TO assist them in elcvating their
oughts while engaged in religious /,
,votions. AS rule the Parsees were
, intelligent and progressive people
compared with some of the other
ibes of India. They dispose of their
lad in a peculiar manner. They ?
uld not be prevailed upon to either g
Try or burn the remains of their de-
ased friends or relatives. When
lrsee died his body was placed on .
gh tower supplied with inches for .
Q purpose. There the body was al r
we'd to remain until it was destroyed :.
the elements of nature or carried II
,ay by vultures. The people had a >,
culiar superstition that no one after r
body was placed on the tower could =,
Lo, Ill