The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-15 00:00:00

ASIATIC LITERATURE.

We lately heard that a Weekly Newspaper,
conducted by Natives, and printed in the Ben-
gallee language, under the title of Sungbaud
Cowmuddy, or the " Moon of Intelligence,"
was soon to be published in Culcutta. We have
now the pleasure of informing the public, that
ten numbers have already issued from the press,
and that it seems to have met with every en-
couragement from the most enlightened of the
Hindoos. As a fair specimen of its merits, we
subjoin a few translations from the third Num-
ber, which, we doubt not, will be read with in-
terest, as we may say this is almost the first op-
portunity afforded us of knowing how the natives
feel under the government of the ‘C Lords of
Ilindostan."

" BURNING DEAD BODIES.—The city of Cal-
cutta being very populous, about sixty or seventy
Hindoos are dying every day. After they
are dead, their relations take their corpses
to Cossy Miter's Ghaut (the only one in this
town), where they bnrn them, and perform other
funeral rites. This Ghaut is about 15 cubits
broad and 40 long within which space three or

at most four piles of wood only can be heaped ;
therefore the inconvenience that is experienced
in burning the dead bodies of the Ilindoos will ap-
pear from the following description : when any
person of a moderate fortune living at Jaun
Bazar, and usually going about in a palanquin,
_

has lost some of his relations, he experiences
great difficulty in walking so far, in order to
bring tl►e body to Cossy Miter's Ghaut at Bag-
bazar. Again, when he has reached the Ghaut,
he finds three or for piles already burning, while
five or seven others are ready to be burnt : some
brought in the morning, others at noon, and this,
that is just coming from .faun Bazar, at about 4
in the evening. When those three or four have
been burnt away, those that were brought in the
morning begin to be burnt about sunset, and are
completed between ten and eleven at night. At
this time, the water being raised, or, in other
words, the flowing tide cowing in, prevents those

corpses which had been brought at noon from
being burnt, and they that had brought them ne-

cessarily are obliged to wait the return of the ebb
tide till six in the morning, when they begin their
task, and leave those who have come from Jaun
Bazar to burn their corpse about the noon, which
they cannot finish before evening. This is the
manner in which the Hindoo corpses are burnt.
This is a very bad practice, and costs a great deal
of trouble. First, as it is inconsistent with the

general opinion and also the Shasters, to stale the
corpse ; second, as our feelings are inexpressibly
hurt, to wait at the burning ground with that ob-
ject in our bosom for whose loss we lament; third,

as those persons who take the dead body to the
Ghaut have been obliged, before the death of
the patient, to attend upon him, and keep up

whole nights without any food to themselves,

and are now again obliged to do the same on the
river Ganges; and, fourth, as,until these persons
return home, no one there is allowed to eat any
thing, but all must lie down lamenting. We
therefore sincerely wish,that either a very wide
Ghaut, where twenty-five or thirty dead bodies
may be burned, or three or four more of the pre-
sent kind be made, so that the corpes, imme-
diately upon being taken to the Ghaut, be burned
without any opposition or inconvenience. I pre-
sume that, when this circumstance is publicly
known, the merciful rulers of this land, Who are
doing every thing to make their subjects happy,
will adopt some such measures as may tend to the
abolition of this evil practice. They have grant-
ed extensive pieces of ground to the Moosulmans,l
Armenians, Portuguese, and many other nations,
for burying their dead, and they are more and
more adding to those pieces of ground, for an-
other corpse cannot be buried in the same place
where one has already been interred ; but such
is not the case among the Hindoos, for they re-
quire only different piles of wood to burn their
dead bodies, but not spots of ground. From this
we presume to hope that the Hindoos will be
able to meet with success from their generous and
wise rulers.

" Representation to Government.—We, the
humble subjects of the province of Bengal, offer
up heartfelt praise to the Governor General : as
what is said, that " it is through the virtuous
actions of the ruler of a country that it enjoys
happiness," has been witnessed this year by every
one, all the lands of this country affording abund-
ant crops of excellent grain, and almost every
article of food becoming cheap; people have been
cheerfully attending their respective duties, and
spending their time contentedly, and the poor
were happy to find rice and other things growing
cheaper. But all this happiness is embittered by
one very sad reflection, a fear lest the Europeans
should buy up the Bengal rice, and send it to
some distant country, as they had done in several
by past years. Therefore the most constant
wish of the British Indian subjects is, that while
the wise and merciful Governor (who has done
every thing for their good) remains here, he
would prevent the exportation of an immoderate
quantity of rice from this country, by which he
would conduce very much to the comfort and
happiness of his subjects.
" Medical Advice.—The people of this country

have been relieved from a variety of distresses
since it has been in the possession of the English
nation ; but one of a greater weight than all those
troubles still remains to be -removed ; and if the
following be kindly inserted in your papers, we
doubt not but it will be attended with beneficial
effects, as soon as it reaches the ears of the wise
and gracious rulers of this land. The people of
this country have a great many causes for being
sickly, and among those the principal one is, that
they eat whatever and whenever they like. Af-
ter all this, it is very surprising that they do not
oftener get sick, and when so, that they are cur-
ed ; since they have neither any proper medicines,
nor any skilful physicians. Therefore it is sin-
cerely wished that some requisite measures be
adopted for the redress of this evil. Seeing the
proper medical treatment and the skill of the Eu-
ropean physicians, we could wish that our pa-
tients were treated by them, that they might be
sooner and better restored to health. These doc-
tors attend to rich families, but the poor cannot

