TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



I cannot now, after so many years, recall very clearly 

 my own first impressions of the East, but as I make no 

 claim to be original, have no doubt that they were something 

 of the nature above described. What I do remember more 

 vividly, however, is an excursion I made in company 

 with several of my fellow passengers, to the Elephanta 

 caves situated about five miles distant from Bombay among 

 the group of islands which shelter the harbour. 



These ancient, rock-hewn caves, or rather temples, said 

 to have been dedicated to the god Siva, are approached 

 by a steep ascent for half a mile through rocks, trees and 

 tropical plants of many kinds. 



Near the landing place is the life-size figure of an 

 elephant, carved out of a solid rock, whence, probably, 

 the caves derive their name. A long stairway, also cut 

 out of living rock, leads to a temple in which are several 

 figures of gigantic gods and goddesses, including a colossal 

 bust of the three-faced god of Buddha. Another striking 

 figure is that of the god Siva, one of the Hindu Trinity, 

 on whose face severity and revenge, characteristic of his 

 destroying attributes, are strongly depicted. 



One of the hands holds a large snake of the Cobra 

 species, and the other certain fruit and flowers, symbolical 

 of blessings for mankind. Though much defaced by the 

 iconoclastic tendencies of the Mohammedans and Portu- 

 guese, this wonderful temple still retains much of its 

 original splendour. 



We also visited the famous " Towers of Silence," which 

 stand in a large garden in the highest part of Malabar Hill, 

 and are surrounded by a great quantity of trees swarming 

 with vultures, who in their countless hundreds occupy 

 every branch. The reason for the number and continual 

 presence of these ill-omened birds is a gruesome one, for 

 these Towers of Silence are used by the sect known as the 

 Parsis for the disposal of their dead; the bodies, all 

 uncoffined as they are, being laid out on the summit of 

 the towers, purposely to be devoured by these birds. 



It is a curious, not to say revolting method of disposing 

 of one's dead, but the process is simple and effective, for 

 the bodies rest on a grating, thus as soon as the birds have 

 stripped off the flesh, the bones fall through into a pit 

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