LEGEND OF THE SEVEN VIRGINS. 145 



beautiful damsels from that country, who were 

 intended for the Royal Zenana, and whilst re- 

 turning to India with the seven virgins, to 

 whose memory this island is dedicated, an 

 enemy at the court of Delhi falsely accused 

 him to his sovereign of having betrayed his 

 tmst. The King, being violently enraged 

 against his officer, sought not to ascertain tlie 

 truth of the accusation, but at once directed the 

 vile informer to take a body of horse and inter- 

 cept the officer and his lovely charges, wlio were 

 accompanied but by a scanty retinue, and, wher- 

 ever he might fall in with them, to put tlie 

 whole to death. Unliappily he came upon tlie 

 party at Roree, and though the faithftil officer 

 and his attendants retired to this island, and 

 made a vigorous defence, in which they were 

 courageously assisted by the seven sisters, the 

 whole were mercilessly slain. But the falsehood 

 of the informer being afterwards discovered, the 

 King bitterly regretted his reckless haste, and 

 after causing the treacherous accuser to be put 

 to death, had a tomb erected to the memory of 

 his victims on the spot where they perished." 

 This is one of the traditions current in reference 

 to the Island of Satee. 



VOL. I. 10 



