il of their motherland. The men are good citizens, humble,
honest, and generous, especially to their own brethren, and are
industrious, intelligent, handsome, clean in appearance and faithful to
their religion. The women are most beautiful, delicate in frame, small
hands, small nose, clear complexion, with pink cheeks, black eyes and
eyebrows. They do not cover their faces when in public, except to
Mohammedans, whom they consider wicked men. The women are good faithful
housewives and honest to their husbands.

THEIR RITUALS.

A Parsee child must be born on the ground floor of the house of its
parents as a sign of humility and that the child may begin its life
with good thoughts, words and actions, and as a sign of loyalty to its
parents. The mother cannot go out for forty days. After that she washes
herself with holy water which has been sanctified by the priest.

A Parsee rises early, washes his hands and face, and recites his
prayers toward the sun. He rejects pork, ham and camel flesh and will
not eat anything cooked by one outside of the Parsee religion.
Marriages can be contracted only with persons of their own creed.
Polygamy is forbidden except after nine years of sterility, then a man
is allowed to marry another woman. Divorces are entirely forbidden. The
crimes of fornication and adultery are very severely punished. They
worship the clean creations of the great Hurmizda such as the sun,
moon, fire, etc. Aha-ramazda is the origin of light, the sun and fire
having come from him, he having first been created by Hurmizda. In the
case of a hopelessly sick person the priest will recite some text of
the holy bible Avesta, as a consolation to the dying person. After
death the body is taken to the ground floor, the place of its birth, to
be washed and anointed with perfumes, dressed in white and put upon an
iron grating. A dog is brought in to take a last look, and he drives
away all evil spirits. The friends and relatives go before the door,
bow down and raise their hands to their heads after touching the floor,
as an indication of their last respect to the departed soul. The body
upon the bier is covered. Two men will bring it out and give it to four
pall-bearers dressed in white, who, followed by a great procession take
it to the "Tower of Silence." The last prayer will be recited in the
holy temple, a building in which the holy fire burns continually
through the ages. The body is then taken from the "Tower of Si