Vol. III. MifcelUne^ Curiofa. 12.6^ 



When "any great Man dyes among them, 

 but efpecially any of their Jogeis or Saints, 

 they make great preparations for their Fu- 

 neral ; the Gorpfe is laid on its Belly, and 

 Salt and Rice laid round about it at every 

 corner of the Ground. Then the neareft 

 Relations to the Party deceafed carry a Pot 

 of Water on their Shoulders feveral times 

 about the Funeral Pile, when they burn them, 

 then breaking it in pieces, fpills the Water. 

 Which Ceremony being ended, the Pile is 

 fired, and then all the Relations begin to 

 howl, and embrace one another, then wafh- 

 ing themfelves in fbme Neighbouring River, 

 they depart every one to his Home ^ and as 

 for the remaining Afhes, if he be Rich they 

 gather them up, and caffc them into the 

 Ganges or the Sea. 



Sometimes it happens that the Wife of the 

 deceafed Party, if Ihe have no Children, and 

 be old, or ill to live in the World, will burn 

 her felf with the dead Body ^ but this hap- 

 pens very feldom. It is faid, that in fuch 

 cafes the Bramims give the Woman a ftupi- 

 fying Liquor, which by the time that they 

 are in the Fire makes them fenfelefs of any 

 Fain. 



To know into what Body the Soul of the 

 deceafed is tranfmigrated they do thus ; they 

 ftrew the Afhes of the Dead upon the Place 

 where he was firft laid after his Death, and 

 handfuls of odoriferous Flowers about the 

 lame, and returning again in 44 Hours, they 

 judge by fome pretended Imprtffion or other 

 in the Afhes, into what Body it is gone : If 

 the Foot of an Horfe, or Dog, or Ox, or 



