The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-01-22
AROUND THE WORLD.
Another Interesting Letter from
Miss Flora kicha fdAOn to
Her Mother.

CAIRO, EGYPT Dec 23rd. 1889.
DEAR MOTHER: Here we are in Egypt. among
the worst set of thieves that ever existed. We
had pleasant sail from Bombay. although it
was so hot that many slept on deck till we passed
the Tropic of Cancer. when it turned cold in an
instant. then the punkahs we're stopped and we
were. instead of gasping for BREATH shivering
with cold.
India is very warm in November in the mid
die of the day. and the sky is so clear one has
to be full of sunstrokes but the nights are de-
ightfully COOL India is the most picturesque of
all lands. it is the land of colors. Here you will
ind the extremes of wealth and poverty; fierce
fanaticisms of the Mohammedan and Hindoo
ascetics men who measure the distance between
cities with their own length. men who never wash
and those who pass their whole lives in the bath
(some bathe les times day. naked beggars and
robe covered ragouts. This country has the old
est religious literature of the world. Benares
was an old city before Jeru alem existed or Baby
Ion had fallen, and it is sacred to more human
beings than any other city on the globe. The
people dress in all the colors of the rainbow. and
some wear none. Both men and women wear a
profusion of gold and silver ornaments. the men
wear ear rings in the top of the ear. the women
all around the edge of the ears, on the toes.
kles a. arms. sometimes as many as eighteen
bracelets on each arm, especially those who work
in the streets. for that is about all the work
woman, can do here. men occupy the positions of
chambermaids cooks. etc, and all women are
kept secluded except very poor ones. All bur
dens are carried on the head. In the streets are
seen strings of women with water jars and pitch
ers ofbuffalo milk the butter looks like white
wax) on the head. Cattle are sacred and roam
at their own sweet will through the most crowded
streets They also driven in carts.
The Hindoos are divided into four different
castles. (the Brahmin being the highest) who
never eat mix together nor intermarry. The po-
sition of women is worry degraded one. they sare
married very young. sometimes when but six
months old, and always MUST be before thirteen,
and if the husband should die. as they often do,
when the girl is only three four years old. her
head is shaved. she is not allowed to play with
other girls as she is considered misfortune. and
she is governed entirely by her mother in law
She can never marry again, is not educated. and
altogether her life is as black can be
got acquainted with a Brahmin priest who
kindly explained to me the Brahmin religion,
and took me next door. where wealthy Hindoo
cotton merchant was marrying his son, IA years
of age. They seated us Europeans on the oppo-
site side of the room from them as we were flesh
eaters and wine drinkers, something they are
taught to abhor. The man spent 1900 on one
wedding, lasting days. with five bands going
day and night. sometimes all at once both native
and European music, and thought should &c
out of my mind What relief it to me
when the agony was over; but not so. the next
week he kept right on and married his daughter
years old, which took another week. Some
do net last so long. Sometimes the man is 60 and
the girl years old. This is all about India.
Tomorrow we go to the Pyramids of Gezih. !
by the tree where the Virgin Mary is said to have
rested during her flight from Pharaoh to Egypt
Ihave seen where the Marmadukes were slain.
and the graves of Mohammet Ali and Emin BeJ
(the last was the only enc of the Marmadukes who
escaped
You must take good care of yourself for if any
thing should happen to you I should never for
give myself for leaving you.
forgot to tell you that in India the Parsee:
(men) wear satin pants of delicate colers and sc
do the women up to 16 years old. when they veal
sares. drapery 8 or 9 yards long.
went to the burning ground of the Hindoo:
where they burn their dead l also went to the
Tewer of Silence. where the Parsees take theil
dead 1t has five round towers. surmounted By
hundreds of awful looking vnltures. that. as soor
as dead body is put in. fly down and strip al
the flesh from the bones in Is minutes.
l an, uncomfortable from the cold. There are
no fires in the country. Hoping to hear from
you at Rome. remain, yours lovingly.
FLORA.