302 



GANGETIC HINDOOSTAN. 



an uncommon vivTtim among Ibme mongrel Hindoos. Mr, 

 Hodges law the head of one cut off and flung upon the altar, 

 at a grand facrifice performed by the wild mountaineers, in a 

 diftri(5t not far from fort Bidjegur in Bahar * . I have another 

 inftance among the wild inhabitants of the Garrozv hills, in the 

 north-eall of Bengal. There the hen, as well as the cock, is 

 facrificed. Among thofe people it makes part of the nuptial 

 ceremony t. 



The zgreeahle Bernier, iv. 119, gives an inftance of perfe- 

 verance of a fair widow, whom no perfuafions could move from 

 this horrid ad: of felf devotion. The account is fo well told, 

 and the ceremonies fo minutely related, that I cannot forbear 

 giving it in the words of the ingenious writer :. " When I was 

 « palling from Amadevad to Agra, over the lands of the Rajabs 

 " that are in thofe parts, there came news to us in a burrough 

 " where the Caravane refted under the fhade (ftaying for the 

 " cool of the evening to march on in their journey), that a 

 ^* certain woman was then upon the point of burning herfelf 

 " with the body of her hufband. I prefently role, and ran to 

 <* the place where it was to be done, which was a great pit, 

 " with a pile of wood raifed in it, whereon I faw laid a dead 

 ^' corpfe, and a woman, which at a diitance feemed to me pretty 

 " fair, fitting near it on the fame pile, belides four or five Brah- 

 '< niins putting the fire to it from all fides ; five women of a 

 *' middle age, and well enough drelTed, holding one another by 

 << the hand, and dancing about the pit, and a great crowd of 



♦ fiodges's Travels, p. 91. f Afiatic Refearches, i. p. 27. 



" people, 



