The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-16 00:00:00

e

HORRIBL sPEcrici,E.
(From the Signiarhar Darptm of Mity
On the 21Ith of April a Person named Ilslskee \•r:
from this world on the )luny Kurnika fihaut of kr
widow lust no time in burning herself with the d
ote tc
sput

On Saturday morning, about ten o'clock, when tar s
In told me that there was going to be a Settee close
I inunediately went and saw the corpse of a man Ity°
ground, and a boat load of of at the Oman The
a milk-seller, about 40 years of age, having a wife of
' four children, the eldest about 16, the youngeat
it d
found that they had not got the order from the 31ael)Istrs4", •
fore could not commence operations. In the evening-i
gentleman, an old inhsbitant a the place. The - youngest
tro boys, were by the corpse, the eldest son was gone to g,
der, and the daughter was with her mother in a house
we asked them to show us the house where the 'entail one -‘`'
they objected, but • akar coming by at the time, we asked ks'
go with us. They objected to bath of us going. therefor. 1
went, whilst I stood at the entrance of a narrow lane whir 1„
:.,r.'
house, to prevent the crowd t f natives that Resounded
o fesrc
ing after him. he was gone, the two little boy, ca5),,..„,,',
round me, begging I would not let their mother burn
shall we do ?" said thew ; but some of their relations cane
threatened them, and they went and sat down by the
‘Vhen my friend returned, he said the woman was deteSt,,,-'
bum, and would hear no arguments against it, arid in e --
way answered me afterwards. About one o'clock the ase.
running to tell me they were gone to fetch the women,
the Suttee would take place directly. I went and t ount,
man already there; she was sitting by the side of the errs,
I understood from two er three gentlemen who had vel
arrival, that she danced as she came, and stood up oat
with her arms lifted up over her head. and Men sat dors
the body, covering the feet with part of loss own dente, sea
was naked horn the waist upward. In nisi:coition I fans
A woman was painting her feet, nails, &c., with red !snit thi
and she had plenty of tt on her forehead. The (hoped&
that were stationed around her, behaved in the most civil ,
ing manner. Chairs were brought for my friends and see
1 sat within three feet of the Suttee in front of he:. N'
standing her maimed joy, there was a great etpreassn
fearful anxiety, especially as the order foe her to burn 44
...-
arrive. ellman, her uncle, was walking round her, Br, „
cuuraging her, as also was an old woman who rat by is LT
every now and than she would pray for a few moments, arj
cry out ilurreebole !" which a tew of the by-standerr sp,„„t.
The crowd now had become very turbulent and large, ti„,
was with great difficulty the police could keen tliera iron es-
ing upon the woman and her relations. lier doughty, Ive
girl, kept tanning her, and she chewed some beene-mr.
had in her hand a few mango leaves; with these she drove sin
the ties ; and I observed, from first to last, she neva*:
quished her hold of them. She was • handsome ICOR, it
small stature, but of a most interesting appearance. 1 ane s
if she was aware of the unnatural part she was awing, e,
wilfully forsaking the children she had borne--and in maingua
that lice which tied had given—and whether she really bihe
I that God would be pleased with so inhuman a sacriSce—anc
the the could believe that her death would atone for he to
band's sins, and those of her family—with various othte ynet
of a similar nature, to all of which she replied in a calm and tos
resting manner, defining that she should, by this act nen
diately be with her husband in heaven, and said, ro argrog.
could ever move her, and begged I would use my endeseam t
gain the order. The gentleman who talked with her the cm
before, had offered to allow her • handsome sum pet mord, O.:-
would not burn. This she rejected. saying, what was ton,. n
I her, now she had done with the world ? I-now offered tt
that sum, and tree her from the reproaches of her kinirel;
ho offers or entreaties availed. It was now four o'clock, tr:
no order had arrived. She seemed very faint and wane.
asked if she might not lay down ? One of hen relation nt;
but she said " I cannot do without lying down." she etas to
permitted, and stretched herself at length by the side of the cip.e,
embracing it with her right hand. It was now Sunda' erot;
and as the man died on Friday the smell was very off, isive:
I the embraced it, and picked °lithe smallest particle of dim ti:
I fell upon it. It was sow found out that the son, in his bornn
conclude the business, bad brought away the order without ts
signature of the magistrate. The corpsse and woman sere
fore to repose together all night. I looked at them ;Mout hailier
nine; she was, in the same position, lying beside the conic, ash.
by this time sent forth such an effluvia, that I was °Wight tote:
my handkerchief to my nose. This morning (Monday) went
found the woman and the family in expectation of rennin; to
order. I left a man there to inform me when the ender
A few hours after this two ladies wan to speak with the lei nat.;
but she would not hear what they had to say, and her kindred dt
all in their power to prevent any remonstrance being made. .1:
two o'clock this day the order arrived. I and sane friends lite
had been waiting with me tr.= Saturday last, hurried to ;he acme.
and, although the distance trout my house was rot half ',gnaw
of a rude, yet such was the anxiety of her tneads to eon !rte tt
business, that we arrived but just in time to witness the corps
brought down to the (;has.. The woman was irnmetEre.rse-
rounded by the officiatuig Brahmins, and in a few arstei es
taken to bathe. A few pitchers of water were pound est the
cocorpsr,stre.,catednd titnwtahselald"on t
tdlrxtreu er,:ty:;pfriacpannreder.pi:em, welnict,rt.l,aken
eibt.e,
threw strong piles, or elich staked, drinniuto the ground, milks
of flax, stares of nrhs-rrets, and thick grail micka *ere plaints
twecn, to the height of four feet. In a short time the woman yew
from the water, aid a terrible none of Ilawrrekk was sett err k
the two principal and officiating liralimina, in wnich the apemen
seemed mechanically to join. Now commenced the most hens
name I ever witnessed ; the mob seemed to became intimated,
and all order was abolished. The woman was led, cv ran
dragged by a stout fellow (as lie had nothing round his aril
should suppose he was no Brahmin) round the pile three eon,
casting from a basket, carried by • relation, parched grain, wenn
the crowd, which seemed to be as anxiously sought Mr &again:.
hurt could possibly have been. I observed her spirits began tofu,
that her face assumed quite a different hue, anti I du verily belies.
if the wretches who surrounded her had not used their utmost ch
forts, she never would have mounted the pile. Oh ! what a Seri
was this! The corpse, having been kept four days. was hem
completely putrid. the mouth and nose were one horrid moo ce.
corruption ; all over the body were blisters, each as large as a stur's
egg, whilst the colour was varied in all the tints of the rainbow,
green, black. white, red, and yellow. The mob were tote
tire against their will. The stench was abo linable, yet hoer
the arms of this corpse was the poor woman tied—yes, actualk Orel
Two ropes of flax hail been left hanging down the sides of the ri:n
and no sooner had the poor creature mounted the pile, than Om
were thrown across die two bodies and tied. In a moment ltrtte
pieces of wood, staves of tar barrels, flax and rosin, were Flan,
upon them, and, to make sure of their victim, her own rd.:4l+:l
placed two large green bamboos scram the pile, one end of the
per one (that nearest the bead) was tied m a stake, and the ol.e•
held by men ; the other bamboo was held by men at both enilc
The eldest son then went round the pile three drum and set tire to
it. I observed that another man who was squatting at the to' art
the pile set that part on fire also. In a few minutes Elie crioM:
the combustible material, and the whole was in a blase. I Ward a
shriek of agony from the funeral pile, which was smothered by th:
shouts of the Brahmins and the multitude.

