The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-06-30
THE PLAQUES REVELATION.
WEIRD OLD CUSTOMS OF AN IN
TERESTING PEOPLE.
The Stricken City. Sad Consequences
of the PreiudiceS of Caste. The
New Serum Is Reported to Be
Working Wonders.

NOIAIuS UOHutISs
The traveller who comes to Bombay just
now is a. first surprised. The plague
here! Fifty deaths day! The people
panic stricken! Where is all that?
The streets of Bombay from the ports
are full of life. The coolies in white,
with their REQ turbans, the women in red
or rose colored saris and with silver and
coored glass bracelets on their arms and
ankles, and rings on their fingers and
toes, move about carrying different OBJ
jects in sparkling copper pots. They
present an air of gaiety with their bright
costumes in the warm sunlight. Jugglers
installed under the tall barridas which
line the avenues beat their drums and
play their bag-pipes. All that noise and
all those gay colors give poor idea of a
city stricken with plague.
But that is only the first impression.
Further on in the Hindoo town, the ba-
Ear and the business streets are almost
deserted. In the little shops where they
burn sandal-wood and incense the strong
ordor of phenOl predominates, and in
front of the houses from which dead
bodies have just been taken the side
walks are marked with large daubs of a
reddish mixture of which chlorine forms
the basis.
The money market is closed, so are the
factories, and during the last month
about 100000 inhabitants have fed from
the city.
Every evening at the railway station
there is a fearful crOwding of people WI o
missed all tie trains of the day. The
throng of coolies gathered around the
entrance for third class passengers hold
out their money and implore the ticket
men to take their fares. The poor peo-
pie, shouting and rushing, endeavOr to
pass their money over the heads of those
in front of them, Although repeatedly
driven back they never fail to return to
the charge. Groups of women and chill
dreu carrying red aud white packages
and copper pots so highly polished that
they look like gold wait at the office in
expectation of the lucky ticket that will
enable them to fly from the city. Then,
when the last train is gone they camp in
crowds around the station, stretched up
on the ground. In picturesque disorder,
with their baggage lying in heaps, they
wait for the next mornings train.
The bubonic plague, as it is called, is
still a mystery. Its origin is not known.
At first it was attributed to dates that
came from Syria and to corn that came
from the interior. The dates were de-
stroyed and the corn was thrown into
the sea; but the plague still persisted and
increased every day. One morning a
large number of rats were found dead.
Then the pigeons and chickens were at
tackled. After that man tpOk the dis
ease suddenly. A high fever with little
swelling under the arms or in the groin
is al there is to it, but the man dies in
torty-eight hours. The victims are be-
coming more and more numerous.
1t should be remem5 ered that in the
hospitals, thanks to the NEGOTIATIONS DY
the new serum, more than twO-thirds of
the patients are cured. But the idea
OF the mixture of castles and of contact
with people who are considered inferi II
keeps the Hindoos from the hospitals.
They prefer to remain at home and be
treated by quaCks or sOrcerers, and they
die rather than renounce their ideas of
caste. Moreover, 18th before and after
death, the religion of the Parsees, who
form a considerable pOrLlOn of the popu-
lation of Bombay, orders queer sorts of
practices which it would be impossible
to permit in the hospitals, and that is
why the Parsees refuse to be taken to
them.
In tue house of a Parsee, who was tax
en- sick yesterday, | saw his wife wash
ing a white garment. Oply member of
the family can do that washing. The
wife, who knew that her husband was
attacked by the plague, and consequent
ly doc ned, was preparing his death robe
in silent and fearless resignation that
made ne shudder.
The sick man lay upon low bed He
seemed greatly oppressed and was per
spring freely. Bandages were On his
neck, With difficulty he murmured !:
"Pane, sahib!" water, sir,' Then be
closed his eyes and seemed 10 b. asleep
They ali sleep that W unit. the end.
In she narrow streets funerals pass
along. HindOos, carried on lirtefs and
with their faces painted, grmace liYid
smile under the red with garla1ds If Jas
mines and roses Of Bengal. In front Of
the bier man carries vase which holds
the emLers with which he viii light the
funeral pile, and behind the body a mum
Der Of men march, beating crotalums and
tambOurines. Then follow the friends,
each one carrying piece of wood which
he will place upon the funeral pile as a
last homage to the dead.