3Z5 



tended by her mother, and three lovely children, arrayed in rich 

 attire, and wearing the hymeneal crown, an ornament peculiar to 

 a Hindoo bride at her marriage. Oil reaching the pyre she made 

 a salam to the surrounding spectators, and a low obeisance to her 

 husband's body. After a few religious ceremonies, the attendants 

 took off her jewels, anointed her dishevelled hair with consecrated 

 ghee, as also the skirts of her flowing robe of yellow muslin (the 

 colour of nuptial bliss). Two lisping infants clung round her knees, 

 to dissuade her from the fatal purpose; the last pledge of conjugal 

 love was taken from her bosom by an aged parent, in speechless 

 aoony. Freed from these heart-piercing mourners, the lovely 

 widow, with an air of solemn majesty, received a lighted torch 

 from the brahmins, with which she walked seven limes round the 

 pyre. Stopping near the entrance of the bower, for the last time 

 she addressed the fire, and worshipped the other deities, as pre- 

 scribed in the Sutty-ved: then setting fire to her hair, and the 

 skirts of her robe, to render herself the only brand worthy of illumi- 

 nating the sacred pile, she threw away the torch, rushed into 

 the bower, and embracing her husband, thus communicated the 

 flames to the surrounding branches. The musicians immediately 

 struck up the loudest strains, to drown the cries of the victim, 

 should her courage have forsaken her. But several spectators 

 then present, assured me the serenity of her countenance, and dig- 

 nity of her behaviour, surpassed all the sacrifices of a similar na- 

 ture they had ever witnessed. I was invited to this cremation, 

 which look place within twelve miles of my residence, and am 

 now sorry I did not attend so extraordinary an immolation. 



The widow of Hiroo walked seven times round the funeral 



