The Minneapolis journal., 1906-06-24

some Of whom were chanting their
prayers while we were there.
Another night IS ride and we were in
Bombay, and what a luxury to find a
hotel constructed on the American
plan! The Tai Mahal is the finest
hote! in the orient and would be
was built by Mr.. Tata, rich Parsee,
who planned it more from public than
from private considerations.
We found the plague increasing In
ylrulence. 300 having died in the city
the day before we arrived. Bombay
has suffered terribly from this scourge,
- per cent having perished from it in
the last few years. Two years ago
Fee, lost his daughter and came near
losing his wife by this dread disease,
and two Of the European consuls have
recently had to leave their homes be-
cause of deaths among their native SER
wants. With SO many dying in a
single city (and 10000 week in the
entire country, India would seem an
not know except for the newspapers
that an epidemic was raging, so little
does It affect business or social life.
There is now in use system Of inocu-
lation which promises to materially
lessen the, mortality from this disease.
a serum is prepared in which the
venom of serpents is the chief ingred-
lent, and this hypodermically admins
tered has been found almost sure pre-
yentative. While the physicians are
employing this remedy, the rat-catch-
ers are also busy and about a thousand
rodents are captured day, it having
been demonstrated that the rat not
only spreads the disease, but carries a
flea that imparts it by its bite.
Bombay is the Manchester of India,
and the smokestacks of its many cot
ness-like appearance. These mills are
largely owned by Indians and operated
by Indian. capital
On an island near Bombay is one Of
the most frequented of the rock-hewn
temples, called the Elephanta Caves.
| This temple is chiseled out of the solid
rock, great pillars being left to sup
port the roof. It is about l3O feet
square by, II in height and contains a
| figures are carved from the walls and
represent various gods and demons.
The Portuguese Christians, several cen
tur1es ago. showed their contempt for
these gods of stone by firing their can
non into the temple. While some of
the pillars were battered down and
some Of the carvings mutilated
enough remains to show the impressive.
ness of this ancient place Of worship.
+ 4 T. r.
No one can visit. Bombay withou,
becoming interested in religious
sect, the members Of which are known
as Parsees. They are few in numbers
probably not exceeding a hundred
thousand in the world, more than hall
Of whom live in or near Bombay
Theirs is the religion Of Zoroaster, ant
they contest with the Hebrews thu
honor of being the first believers il
one God. Their sacred books, tn,
Zend-Avesta, are very ancient, and tn,
origin of their religion is placed any
where from 700 B. G. to 5000 B.
They not only believe in one God, bu
they believe in Immortality and CLAIM
to have impressed their ideas upon tn,
Israelites when the latter were in bond
age in Babylon. The Parsees see il
the world, as we'll as in the human be
ing, continuing conflict between righ
and wrong, and they regulate their con
duct by high ethical system. Whel
the Moslems swept over Persia an,
, made it one Of the stars in Islam