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z4j;utli reoes:ll:4th,l7ll:l7fraiNily,al
etorNtiitt''agetPl*:.
e
w
• No
The
le. ir tz,,*l4
.strate,
g"ne t:7
asked The
are trl-.V.1tZ.,-,
;Oiled es not
)OYr cutting 4. •
[••,/ bun
the cure
YELL
was deter,. „„•""
t, and in c. contracte
the peril
oek the men
worun. wait._ the aide
of Dec
and tout.: i 4 ;f, hours of
of the orm?s,,
had entireski The Tea
up
over *don ery
to ut down
tired by
clothes, .7, uary.
coition I frit**. Warn." a
red paiut the ai
ChsPssesies:s7 CIETY
nost civil and A N
tenth aid
of he:. N El
feat °M, ~ Stove
to Isom diS a',l
round her, az; a. larrisor,
10 rat by he try rr.t: g, 3
inorners, 1,7!
/-Standen ?tint.
large, sJ esii 3 L B
ru them from cat-
el' daughter, a vt
C beene-tne. In confot
ese she droll um the 21ith
t, she ncver ',mt. on tit
*Wine Lieu, d v each It
ranee. 1 Dic
was acting, i: ti. May, tll
and in tasingsse ny
she really ttroi
sacrifice—anc
atone tar her Ls clove scan
out ocher
▪ a cairn and tra.
ty this ad. `tom"
said, ro argJetr
mv rutearava
With her the 6*
rm pet 'north 6:- The
what was ~ , ~, ail
iw Onto: to ca., nit will In
f her kialrel ; k; tler 1.1,u
four titlark, sr; The As,
t and wan. seven year
relations A subs
,n." She Assure,;
e side of the cm:4, assurance.
•w Sund.n enn; Claunan
very of, ;mire ; s to referent
sonde of 1:11.1: Its No char
ion, in hie ham and t
; order withou:
woman ICC F
tem obit h.e.l ti
le the eqfple.lol.
wan 01,ge.1 to L.: W. C. lic
ilooday) 1 we:3l:i \Valiant (
on of reeeitin; a AViiliant 1
the enter amt.:.
wi:h the 1,.7at.; Nichol .s
Ind her kintindU Wm. IfaL
e being Made. A: .Sohn Hart
some trien's its George Jet
urried to ;he acct. John faith
a TAX her a titters: Stew;. 11
ads to °impale di John 31.,:;
a yttr.ess the curse :so r,
• irnmeds.r:roar•
a few arlotti
Notice is
re pJutuf otei the
ile
3eraine o
On met ,t'e'as
gruund, sails*
icU *ere place!" 000„licra
ne the woman mot
Suk was sett vi
'nit% the sinews Tlik.:
ed the moot hemi
become infurired,
was lad, re rr`tr
g round his nr:k l join, Irv:,
thee ewe, samuci 4;
l'illdglhPhcidrdttoiltsig::::rbe"atai:nn;g:m.)behreldm:6%.:.: ni 11.1
1.1;1
Oh ! what a wee
ro,a.ndiellyul:wmge.thluads.6inuabeccela:.,..