deed, as they have no distinction of dress, it is very difficult to distinguish them.*

But " upon the whole, the Sikhs in general are a plain, manly, hospitable, and industrious people. If a Sikh declares himself your friend, he will not disappoint your confidence; if on the other hand he bears enmity to any one, he declares it without reserve.”+

* General Malcolm. Tour to Lahore.

In passing through Sirhind, or that large tract of country belonging to the Sikhs, between the Jumnah and Setlege, the author says:-" The inhabitants throughout this country, bear a high character for hospitality and kindness to strangers. Their benevolence is not narrowed by bigotry or prejudice, and disclaims the distinctions of religion or complexion. They are particularly attentive to travellers of all casts or countries. The chief of every town makes a point of subsisting all poor and needy travellers, from his own funds, a part of which is set aside for that purpose, and when that falls short, from an encreased number of indigent claimants, their wants are supplied by a subscription made from the principal inhabitants of the place. It is very pleasing to travel through the towns and villages of this country. The inhabitants receive

It is observed that the Hindus who become converts to the Sikh religion, continue to adhere to the usages and customs of the tribe or cast to which they belonged, as far as they may do so without infringing the tenets of Nanac, or the institutions of Guru Govind: hence they scarcely ever marry out of the descendants of their particular casts. The Brahmins and Cshatriyas who become Sikhs, continue strictly to observe this; being the highest orders of Hindus, they seem more tenacious than any other of maintaining their race unmixed with other blood. The Mohammedans who become Sikhs, also intermarry with each other, but they are not allowed to observe any of the practices peculiar to the professors of Islamism.

A Singh, though infinitely less scrupulous than the Hindu, before he will eat with any one of another religion, draws his sword, and passing it over the victuals,

the stranger with an air of welcome that prepossesses him in their favour."

repeats a few words of prayer, after which he will sit down and sociably partake of the meal.*

The Sikhs have but one wife; in the event of her death the widower may marry again; but if the husband die, the widow cannot enter a second time into the nuptial state. They burn their dead, and the funeral pile, as with the Hindūs, is lighted by the nearest relation of the deceased. It sometimes, though very rarely, happens, that the widow burns herself with the body of her husband,—a practice from which it is said that Nanac, if he did not positively forbid it, at least recommended them to abstain.

He condemns excessive grief

* This interesting fact was communicated to the author by Mr. John Stuart, who, amongst his other numerous and extensive travels, visited the Panjab.

The author of the tour to Lahore, alleges, however, that at the city of Jummoo, "it is considered as an indispensable sacrifice to the manes of the deceased husband; and, if the widow does not voluntarily attend the corpse of her husband, and consign herself with it to the flames, the Rajeepoots consider it their duty, in

for those who die; which he considered to be as blamable as to regret the performance of any sacred obligation, or rendering up what may have been for a time confided to us.

such cases, to put her to death, and to cast her body into the fire, to be burnt with her husband's. So horrible a custom as this, does, I believe, no where else prevail. However frequent the instances of widows devoting themselves to death on the pile with their deceased husbands, yet in all these cases, excepting in the city of Jummoo, if it be not in every instance voluntary, there is no where else, that it is ever urged or enforced by any measure of compulsion." But, notwithstanding the regard we think due to this author, yet as it does not appear that he ever visited Jummoo himself, and as he has omitted to state his authority for what is here advanced, we may be allowed to suspend our belief of it until confirmed by proof resulting from more exact and particular inquiry. Art and persuasion may, perhaps, be employed to induce unhappy victims to sacrifice themselves, but we never heard of any instance where compulsion was used. The city of Jummoo is situated on the Chunab, in about N. Lat. 33. We know not whether it be included in the territories of the Sikhs, but from what the author of the tour says, we conceive that it belongs to an independant Rajahpout prince.

Contrary to the practice of the inhabitants of other parts of Hindustan, the Sikhs do not smoke tobacco, but they are allowed to use spirituous liquors, and chew Bhang,* which has a strong inebriating quality, and if used to excess, produces a sort of temporary frenzy.

The Singhs, who devote themselves to arms, have all the essential qualities of a soldier, being hardy, active, faithful, and brave. They are strongly attached to their chiefs, and will never desert them while they are treated well. Their troops consist chiefly of cavalry, their infantry being only employed to defend their forts and villages. Their horsemen are equally active and expert as the Mahrattas, with the advantage of being more robust from using more nourishing diet, and inhabiting a cooler climate. They use swords and spears, and many of them carry a matchlock gun, which seems a very uncouth arm for a horseman; but in the use of it, they

*The Cannabis Sativa of Linnæus.