The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-02 00:00:00

A SUTTEE.

•
The following is an extract from a letter just received by
a Gentleman from his aon, employed In the Bombay
army:— . _

M•WOURA. FEB. 211.
"As you say you like to hear all about the manrees of the na-
ticeg, &c. I send a description of a Suttee, Of burning of a ems
man, that I wrote down the morning after I witnessed it. It is any
thing bet a riketsent sight ; but as I think all the &Redone's, you
may have read of such have been hi rich peoyle, the following will
give you an idea how it is conducted mkt tat Om are the drama:
cis persona:.—As we were strolling about in the evening, use then.
tion was attracted to a procession, preceded by Tot-monis, &c., then
passing through the gate of the town. On inquiry we were told
that a Suttee was about to take place. or a uciii in going to bunt
herself with the body of her child. We joined the precession for
(we reasons: first, to ehdeavour to prevent so she cking a sacrifice
taking place; and, secondly, if that should fail, we were prompted
by curiosity to witness so extraordinary a circumstance once in our
lives. The woman was seated on a suttoo, or small pony, holding
a small branch in each hand, and surrounded by men and women
crying Ram, ram, and other words of appfobation and respect,
On arriving at the place where she was to sacriSce herself; she
dis-
mounted from the suttoo, and a erde being formrd around her by
the numerous friends and spectators, she continued giving rice, S.
(or rather went through the form of diet•gao, as she was very poor),
whilst the people kept up their horrid cries, evidently to prevent the
poor creature from thinking on her situation; by keeping her in a
state of continual excitement during the time the pile true being
made : it consisted of three or four sticks, forming a circle ut
about three feet in diameter at bottom, and tied in s point
at top, like a cone, at the bottom of which, ow the ground,
large logs of wood were placed, so as to form a seat.—
The woman's husband was *etching the body of the child, which
was lying on the bier close by. We asked him if it was his wilds
that his wife should burn herself, and why he allowed it. He said
• Yes, that his wife wished it I l lf, and that was sufß6ent ; 'W-
ithin that, he had two wives, and his family would gain great abro,
or character, by it.' We then went up to the woman, and asked
her if it was optional on her part, as, if it was not, that cur (go-
vernment would protect her (as she would have been turned out of
het caste, and family, and left to starve, if she had refused to butt.
herself, fter having expressed her intention so to do). She an-
swered, that • she wished to bum herself, that it w.ut not forced
on hi r. and that she would do it.' fhis she repeated even after
she Itad seated herself on the pile. AtSer She had given away all
the rice, &c. she made a signal to the surrounding (-Testi; who
opened the way for her, anti she Moved on and seated herself on the
logs of wood at the bottom of the pile, her non, about six years old.
being laid on her lap ; she kept fanning hint with the branches, and
singing, or rather crying out, some unintelligible words, and mov-
ing backwards and forwards, evidently in a state of the great-
est excitement, from a great quantity of betty, or opium.
that she had been eating all the time. Large logs of wood
were then piled ronnd her up to her chin, just leaving sufficient
apace fur her to sit in, and a kind of dry thorn bush wan thickly
laid on the outside of the pile ; two pieces or cotton steeped in glue
being given to her, she threw them up amongst the dry thorn,
which immediately ignited, and at the same time is was lighted its
several places by the attendants. As a very strong wind blew at
the time, it burned most rapidly, and the poor creature must base
been suffocated almost directly. She made not the slightest strug-
gle, nor was even a cry or groan heard. When the thorns had
burned away a little, we could plainly see her, with her head
hanging back, of course perfectly dead. She had not moved her
situation in the least. It is, perhaps, doubtful whether she could
have done so, on account of the heavy wood which was placed on
her knees, and piled round her. One of our party went close to.
and looked into the pile, after she had lighted it, but the expression
of her face was not in the least degree changed at that time she
quietly drew a cloth over her face. From the quantity of opium
she had eaten, added, perhaps, to the pitch to which bier feelings
had been worked up, site bad a very wild appearance, and was
most likely prevented from giving a thought to what she was about
to do by the continued cries of her friends around. The native*
appeared really to go about it with as little concern as school-boys
burn Guy Fawkes. Not a single expression of pity or NM*, was
hearth, and the poor infatuated woman appeared more like an ani-
mated piece of mechanism than a human being. The Than, or
great man of Mandura, had offered her considerable sums of money
not to burn herself, but with no effect."

It is gratifying to learn that the state of trade generally
is decidedly improving; that confidence is ast restoring,
and that a better aspect altogether is presented to the corn-
tnercial world. From the inquirit s we have made, we
find that the purchases from all parts of the country are
made with more spirit and with less hesitation than for
many previons months, and in a ratio equal to former years.
Time, and the operation of circumstances natural to a de-
creased production and an improving consumption, will
create that increase of prices which will give the labourer
sufficient remuneration and constant employment. The
measures of Government, by allowing the import of corn,
havealready given great satisfaction to the mejority of the
people, and will produce results beneficial to the whole
community.—Stot hport Advertiser.

A melancholy accident, late on Sunday evening, befel
the inmates of what then was a small thatched house, near
the mill of Craigo. The house was occupied by Anthony
Trail, a poor and infirm person, who contrives to make a
livelihood by " merchandising" on a small scale. His
wife, between nine and ten, 'hail just devoted her infant
rare to rest for the night, when, most unfortunately, the
lighted candle in her ha-td set fire to a mat suspended from
the roof of the dwelling, and in a moment the whole tene-
ment was in a blaze. In such a crisis the father could Jo
nothing to rescue his children from the jaws of the devour.
ing element ; he could not extricate himself ; and it is sur-
prising how the mother (in whom Nature's first law em-
braced all the helpless objects under her charge) succeeded
in carrying them out, one after the other, without being
more than slightly burnt in the hand. So rapid was the pro-
gress of the flames that the house was redneed to ashes be-
fore such of the neighbours as were apprised of the accident
had time to collect; anal not an article was saved. We are
happy to add that the destitute family has, during the week,
received several proofs of real benevolence from the very
charitable houses; of ('raigo and Kirktoubill ; and that
the worthy proprietor of the former place lost no time it.
employing masons to erect another dwelling for the
" houseless unfortunates" on the site of die former one. Au
exemplification of the benefits of the cottage system is strik.
ingly to be noticed in the parish of Killearn. The ground
WAS begun to be feued about 60 years ago, by the late wit
James Montgomery, Bart., Lord Chief Baron of the Ex-
chestuer ; and by the advice of the Reverend James Graham,
then minister of Killearn, it was stipulated in the fee eon..
tracts that only one family should reside on each feu. The
usual feus were about half an acre of ground each ; eonse-
quently each fetter, though a tradesman, is possessed 01
considerable properly, having a free house, a' large garden,
and generally a cow. Poverty is thus kept down ; and that
parish enjoys an eti%iable se:te ef rrestierity tit comparis.iu.
with many others.

i
t

1