Washington sentinel., 1898-08-13
The Um brellA,
LLord,s Wlfkky Mewsbaper

In the dim and distant past the
umbrella, or sunshads, made Its
first appearance. But so extreme
is its antiquity that to attempt even
to give an approximate date OF its
earliest advent is impossible. In
the sculptures of ancient Egypt the
umbrella is constantly depicted.
In its earliest form it was made OF
palm leaves or feathers fixed on q
long handle, and in the beginning
Of its career it was used only as
shade from the sun and never as
protection against rain. This IS
more easily understood when il is
remembered that its birthplace was
in hot, brilliant climates, where it
rarely rams. In Eastern countries
the umbrella was, and still very
frequently is, one of the most
priced insignia OF royalty and
power. In ancient India, the cradle
OF the human race, the umbrella
reached the climax Of its splendor.
There it was recognized symbol
OF royal majesty, and betokened
the power OF life and death. In
Hindos.an the parasol OF seven
stages is the first ensign Of ROYALTY.
1t is craven on the royal seal. 1t
has also a sacred signihcacation.
In his fifth incarnation Vishnu is
represented as descending to
Hades with a parasol in his hand.
Sta, speaking of Rama, bemoans,
that she cannot see those beautiful
eyes which resemble a lotus be-
cause they are covered with a
parasol striped with a hundred
rays" The Mahratta princes who
reigned in Poonah and Sa tarah
held the title Of Lord OF the Par
asol." And one OF the highest
titles of the monarch OF the King
dom of Ava was king OF the
White Elephant and Lord OF the
Four.and- Twenty PaTasols-" In
the East ancient customs die hard,
and in 1877. when the Prince Of
Wales paid his visit Of world wide
renown to India, DIR. w. H. Rus
sci writes that sin order to make
the Prince known to the natives 1t
waj absolutely necessary to set
him uron an elephant and to hold
over his head the golden sunshade
symbol Of his sovereignty. "
Persons Of rank in the Mahratta
Court, whose birth Gid not entitle
them to carry an umbrella, used a
screen, a fiat vertical disc, which
| greatly resembled in form the early
sunshade, and this was always car
ried by an attendant. II is inter-
esting to note that the Marquis OF
Dalhousie, in 1855, received a let
ter from the King Of Burmah, in
which he styles himself "His great,
glorious and most excellent Maj
estY, who reIgns over the King
doms Of Thunaparanta, Tampa
dipa. and all the great Umbrella
wearing chiefs of the Eastern coun-
tries" sc.
From the very limited use oil the
umbrella or sunshade in Asia aud
Africa it seems to have passed both
as a distinction and luxury into
Greece and Rome. The "day-
shade" to give as literal translA-
ton as possible of the Greek word,
was an indispensable adjunct Of the
toilet OF lady of fashion. And to
mark their inferiority the daugh-
ters Of the aliens at Athens we're
made to carry sunshades over the
heads oi the noble maidens at the
festival Of the Panathenea. In
Rome the fashion Of carrying SUM-
shades was not confined only to
women. AT the theatres effemi.
nate men--as we'll as women used
to shelter themselves from the sun
under sunshades; for only when il
rained was the veil or curtain
drawn. In England umbrellas
were not unknown in the seven
teenth century. That they were
rare then is sufficiently testified by
the following curious passage
quoted from Coryat's "Crudities,
published in 1911. After speaking
about fans, he goes on to say,
"And many Of them doe carry
other fine things Of a far greater
price, that will cost at least a
duckat, which they commonly call
in the Italian tongue 'vmbrellaes;
that is, things which minister
shadow unto them for shelter
against the scorching heate Of the
sunne. These are made OF leather
something answerable to the forme
of little canopy, and hooped ir
the inside with divers little wooden
hopes that extend the umbrella
into a pretty large compasse. They
are vsed especially by hOrsemen
who carry them in their hands
when they ride, fastening the enc
OF the handle Ypon one Of their
thighs, and they impart so large a
shadow unto them that it keepeth
the heate CT the sunne from the
upper parts OF their oodies." 1t i:
probable that a similar contTivancC
existed, at this same period, ir
Spain and Portugal, and from there
was carried to the New World,
| A ROYAL INNKEEPER. The King
Of Wurtemburg may certainly b'
said to be the only Knight OF th'
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