Star.
London, England, 1824-06-30 00:00:00

DISSOLUTIONS OF PARTNERSHIPS.

Wept,lin and Chapman, Basinghall-street, stationers. Gillett
and Morrey, New Bond-street, linen-drapers. A. and A. Law,
Ratcliffe, brass-founders. Tonlmln and ilarlow, Great Suffolk-
Street, Southwark,
ter, grocers. Poster and Co. Castle-alley, Cornhill, stock-brokers.
Edwards and liudden, Crewkerne, Somerset, butter-factors.—

Marley and Lowman, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, drapers. Sweeting
and Newport, Wells, Somerset, surgeons. Rymer and Manly,
Dean-street, Soho, surgeons. hlarback and Greases, Bahia.—
Kendall and Wyvill, Nottingham, br.ice-tuanufacturers. Martin
and Bayly, Three King-court, Lombard-street, bill-brokers.=
Barber and Clarke, Birmingham, brass•founders.

A SUTTEE.

" Pooram, OCSO3I/ 1, 1823.
" DEAR SlR—During a residence in India of nearly
twenty years, 1 yesterday, for the first time, went to
witness a suttee. The victim chosen for this cruel and

ungodly exhibition was the widow of a Bramin, who
died in Southern Conkan a few days ago. Twelve
o'clock at noon was the hour appointed by the Priests for
the ceremony to commence, but the sun had descended
more than three hours in the western sky ere the party
arrived at the fatal spot. She at last made her appear-
ance, preceded by two led horses, handsomely capa-
risoned, and attended by ten or twelve Bramins, and
about the same number of women, with drums, music,
&c. common on these occasions, and chiefly intended
to drown the.cries of the sufferer. A few idle specta-
tors accompanied the procession, and but a very few,con-
sidering the scene of action lay in the immediate vicinity
of the city, and close to the old Palace ; a proof to you, if
any were wanting, of the frequency of these horrid rites.
—At first sight of the woman, I was impressed, among
others, with the idea that she was more or less intoxi.
cated ; but before the various ceremonies were gone
through, which in such cases precede the act of burn-
ing, these doubts had given place to a perfect conviction
in my mind that she was in her sober senses, and fully
aware of the dreadful act she was about to perform.—
Of this I am the more satisfied from the question being
often asked her by the European Gentlemen present,
4 Whether it was her own wish and inclination to burn
herself ?' to which she always returned the same answer,
that she knew what she was doing, and that it was her
own pleasure to burn.' Having offered up the more
harmless sacrifice of incense on a small fire from which
the pile that was to consume her was to be lighted, and
having parted with all her golden ornaments to those in
attendance, she very deliberately, and without shedding
a tear, took a last farewell of all she held dear on earth,
ascended the pile, and there laid herself down with the
ashes of her husband tied round her neck. The en-
trance was then closed up with dry straw, and the whole
pile surrounded with the same combustible material,
and immediately set fire to by the officiating priests.
I had placed myself directly opposite to the entrance to
the pile, and could distinctly observe the unfortunate
woman struggling to make her escape from the flames,which now completely enveloped her ; this did not pass
unnoticed by the attending Bramins, who instantly be-
gan to knock down the canopy, which contained nearly
as much wood as the pile itself, and would most effec-
tually have secured their victim in the fire had it fella)
on her as they intended it should. All this while, no
one, excepting the officiating priests, interfered ; but
when the miserable sufferer did make her escape from

I

1 •

.► IV. )..

the names,
'or threvnerse) len-
tleman, or
rather , the
latter sously
laying gar.. _ was
now made by the officiating Bramins.to carry back
their victim to the blazing pile, which was resisted
by The European Gentlemen present, and one of their
number was dispatched to acquaint the Magistrate of the
woman's escape, and learn his pleasure retarding her.
But before the messenger returned with instructions from
the civil authority, the Bramin had succeeded in per-
suading the infatuated wretch once mare.' to approach
the fatal-pile; and as she declared, on being asked by
those present, that it was her own free will and desire
to re-ascend the funeral pile, they very properly ceased
to interfere, fearful of giving offence to the native popu-
lation on the one hand, or to the civil authorities on the
other. The woman declined, however, for some time,
to re-ascend the fearful pile, when three of the atten.
dant priests suddenly lifted her up and threw her into
the fire, at this time burning with great fury. Prom this
dreadful situation the poor sufferer instantly attempted
to escape, Lea the merciful Bramin priests were at hand
to prevent this, if possible, by throwing large pieces of
wood at their miserable victim, with the intention, no
doubt, of preventing her again disgracing herself by
escape, more than from any desire of putting a speedy
termination to her sufferings. But it was impossible for
any man possessing the smallest pretension to feeling, to
stand by and quietly witness such cruelty. The Europeans,
therefore, again interfered, when the woman speedily
made her escape a second time from till fire, and ran
directly into the river without any assistance whatever.
I have forborne hitherto from all remarks on the mo-
tives which can influence men to commit such horrid
deeds; I simply state the facts to which I was an eye-I
witness, leaving it to those who have the power, and
who, I am well assured, also possess the inclination, to
introduce such wholesome regulations on those occa-
sions as will in future prevent such repeated acts of
cruelty and barbarity as I this day witnessed, and
finally, the murder of an unwilling victim. But to re-
turn to my story, for I regret to say that the villainy of
the scene did not close here. No sooner had the unfor-
tunate woman entered the water than she was followed
by three of the officiating Priests, who were distinctly
given to understand that they must desist from all far-
ther proceeding in the matter, as nothing farther would
be tolerated until the arrival of the Magistrate. Not
doubting of their compliance with this injunction, these
men were allowed to remain with the woman in the
river; but no sooner had the Gentlemen turned their
backs, anxiously looking out for the arrival of autho-
rity to put a stop to such diabolical proceedings,
than the same three men attempted to drown the
suffering wretch, by forcibly holding her head under
the water; and I must allow that death, at this mo-
ment, would have been a happy relief to the sufferer.
Ftom this situation, however, the was speedily rescued
by Mr. who continued to support her in the
water till the arrival of the long-looked-for deliverance
in the person of Mr. -. The collector himself soon
followed, and, to the great joy of his countrymen, he
immediately ordered the principal performers in this
tragical scene into confinement, and the chief actor, or
rather sufferer, to be conveyed to one of the native hos-
pitals. I regret to add, the poor woman died about two
o'clock this afternoon, forsaken by all her own relations
and friends, as an outcast unworthy creature ! The fate
of the other performers I will not anticipate, as I under-
stand they are to be brought to trial for murder. They
cannot, however, either with justice or propriety, be ca-
pitally punished, it being a custom of long standing,
authorised by the Native Government, and sanctioned,
they say, and perhaps believe, by Divine authority.
But the Hindoo Scriptures only admit of straw being
used on such Occasions, and direct that the woman her-
self should set fire to the pile with her own hand; it
would be no very great interference with the religious
prejudices of the natives (if I am correct in my asser-
tion), were the Government in India to promulgate re•
gulations founded on that law, be it divine or human.
And this, in my opinion, may be done with safety, if
cautiously introduced, and temperately acted upon ;
when I will venture to predict, that you will hear no
more of widows burning themselves, either with the
dead bodies or with the ashes of their lords.
“ I remain, Ste.

" J. T."

. .
,mes, and in ;i e TA,,ti tal;eGr!
eitierself a; the feetlf NJ - ek
.
1, assi.ted by Up4-‘.., 'Wu tely carried
NW.
dragged Nht‘siti'a/g). which art i
Gentleman suffered a little by incautiou
; hold of her burning garments. An attempt