Part I II 7ravels into the INDIES. 85 
ftians or Mahometans , and then they forj^ke Gentilifme. In fine, The 
Gentiles make the glory of Widowhood, to confift in being burnt with the The glory of 
Bodies of their Husbands ; when one asks thern the caufe of it , , they fav it ^nf^^j**""^. 
is the cuftom -, they pretend it was always fo in the Indies ^ and fo tney iî^g burn "with 
hide their cruel Jealoulie under the vail of Antiquity. When a Heathen their Husbands 
Man or Woman has committed a fin that makes them be expelled the Cafte, penance for a 
as if a Woman had lay'nwitha Mahometan^ flie muft (if Ihe would be read- Heathen Wo-, 
mitted into the Tribe ) live upon nothing for a certain time, but on the man who hath 
Grain that is found amongfl; Cow-dung. finned. 
The moft ufual way of ordering the Bodies of Men , after their death in The ordering 
the Indies^ is to wafti them in the water of a River or Refervatory, near to ofàtiA Bod^s. 
which there is aPagod , then to burn them, and throw the Aflies into the accTr^n w 
fame watery in fome Countries they leave them upon the brink of theRi- places.'"^ ^ 
ver , but the Ceremony of burying differs accorcling to places -, in fome Th * of 
places the Body is carried, ( with beat of Drum ) fitting uncovered in a burning'thc 
Chair, cloathed in goodly Apparel , and accompanied with his Relations dead Husband 
and Friends-, and after the ufual Ablution , it is furrounded with Wood -, with the living 
and his Wife who hath followed in triumph, hath her Seat prepared there, 
where fhe places her felf Singing, and feemmg very defirous to die : A Bra- 
men ties her to a Stake that is in the middle of the Funeral Pile , and fets 
Fire to it s the Friends pour odoriferous Oyles into it , and in a Ihort time 
both the Bodies are confumed. 
In other places the Bodies are carried to the River-fide in a covered Li- 
ter, and being wafhed, they are put into a hutt full of odoriferous Wood , 
if they who are dead have left enough to defray the Charges. When the 
Wife ( who is to be burnt) hath taken leave of her kindred, and by fuch 
Galantries as may convince the Airembly,(which many times confifts of the 
whole Cafl:e,)that fhe is not at all afraid of dying -, flie takes her place in the A Woman that 
Hutt under the head of her Husband, which fhe holds upon her knees , and endeavours to 
at the fame time recommending her felt to the Prayers of the Bramtttt fhe ^V'^^"^^' 
prefTes him to fet fire to the Pile, which he fails not to do. Ts^urat/*^ 
Elfewhere they make wide and deep Pits , which they fill with all forts pits.whereln 
of combuflible Matter ^ they throw the Body of the deceafed into it , and the Bodies of 
then the Bramens pufli in the Wife after fhe hath Sung and Danced , to fhcw theHusband . 
the firmnefs of her refolution -, and fometimesit happens, that Maid-Slaves ^rn7'^*' 
throw themfelves inte the fame Pit after their Miftrefïès, to fhewthe love ""^^ ' 
they bore to them,and the A(hes of the burnt Bodies are<ifterwards fcattered 
in the River. 
In the other places , the Bodies of the dead are interred with their Legs interment of 
a crofs V their Wives are put into the fame Grave alive, and when the Earth Bodies, 
is filled up to their neck , they are flrangled by the Bramens. 
There are feveral other kinds of Funerals among the Gentiles of the In- 
dies , but the madnefs of the Women in being burnt with their Husbands , 
is fo horrid, that I dcfire to be excufed that 1 write no more of it. 
To conclude, The Women are happy that the Mahometans are become the -w^*<"»''*- 
Mafters in the Indies^ to deliver them from the tyranny of the Bramens, who "J^^^ hz^" 
always defire their death , becaufe thefe Ladies being never burnt without pîncft for*the' 
all their Ornaments of Gold and Silver about them, and none but they ha- Women, 
ving power to touch their Afhes -, they fail not to pick up all that is prêtions 
from amongft them.However,the Great Mogul and other Mahometan Princes, 
having ordered their Governours to employ all their care in fuppreffing that 
abufe, as much as lies in their power , it requires at prefent great Solicita- The Mahomt- 
tions and confiderable Prefents, for obtaining the permiffion ofbeing burnt j 
fo that the difficulty they meet with in this, fecurcs a great many Women hbdeJthebur- 
from the infamy they would incur in their Cafle, if they were not forced ning ofthc/»- 
to liveby a Superiour Power. Womea. 
The end of Mogoliftan- 
