211 
husband, it is not surprising to see her prefer his funeral pile to 
such a state of degradation: and we must cast the mantle of cha- 
rity over the young virgin-widow, who infringes the celibacy im- 
posed on her by such cruel and impolitic laws. 
Soon after the day closed, we forded Choule river, and arrived 
at Ustom, a considerable village at some distance from its banks; 
which we found a great inconvenience; all the wells and tanks 
being exhausted, except one belonging to a mosque still further: 
thither we repaired to pass the night, and the fakeer who had the 
care of it, allotted one of the largest tombs for our accommodation. 
These are often elegant structures of marble, or polished cliunam; 
consisting either of a dome supported by columns, or a sepulchral 
chamber with only one entrance to the tomb, generally placed in 
the centre under the dome: it was one of the latter to which we 
were conducted; but the stagnated air, and disagreeable smell of 
the bats, soon compelled us to retreat to a clump of custard-apple 
trees, where we lighted fires, dressed a curry, and enjoyed a sound 
repose amid the graves of departed Mussulmans, until break of 
day. 
We then continued our journey through a pleasant cultivated 
part of the Concan, which afforded nothing particularly interesting 
until we met a Brahmin of consequence coming from a celebrated 
temple in the Deccan; whether he was a secular chieftain, or one 
of the priesthood, I did not learn. The road we were now travelling 
was a great thoroughfare from the low country to Poonah, the 
residence of the Brahmin peshwa, and the resort of all castes of 
Brahmins; especially the Gurus, a very select body of priests, of 
the highest dignity and authority in the brahminical hierarchy; in 
