GLIMPSES OF EAST AFRICA AND ZANZIBAR 



going later to Sanjan and being allowed to settle 

 on certain conditions ; viz., that they adopted the 

 language of the country, and that they dressed 

 their women in the Indian manner, also to wear no 

 armour, and to perform the marriage ceremonies 

 of their children at night, as did the Hindus. 



At Sanjan they built their fire temple, and lived 

 in peace for 300 years. Their numbers increased, 

 and many wandered ofif with their families to other 

 parts of India. But later they were again to fly 

 from their homes before the Mohammedan invaders, 

 carrying always their sacred fire with them. 



In later years they came in contact with Euro- 

 peans, and it is probable some English merchants 

 induced them to settle in Bombay, which has prac- 

 tically been their headquarters since. Wherever 

 they settled, their first act was to build a tower of 

 silence, a place for the disposal of their dead. It 

 is a large round tower with a slanting platform in- 

 side, divided into three rows of receptacles, the top 

 for the bodies of men, the second for women, and 

 the third for children. In the centre of the tower 

 is a big pit, into which, through channels, the rain 

 water and other liquid from the corpses runs. 

 Vultures, within one hour of a body being placed in 

 the tower of silence, tear off all flesh from the 

 bones, then the hot tropical sun soon dries and 

 bleaches the bones. After that they too are thrown 

 into the pit where they become dust. There are 



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