Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-02
who have been thus circumstancsd can

mustn't tell too much OF him or OF his
friend Watson, o clever Scotsman from
Kilmnrnock, and how we three crossed the
great Indian Peninsular TO Calcutta letop-
ping en- route at many historic and inter
estinz cities). for am supposed to Dc
talking Of Bombay.
JOLLY cHRIsTMAs-DNNEn AND PLUM-PUp-
DINO.
Back again we go to the hotel and We
will have look at Christmas dinner
with the Thermometer most anywhere as
far as heat goes. 1t was quite On elaborate
afair-this dinner with o French OIL OF
fare. Just think. twas served at hotei
made in England for San Francisco, put
subsequently erected in India, owned by
O native from Hyderabad and man
aged bv a German! Bat Il will not
relate what we had further than
to mention that. instead OF turkey,
we had roast peacock. and that we had
real English plum-pudding, or plum-dun
as it is called by all loyal Britishers. which
was sent to an English dry-goods salesman
who was one of our party at the table.
o! SO glad we were that his mother re-
membered him in this fashion. Our party
for dinner was composed of four-a rail-
road official. an Insurance. man (not iire)
from Australia, and the salesman before
mentioned who had the plum-duif. all IL.
B. III. subjects-and l the only citizen.
Wsll, we had good time, and we all spoke
English and we're proud OF It."
ADoG, A MAN, A SNAKE, AND MosdoosE.
LET me relate an incident" continued
Mr.. Coulling, "before leaving the hotei
for our drives about the city and through
its crowded and narrow native streets and
to its 50 burban residence quarter. In the
wide thorouGhfare in front OF the hotei the
Indian jugglers. e-charmers. vendors,
musicians, and fakirs of all kinds assemble
whenever home boat, rs the steamers
from England are called. comes in. There
they ply their different callings 10 gather
IN the mueh.longed-for rupee Ga silver
coin nominally worth a. cents),. which
they get in fractional parts called annas
and pice from the passengers, who look
down from the veranda with Interested
faces st this peculiar Oriental scene.
On this particular occasion snake
charmer took from O basket serpent
about seven or eight feet long OF the
python family, and then turned out OF a
bag amongoose. ferrett-like creature that
Is the snakes mortal enomy. The python
attempts TO catch the mongoose and the
little creature Jumps aside and catches the
snake back of the neck and cuts the spinal
cord. This time there was standing near
me young gentleman just out from Eng
land withl q smart-looking fox-terrier.
The CANNES stump-taIl was quivering and
its ears were erect as Its master and II
looked or. Then the master decldeC 70
90 down and have q closer look and doggy
followed. aud as they drew quite near to
the charmer,. snake. and mongoose, the
man caught the serpent about midway and
raised him in the air with the mongoose
hanging on. As the mongoose was raised
from the ground the terrier concluded h's
time had come and with spring he had
the mongoose by the back OF the neck,
aud there they hung from the hand OF the
native-snake. mongoOse, and terrier.
The native was afraid of tho dog and the
dogs master was afraid OF the snake. ana
what row there was. But two or three
rupees paid for snake and mongoose and
quiet reIgned once moro, and for the same
pay other snakes and other mongooses
could have been had. The air OF the dog
was one of intense satisfaction and that
of the native decidedly not OF dissatisfac-
tion."
THE APOLLO BUNDA.
The Appollo Bunda," continued Mr.,
Coulliug, "is nothing more than @
granite landing stage where passen'
gers by sea land and embark. In
the late afternoon and evening 1t Is
a great resort for the people who
come down to get breath OF salt air IRON
the harbor and sea and 10 chat with frlend'
end acquaintance. On one side OF the
street leading from the Bunda IS very
fair restaurant with an open top moor
whore one can eat and enjoy the bay ano
the coming and gong OF the people II
their many costumes. On the other SIDE
of the street is the Yacht-Club building,
with fine grounds and comfortable club
Following this thoroughfare we pass seve,
raj of the handsome puollo buildings, anc
on through the MADAM and past the band,
stand. where twieA week military Dsnc
plays. These occasions are great ones d
the ahnyas, or native nurses WITH iEeii
European charges. Cou tinuing, the drive
is alongside the waters of Back Bay and
on to Malabar Hill. of which much can be
said. This hill IS the residence portion OF
the city for the European population OF
the better or wealthier class, and there arc
also many houses owned by natives OF
means. The mansions ore not especially
fine in appearance rs rule, for buildings
are more for comfort in this hot land.
Their wide verandshs ard Venetian blinds
or bamboo screens 10 cnsck light and ad-
init air conduce more to comfort than they
do to architectural beauty. Tho grounds
around most of tho residences are attrac-
tive and well kept, as a rule, and from
many points on the hill fine views OF tha
city and of the bay are to be had; Inc
house is plain, but the grounds and gene
raj surroundings are beautiful.
THE TOWERS OF SILENCE.
"The most interesting point on the NIL
howayer. is the DakhmarS, or towers OF 81
lence. which is tho burial-place, If that ex.
preston be permissible, of the Parsls. vi
these interesting people Marion Crawford
has written most beautifully III Loroast-
err and as far as can learn has written
with much truth. OF the Parsi most that
is known is by legend and much thst W.
hear \. conjecture. Ii IS known that this
people ied from Persia upwards OF thou
sand years ago rather than become follow
ers OF Moslem, and that remnant OF
them managed to get down the Persian
Gulf and landed at Surat, town on the
Tapti river. and the Hindu allowed
thess wanderers TO land and worship
according to their belief. stipulatlng.
however, that they should embrace IN
their religion their Sacred Cow. Most, II
not all, Of these refugees were men. ana
they took unto themselves wives OF the
native women, so their descendants are
not people of pure blood. FROM TINS
small body of refugees has risen peopis
of some SO, 900 in number, about seven
elphths of whom live in Bombay, and are
the greatest merchants in India, and IN
tbs East for that matter, always barring
him of the Celestial Empire. These
Parsis. as have said, have done much IN
the way of gifts to tho city and to pubic
and charitable institutions, aud made
Bombay the Queen City of the ORIENT.
Having now told you what is known OF them
/ will add what is coniectured OF them.
Some believe they are the representatives
of the poor prosecuted lost tribes OF Israel,
but against this theory there are many
other nations who claim the missing
Semites as their ancestors.
:" more reasonable beliefabout the origin
OF the Parsi is. 1t seems TO me, Gnat they
were descendants of a remnant OF Jews
WHO renamed in Persia after the return or
the children Of Israel from captivity. They
themselves claim only to be Persians who
followed Zoroaster. who. they say, was q
pupil and disciple OF Daniel the prophet.
THE PARsI AND THEIR CUSTOMS. j.,
"As to their appearance" continued
Mr.. Coulling, now obliyious of the fly on
his nose, the men are fair-sized; some
even tall and stout, Of dark complexion,
and having strongly-marked Jewish fea-
lures. The women are small and are not
attractive in appearance as q rule, tneir
faces being very thin. The noses OF the
Parsis are large and prominent ana their
carriage, with Its almost inyariabie stoop
in the shoulders, makes you a strong be-
Eever IN the theory that there is in them q