Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-02-06
THE FIRE-WORSHlPPERS.
Des cription of an Entertainment Given By
Parsee Nobleman.

a Parsee NObleman.
Perhaps no race of people is less
known Or more interesting to the stu
dent and traveller than the Parsees or
Fire-W orshipers of India. They are
delightful hosts, and, as it was my
good fortune to form the acquaintance
of Sir Framgee Demshaw Petit who
was knighted for gift of $500, 900 to
an educational institution, I will en-
deavor to describe an entertainment
attended at his palace. Sir Framgee
lives in patriarchal magnifcence, and
when his whole family is seated at ta-
BILE they number fifty-fve. We were
received in the grand drawing room,
as large as a fair-sized church, and
presented to the ladies. We found them
pretty, Intelligent and vivacious, and
it is no exaggeration to say that they
compared quite favorably with their
American sisters. The ladies were at
tired in graceful native costumes. The
dress consisted of a waist, such
as is worn by Europeans, with a long
scarf of embroidered silk, sor Grape,
called sorre, wrapped several times
around the waist and falling in broad
folds about the limbs In lieu of skirt.
One end of the sarre was brought over
the head and dropped gracefully in
front, constituting a very effective
head dress. Their jewels were mag
nifcent No crowned head of Europe
possesses their equal, and such an ar
ray of diamonds, pearls sapphires,
and emeralds can scarcely be imag-
med. One of the guests wore eight
strings of pearls, which far exceled the
celebrated necklace of Queen Mar
guerite of Italy. The state costume
of the men is white, but on ordinary
occasions they appear attired in the
conventional evening dress. One pc
cullarlty of their costume is not, how
ever, to be met in a London drawing
room. They never uncover their
heads, and high, conical Persian
completes their dress.
On the occasion / am describing an
orchestra played selections from
Italian operas, and, after conversing
awhile upon topics of universal inter-
est, our host made a sign to the serv-
ants, who brought in baskets filled
with large bouquets of Eastern flowers.
Each lady selected one, sprinkled it
with rose-water from a tall silver vase,
presented it to the gentleman who was
to escort her to dinner, and then, talk
ing his arm, she led the way to where
table was spread, overlooking the
sea.
There we were RECALLED with tea,
coffee. cakes, fruits and TWENTY-FIVE
kinds of delicious native sweets, which
had been collected in honor Of our
coming. 1t was an event not to be
forgotten. The waving palms and
tropical flowers, the splash rof the
waves, mingling with the soft strains
of music, the beautiful women with
their flashing jewels and graceful
dress, were. typical of the languid,
dreamy East, and carried one uncon-
sciously back to the da,s OF Haroun
al-Rashid.
When tea was over we were taken
for delightful drive in handsome
European turnouts, and then to dine at
another Parsee house. The ceremony
was long and stately, all the dishes
were native, but the wines were Euro
pean, and this dinner, with that excep-
ton, was representative of native
manners before they had received the
European touch. The ladies whom we
scorted gave us bouquets, as in the
afternoon, and the host hung chaplets
Of white jasamSnes about our necks
and wrists. The menu cards bore
gilded crests, and they gave us bon
bons wrapped in gold leaf to carry
away. 1t was a dream of the East, but
the perfectlyappointed table, sur
rounded by intelligent men and grace
full women, made it hard to believe
that the members of this refined So
ciety were the Fire-W orshipers we had
been brought up to despise as heather.
w. b. Chatfeld, in America