76 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
to gaze upon that lovely face and form ; but the holy 
woman was too deeply engaged in solemn prayer and 
converse with Brahma to be sensible of their pre- 
sence, or of the murmur of admiration which ran 
through the crowd. Then turning with a steady 
look and solemn demeanour to her relations, she 
took from her person, one by one, all her ornaments, 
and distributed them as tokens of her love. One 
jewel only she retained, the tali , or amulet placed 
round her neck by her deceased husband on the 
nuptial day ; this she silently pressed to her lips, 
then separately embracing each of her female relations, 
and bestowing a farewell look upon the rest, she 
unbound her hair, which flowed in thick and shining 
ringlets almost to her feet, gave her right hand to 
the principal Brahmin, who led her with ceremony 
three times round the pile, and then stopped with 
her face towards it, upon the side where she was to 
ascend. Having mounted two or three steps, the 
beautiful woman stood still, and pressing her hands 
upon the cold feet of her lifeless husband, she raised 
them to her forehead, in token of cheerful submis- 
sion: she then ascended, and crept within the little 
arbour, seating herself at the head of her lord, her 
right hand resting upon his head. The torch was 
placed in my hand, and overwhelmed with com- 
mingled emotions I fired the pile. Smoke and flame 
in an instant enveloped the scene, and amid the 
deafening shouts of the multi tnde I sank senseless 
