into which they threw themselves, leaving more than forty children. About the year 1802, the wife of a man of property of the writer cast was burnt at Kashēē-poorů, in the suburbs of Calcutta. The bramhun who witnessed this scene informed me, that when he went to the spot, he saw a vast crowd of people assembled; and amongst the rest the above female, a girl about fourteen years old, and another female, of a different cast, who had cohabited with the deceased. The girl addressed herself to the mistress of her husband, and asked her what she did there: it was true, her husband had never loved her, nor had he for one day since their marriage lived with her; yet she was now resolved to enjoy his company after death. She added, (continuing her address to the mistress of her husband,) If, however, you will accompany him, come, let us burn together; if not, arise and depart.' She then asked the woman what her husband had bequeathed to her, and was answered that he had given her twenty-five roopees, and some clothes. To this the wife of the deceased added twenty-five more. After this conversation, the bramhuns hastened the ceremonies; her friends entreated her to eat some sweetmeats, but she declined it, and declared that she would eat nothing but that which she came to eat, (fire.) At this time the clouds gathered thick, and there was the appearance of heavy rain: some persons urged delay till the rain was over; but she requested them to hasten the business, for she was ready. A bramhun now arrived, and entreated the favour of this woman to forgive a debt due to her husband, for which his brother was in confinement. She forgave it, leaving a written order behind her, to which she affixed her mark. After the ceremonies by the side of the river, and near the pile, were concluded, she laid herself down on the pile, placing one arm under the head of the deceased, and the other over his breast, and they were thus tied together. At the time of lighting the pile, the rain fell in torrents, and the fire was so partially lighted, that during half an hour it only singed her clothes and her hair. This devoted female, however, remained in the same posture on the pile till the rain ceased, when, in a few seconds, the fire devoured her. It was reported that she had cohabited with others, but she denied it before she ascended the pile." An English clergyman, now deceased, once related to me two scenes to which he had been an eye-witness :-one was that of a young woman, who appeared to possess the most perfect serenity of mind during every part of the preparatory ceremonies: calm and placid, she acted as though unconscious of the least danger; she smiled at some, gave .presents to others, and walked round the funeral pile, and laid herself down by the dead body, with as much composure as though she had been about to take rest at night. The other scene was very different: the woman, middle aged and corpulent, appeared to go through the business with extreme reluctance and agitation; the bramhŭns watched her, followed her closely, held her up, and led her round the funeral pile, and seemed to feel uneasy till they had tied her fast to the dead body, and had brought the faggots and bamboo levers over her. This clergyman added, that he saw one of this woman's arms move, as in convulsive motions, for some time after the pile was lighted. The Hindoos say, that it is a proof the woman was a great sinner, if any part of her body is seen to move after the pile has been lighted; and, on the contrary, if she is not seen to move, they exclaim, Ah! what a perfect creature she was! What a blessed suhů-můrůnů was her's!' A respectable native once told me, that he had heard of a woman's shrieking dreadfully after she was laid on the pile, which, however, did not save her life ". Instances of children of eight or ten years of age thus devoting themselves are not uncommon. About the year 1804, a child eight years old was burnt with the dead body of Hŭree-nat❜hů, a bramhŭn of Elo, near Calcutta. At the time the news arrived of the death of this child's husband, she was playing with other children at a neighbour's house. Having just before been severely chastised by her aunt, and having formerly suffered much from her, she resolved to burn with the dead body, in order to avoid similar treatment in future; nor could her relations induce her to alter her resolution. She said she would enter the fire, but would not go back to her aunt. As soon as she was laid on the pile, she appeared to die, (no doubt from fear,) even before the fire touched her. The Hindoos say, it is often the case, that the female who is really Sadhwēē, is united to her husband immediately on hearing the news of his death, without the delay of the fire.-Another instance of the same kind occurred in the year 1802, at Vŭrisha, near Calcutta ; a child, eight years old, was burnt with her husband. Before she went to the funeral pile, she was compelled to put her hand upon some burning coals, and hold it there for some time, to convince her friends that she should not shrink at the sight of the fire.-About the year 1794, a girl, fifteen years old, who had been delivered of her first child about three weeks, was burnt with her husband, Dévēē-chŭrůnů, a bramhŭn of Muniramu-poorů, near Barrack-poorů. Her friends remonstrated with her, " I am credibly informed, that on the banks of the Brümhй-pootrů, the Hindoos do not lay faggots on the bodies, nor are bamboos used as levers to hold them down; but the widow lies on the pile with her arms round her husband, and the fire is kindied beneath them. and did all except (what they ought to have done) use force. When they urged the situation of the infant she would leave, she begged they would not disturb her mind with such things: it was only a female child, and therefore the leaving it was of less consequence. After she had mounted the pile, she sat up, and assured the officiating bramhun she then recollected, that in a former birth he was her father. Women eighty years old and upwards sometimes burn with their husbands. About the year 1791, Gopalŭ-nayalůnkarů, a very learned bramhŭn, died at Nudēēya. He was supposed to have been one hundred years old at the time of his death; his wife about eighty. She was almost in a state of second childhood, yet her gray hairs availed nothing against this most abominable custom.-A similar instance occurred about the year 1809, at Shantee-poorů, when the wife of Ramů-chůndrů-vůsoo, a kayŭst❜hu, at the age of eighty or eighty-five, was burnt with the corpse of her husband. Mrityoonjuyu, the first Sungskritŭ pundit in the College of Fort-William, once saw a bramhŭnēē at Răngŭ-poorů, who had escaped from the pile. She was carried away by a mat-maker, from whom she eloped, and afterwards lived with a Musulman groom.-About the year 1804, a woman who had lived with a man as his wife, burnt herself with his body at Kalēē-ghatŭ, near Calcutta.-Some years ago, a sepoy from the upper provinces died at Khiddirů-pooră, near Calcutta. The woman who had cohabited with him went to the head land-owner, and requested him to provide the materials for burning her with the dead body. He did so, and this adulteress entered the flames, and was consumed with the dead body of her paramour. In Orissa, the defenceless widow is compelled to cast herself into a pit of fire. If, on the death of a raja, his wife burn herself with him, his concubines are seized, and by beating, dragging, binding, and other forcible methods, are compelled to throw themselves into the pit, where they are all destroyed together. On this subject I beg leave to insert a letter drawn up by Půrůshoo-ramů, a learned bramhun:- Shree Purushoo-ramů writes: I have myself seen the wives of one of the rajas of Oorisya burn with their husband. These are the particulars :-after the death of raja Gopēē-nat'hu-dévů, the head-queen, of her own accord, being prepared to be burnt with the body, a pit was dug, and quantities of wood piled up in it, upon which the corpse was laid, and upon this more faggots: when the fire blazed with the greatest fury, the head-queen cast herself into the flames and perished. The two other wives of the raja were unwilling to follow this example; but they were seized by force, and thrown into the pit, and consumed. This happened about the year 1793.' If The widows of the yogees, a description of weavers, are sometimes buried alive with their deceased husbands. the person have died near the Ganges, the grave is dug by the side of the river, at the bottom of which they spread a new cloth, and on it lay the dead body. The widow then bathes, puts on new clothes, and paints her feet; and after various ceremonies, descends into the pit that is to swallow her up in this living tomb she sits down, and places the head of her deceased husband on her knee, having a lamp near her. The priest (not a bramhun) sits by the side of the grave, and repeats certain ceremonies, while the friends of the deceased walk round the grave several times, repeating, Huree bul! Huree bul!' (that is, literally,' Repeat the name of Huree; but in its common use it is equivalent : |