Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-14

Their street costume is a peculiar long white
cotton gown. wide trousers of the same material
and color and tall miter-shaped hat. They
have general reputation for sobriety, frugality
| and sagacity and they seem to thoroughly
understand the accumulation of fortunes. in
| this respect resembling the Hebrews. The
wealthiest residents of Bombay are Parsees.
sun woRsHIPERs
These singular people are sun worshipers,
and it is an interesting sight to see throngs of
them on the shore of the bay as the sun rises,
apparently from the sea, performing the simple
rites of their religion. the fiuttering robes show
| ing their fine figures to the best advantage as
the day begins. Their religious practices are
| simple in the extreme, consisting mainly in
strict dietary rules and personal cleanliness.
The rigid observance of sanitary laws pro-
duces the natural result of perfect health among
the adults large families of active healthy chill
dren and immense numbers of old men, gray
bearded, white-haired, but erect and princely
in their gait and attitude. despite the naturally
| enervating character Of the tropical climate.
THE PARsEE DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD.
A notice of the Parsee is not complete with
out a reference to his singular manner of dis
posing of his dead.
As soon as life is extinct q funeral sermon is
delivered by priest of Zoroaster, in which the
deceased is made the subject of an exhortation
to his relatives and friends to live pure, holy and
righteous lives, 80 that they may have a strong
hope, certainty of meeting again in paradise.
A dog is brought to take last look at his dead
master to drive away the spirit of evil which is
at that time. lowering around to get possession
of the soul, while humber of priests attend and
repeat prayers for the repose of the soul of the
brother gone before.
Following these ceremonies the body is borne
from the house followed by procession of men
and taken to the celebrated flowers of Silence "
These towers are erected on the rocky crest
Of Malabar hill, from whence magnificent view
OF the city, sea and bay is had, surrounded by a
grove OF fine palms and other tropical trees
filled with multitudes of the sacred vulture.
The towers are built of white stone, and are
about twenty-five feet high, with a small door
In the side for the entrance of the body. The
interior is divided into three circular, concen-
trio chambers, each Of which is again divided
into numerous small rooms, the inner circle be-
ing for the bodies of children the middle circle
for women and the outer one for men.
When corpse is brought to the tower BY the
relatives it is at once placed in one Of the COM
partments and the immense numbers of vul-
lures perched in the vicinity at once begin their
horrible feast, and in an incredibly short space
OF time nothing but bones are left which in
turn are denuded of every particle Of flesh and
muscle by focks of ravens, which fly to the
feast after the vultures have departed.
The bones fall through grating into pit
beneath, whence they are, at the end of a
tuary chamber prepared for their reception
The native name for these towers is "Dakhma."
Many Parsees have founded beneficial and
charitable institutions and several have been
knighted for services rendered the English gov
eminent.
PoLYGLoT AssEMBLAaE.
The population of the native portion Of Bonn
bay, besides the Hindoos and Parsees, is made
up Of the most polyglot assemblage to be found
in the world, for in an hours stroll one hears
all the languages Of India, not to mention the
lnnumerable dialects into which those languages
are subdlvided, Chinese, Arabic, the various
tongues of Africa, and it has been said that in
no other city on the globe are more languages
heard than in Bombay.
Among the most noticeable sights in some
parts Of the city, and at frequent intervals in
the suburbs, are the immense banyan trees.
those wonderful growths whose roots become
branches and whose branches become roots.
THE NATIVE HUTs
form perfect shelter from sun, rain and tenn
pest amid the snake-like ramifcations of these
mon sight to see a banyan tree occupied after
the manner of many stored house by various
members Of family, some asleep in the cool
depths of tine immense thicket of leaves form
ing the top Of the tree, while others are enjoy
ing slesta on the ground, hidden by the curl
Jus GtilSic VI root DTuncnes, whose DARK Is ABOUT
the same color as the skin of the inhabitants.
VARIETIES OF PALMS AND PLANTS.
In common with all moist-weather tropical
countries the various varieties Of palms are the
wonder and admiration of the travellers, but
nowhere else can the same variety and luxuri-
ance be found as in Bombay. The climate is
excessively moist, the temperature is very high
and the result is delightful. In the gardens,
public and private, in and around the city
about every plant and tree which is grown in
any part of the tropical world can be found
furnishing in all the luxuriance of nature, and
the efforts made by the government at various
times to acclimate tine fruits, flowers and trees
of other parts of the world have been
crowned with success in every instance
The climate of Bombay il essentially wet. for
however the day may begin heavy downpOur
Is almost sure to occur before clock in the
afternoon, after which. should the sun appear,
the steam of evaporation gives the landscape a
misty sOftness unequaled in the whole range of
the tropics.
Ants, big and little, white, black and brown,
ferocious and peaceful. abound and are the
pests of the foreign residents, the natives. ap-
parently, being unmolested by these tireless
workers. Flies of every genus abound, as do
also mosquitoes, by day and by night. An oc-
casional centipede or scorpion keeps the visitor
on the qui vive at every STEP SO it can be easily
imagined that life in this the treasure house
of England" is not without its drawbacks
In virtue OF its neighboring hills. as also,
perhaps from its excellent location for natural
drainage, the city of Bombay is generally re-
garded as healthy for both native and foreigner
no decimating epidemics having occurred for
many years.