" Travels in India. Part. II 



are of opinion, that to take away the fears of death, which naturally terrifies hu- 

 manity, the Priefts do give her a certain Beverage to ftupify and diforder the 

 fenfes, which takes from her all apprehenfion of her preparations for death. 'Tis 

 for the Bramms intereit that the poor miferable creatures fhould continue in their 

 refolutibns ; for all their Bracelets as well about their legs as their arms, the Pen- 

 dents in their ears ; their Rings fometimes of Gold, fometimes of Silver; (for 

 the poor wear only Copper and Tin,) all thefe belong to the Bramins, who rake 

 for them among the afhes when the party is burn'd. 



I have feen Women burnt after thiee feveral manners, according to the differ- 

 ence of the Countrey. In the Kingdom of Guz.erat 3 as far as Agra, and DehU % 

 they fet up a little Hut about twelve foot fquare upon the bank of a Pond or 

 River. 'Tis made of Reeds, and aH forts of fmall Wood, with which they min- 

 gle certain pots of Oil and other Drugs to make it burn more vehemently. The 

 Woman is plac'd in the middle of the Hut, in a half-lying-down pofture, leaning 

 her head upon a kind of a wooden Bolfter, and refting her back againlt a Pillar, 

 to which the Br ami -a tyes her about the middle, for fear (he mould run away 

 when fhe feels the fire. In this pofture fhe holds the body of her deceas'd Hu£ 

 band upon her knees, chewing Betlê all the while : and when fhe has continued m 

 this pofture about half an hour, the Bramm goes out, and the Woman bids them 

 fèt fire to the Hutj which is immediately done by the Bramins, and the kindred 

 and friends of the Woman ; who alfo caft feveral pots of Oil into the fire, to put 

 the Woman the fooner out of her pain. After the Woman is burnt, the Bramins 

 fearch the afhes for all her Bracelets, Pendants and Rings, whether Gold, Silver, 

 Copper or Tin , which is all free booty to themfelves. 



In Bengala they burn the Women after another fafhion. In that Countrey a 

 Woman mult be very poor that does not accompany the Body of her deceas'd 

 Husband to the Ganges to wafh his Body, and to be wafh'd her felf before fhe is 

 burnt. I have feen dead CarkafTes brought to the Ganges above twenty days 

 journey off from the place, and fmelt 'em to boot ; for the fe'ent of them has 

 been intollerably noyfom. There was one that came from the Northern Moun- 

 tains neer the Frontiers of the Kingdom of Bout an, with the body of her Hu£ 

 band carri'd in a Waggon ; fhe travell'd twenty days a- foot, and- neither eat nor 

 drank for i j or 16 days together till fhe came to^the Ganges, where after fhe had 

 wafh'd the body that ftank abominably, and had afterwards wafh'd her felf] ffib 

 was burnt with him with an admirable constancy. Before the Woman that is to 

 be burnt, goes the Mufick, confifting of Drums, Flutes and Hautboys, whom the 

 Woman in her beft Accoutrements follows, dancing up to the very Funeral-pile, 

 upon which fhe gets up, and places her felf as if fhe were fitting up in her Bed 5 

 and then they lay a-crofs her the body of her Husband. When that is done, her 

 kindred and friends, fome bring her a Letter, fbme a piece of Calicut, another 

 pieces of Silver or Copper, and defire her to deliver them to their Mother, or 

 Brother, or fome other Kinfman or Friend. When the Woman fees they have all 

 done, fhe asks the Standers-by three times, if they have nothing more of fer- 

 vice to command her ; if they make no anfwer, fhe ties up all fhe has got in* a 

 piece of Taffata, which fhe puts between her own belly, and the body of her 

 Husband, bidding them to fet fire to the Pile 5 which is prefently done by the 

 Bramins and her Kindred. I have obferv'd, becaufe there is fcarcity of Wood 

 in Bengda, that when thefe poor Creatures are half griddPd, they caft their 

 bodies into the Ganges, where the remains are devour'd by the Crocodiles. 



I m u ft not forget a wicked cuftom praftis'd by the Idolaters of Bengala. 

 When a Woman is brought to bed, and the Child will not take to the Teat, 

 they carry it out of the Village, and putting it into a Linnen Cloth:, which they 

 faft'n by the four Corners to the Boughs of â- Tree, they there leave it from 

 morning till evening. By this means the poor Infant is expos'd to be tormented 

 by the Crows, infomuch that there are fbme who have their eyes pickt out of 

 their heads : which is the reafon that in Bengala you fhall fee many of thefe Ido- 

 laters that have but one eye, and fbme that have loft both. In the evening they 

 fetch the child away, to try whether he will fuck the next night j and if he ftill 

 refufe the teat, they carry him again to the fame place next morning j which they 

 do for çhjçe days together j after whiclyf the Infant after that refufes to fuck, they 



believe 



