Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16
are ordinarily seen ranged side by side in per-
feet order and in Q complete circle around the

parapet of each tower, with their heads point
ing inward. SO motionless are they while rest
ing from their hideous banqucts that they
might be imagined to be carved out of the
stcnework. Within the parapet of each tower
is a sort of floor divided into seventy-two COM
partments, with n well in the middle. Those
compartments are arranged In concentric
rings. separated from each other by narrow
ridges of stone, which are groOved SO as to act
as channels for conveying all moisture from
the receptacles into the well and to the drains
below.
No one is allowed to enter the towers except
the corpse bearers, nor Is any one permitted
within thirty feet of the immediate precincts
or typical Parsee funeral Mr.. Monier Williams
writes as follows:
TYPICAL PARsEE FUNERAL.
while engaged in conversation near the
towers a sudden stir among the vultures made
US raise our heads. At least a hundred birds
show symptoms of excitement while others
sWooped down from neighboring trees. The
cause OF this sudden abandonment of their pre-
vious apathy soon revealed itself. a funeral was
seen approaching. However distant the house
of a deceased person. whether rich or poor
the body is always carried to the towers by
the official corpse bearers, the mourners walk
ing behind
The funeral witnessed was that of a child.
ne Dody was wrapped in white sheet and
placed In metal trough. When the two corpse
bearers reached the path leading by a steep in
cline to the door Of the tower the mourners
turned back and entered one of the prayer
houses The two bearers unlocked the door of
the tower, reverentiy conveyed the body of the
child into the interior. and unseen by any one
laid 1t uncovered in one of the stone receptacles
nearest the central WELL In the outermcst
circle OF the stone receptacles ara placed the
oodles OF males, in the middle circle those of
females. and in the inner circle nearest the
well those of children
presently the bearers reappeared with the
empty trough and white CLOTH and scarcely had
they closed the door when a dozen vultures
swooped down upon the body rapidly followed
by others In five minutes more we saw the
satiated birds fly back and laziy settle down
upon the parapet. They had left nothing be-
mind but skeleton. In a fortnight or SO the
bearers returned. and, with gloved hands and
implements resembling tongs, placed the dry
skeleton IN the central water. There the bones
hEd their last resting place, and there the dust
OF many generations of Parsees commiugiing
Is left undisturbed for centuries.
Although from the European point Of view
this method OF burying the dead seems so ex-
tremely horrible. tine Parsees look upon it in
a way quite opposite. They say that the plan
was deyisedby their prophet Zoroaster, who lived
6.OJO years ago. He was the greatest of health
officers and conceived the system to be the one
best adapted for getting lid OF the decayJng re-
mains OF human beings, i'll order that they
might not contaminate the earth and be a
source OF danger TO survivors. In sanitary
point Of view, they assert, nothing can be more
perfect, since even the rain water which washes
the bones Is conducted by channels into beds of
purifying charcoal"