Ore
'afford to send for them ; and if any clip% ti
to do so, through a fear of losing his ,le-lat
would, after being speedily recovered by t". 11011
per treatment of the doctor, find himself It
ori
great pain to see his bill, and begin t° cod
death; since the ten rupees which he earnetl...o
month would not be sufficient even to malu
his family and to pay the tax : how then co
he give five hundred rupees to the doctor, Ir
his bill might amount to ? We can by 0°,9.a1
blame the physician ; for by attending tuc.
for about a month, and giving proper Ineulf
to him, it has cost him a great deal. There
d
as the poor women and children of the IlLeto
cannot with propriety resort to the Nativeroo
pital, we earnestly- beg that some requisiteroof
sures be adopted to relieve them from the
great distresses which they now experience 't‘
want of proper medical advice and treattrePtio t
" Want of Seminaries.—From the time f the
this country has been in the possession ?
Hon. Company, they have done every thria: of
their power that could tend to the wellaird to
their humble subjects. From this I ara ieorits
suppose that the following subject needs, oboe'
redress but to reach their ears. The free-shoo
has been instituted for the country-boo: 11 sod
wherein they are gratuitously fed, clotheu'.ssed
educated. The Mudrussa has been establitiot
for the poor Moosulmans, where they °floe
for years together, receiving every months /004
fifteen and others eight repuees, for their 4
and clothing. After they have been vela
structed in the Persian and Arabic lentsth
they are appointed either Deewans to Col h'
or to some such situations. The Ilinde°„sacb
muns, or other orders of people, have n"A eltr
schools where they may be fed, clothed, 011.7,, the
cated for a length of time ; for the poor 'obi
country, as also those in the town, have aaioll
means to enable them to defray the exPe,_a,,sderes;
tending such an education of their ce'" else
who consequently remain ignorant, and "Oh
mere copyists. They then write a fee. - are
such as these: " Being informed that 10-0$
in want of an assistant into your office," 8:4/010
specimen of their hand-writing, and run ebath iO
the streets begging for employments, ha" who
public and private offices ; just like those 00
cry out in the streets to know whether Aelellf/
has happened to drop any thing into the "toe;
that they may go and get it out fora piceercadi'
and, again, those Brahmuns who stand nsti
dates, repeat one or two blessings, which
not even the virtue of blessings in them. of
those who do not know even how to writ( tle
induced to commit horrible crimes in
fold satisfy the calls of nature. If the merefo to
of this country should be graciously Please 014
take the subject into serious considerations es'
establish a seminary of the nature above 'oh
tioned, the poor of this country would be slitude
obliged to them, and their feelings of gra'
would be inexpressible. oil
" The useless profusion and illiberal parvi„m ale,
of the Natives.--Among the inhabitants e, tool
Coomorika Khund (one of the nine divisie sot/
India), the Brahmuns, Khettry, Boissllo9o,ol
Soodru, being devoid of learning, have novi be
to act contrary to one another's manners', pro'
torn, laws and professions. All this canoe''sO,
perly be attributed to poverty, since the Pe-j
well as the rich act thus. The latter, inste„stfag
encouraging the arts and sciences, and spefl
their riches in laudable pursuits, have hee"theie
couraging all sorts of vices, and spendin4„
money foolishly ; and though they are ofte"rooff
periencing- the evil consequences of their",orie
yet they do not take the least trouble to re'
themselves, as it is their 'duty to do." pie
*,,,* These Translations first appeared in the Cat,
eel, and were copied into the Asiatic Journal for Octc--.

11 We have been
informed that Mr. SElooo°Pei
(who charged Townsend with extorting „col
from him, who has since been tried and sen'ex,ar
to death) has, in consequence of certain a', to
wits sent from Ireland by a King's Messenkot
the Secretary of State, which will prolablY v‘i
the effect of saving Townsend's life, obtainenel
passport, and left this country under a feig"
name.—(Times.) erg
Oranges are selling at the principal frn"ercip
in the metropolis at one and two shillings .etica
We understand they arrived from South Anleile
with some that were lately presented to his froo
JESTY ; that they are of a different species
any hitherto known in England, the inside ripe
nearly as pale as a lemon, but when full e'
they are deliciously sweet, and- in flavour rese
ble a pine.
A fight took place on Wednesday evening,' of
the 'Waterloo Bridge-road, between a discilijet of
CARLILE (who has lately opened another Insi‘ring
sedition in that neighbourhood), and a vrbri the
man. The quarrel arose in consequence °
former using some irreligious expressions, Iv The
led to angry words, and finally to blows. veto
contest,.however, did not last long, for a seed
blow put in on the mouth of " the Deist" Seo`who
the business in- favour of " the Christian,
A. 0,0
advised his fallen adversary to be more
in future in assertions he could not support.

BIRTHS. Henry
At Alpha House, Brompton, the Lady of w,"
Curtis, of a son.
(13nortthsem1.02otthh, Hants, of
Ladyasooof.
CW
John Sutton Shugar'
ofl4l
Yesterday, in Park-lane, the Right 110 n • 411
Bentinck, of a son.

DIED.

_ Yesterday, in W , of
vowager Lady Knatchbull and the late Sir Edward lin,'"
Bart., of Mersham Hatch, aged 10 years. Lady
of .Sir
.Yesterday, at Wimbledon --- Surrey, the
House,
William Beaumaurice Rush. h a ganef
On the lgth ' Devon,whit she -;bter 0
.- inst., at Starcross,
impole-street, Henrietta, dog,,T,,till,
for the benefit of the air, Miss La Bruyere, eldest
od `dot
the late Mr. La Bruyere, of Rav-nhead, Limre'
Mrs. Matthew Kemp, London. ' "
he Sy
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i' Printed and Published for the PROPRIETORS, 3t
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Ofhce, No. 112, Strand, by J. B. (24. asl'l it'

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