The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-12-02
IGNORANCE or THE HINDOOs.

IGNORANCE OF THE HINDOOs
Mr.. Ward. who some time since pub.
llshed work relating to the Hindoos,
lately wrote letter from India to friend
in England. from which the following are
extracts g.
'sOne tribe of Hindoos puts to death its
female offspring! A few were saved by
the benevolent efforts OF col. Walker,
when in India I; but since his return, the
very families among whom the horrible
practice had ceased, have again returned
to the work Of murder--not one survives.
In and around Benares infanticide is prac-
tised to horrible extent. Many moth
ers, in fulflmens of a vow entered into
tor the purpose of procuring the blessing
Of children drown their first born !!
When the child istwo or three years old,
the mother takes it to the river, encour-
ages it to enter, as though about to battle
1t, but suffers it to pass into the midst of
the current, when she abapdons it, and
stands an inactive spectator, beholding
the struggles and hearing the screams of
her perishing infant! At Sanger Island,
formerly, mothers we're seen casting their
living offspring among number of alli-
gators, and standing to gaze at these mon
sters quarrelling for their prey, beholding
the writhiDg infant in the jaws of the suc>
cessful animal, and standing motionIess
while it was breaking the bones and suck
ing the blood of their poor innocent!
The Hindoo writings encourage per.
sons afflicted with incurable distempers,
to cast themselves under the wheels of
the car of Juggernaut, or into some sa-
cred river, or into a FIRE prepared for the
purpose promising such self-murder>
ers that they shall rise to birth again in
hcalthful body /; whereas by dying nat
ural DEATH. they would be liable to have
the disease perpetuated in the next and
succeeding birth. Multitudes ofIepers,
and other children of sorrow, perish an
nually in these prescribed modes. MIR.
w. Cary was one morning informed that
some people had dug deep hole in the
earth, not far from his own house, and
had begun to kindle FIRE at the bottom.
He Immediately proceeded to the spot,
ans saw apoor leper who had been depriv-
ed OF the use Of his limbs by the disease,
roll himself over e over till at last he fell
into the flames. Smarting with agony,
his screams became most dreadful. He
called upon his family, who surrounded
the pit, and entreated them to deliver him
from the flames; but he called in vain
His own sister, seeing him lift his hands
to the side,and make dreadful effort to
escape, pushed him back again when,
these relations still coolly gazing upon
the sufferer, he persisted, enduring inde-
scribable agoDies.
Human sacrifices are enjoined in the
sacred boohs,and made part ofthe Hin.
doc superstitions in very early times
The Hindoos speak of an instrument us.
ed in times not very remote by which
with ajerk Of his foot, man lying pros.
trate before an image might cut off hi:
own head. An English officer assured q
friend OF mine, that he saw Hindoo sac
rihce himself in boat, in the Ganges
laying bis head over the side of a boat,
with a scymetar he aimed dreadful blow
at his own neck [; and though he failed tc
sever the head from the body, he fell
senseless into the river and perished.-
While the late DR.. Robinson, of Calcut
ia, resided at that place, IL men were
immo lated at once, as Is females had
been. Earthen pans were fastened 10 q
stick tied to the waist. As long as these
pans remained empty they kept the mer
af1oat; but each man with cup, contjn.
ued filling the pans from the river, and
as soon as filled they dragged the vic tim
TO the bottom"
\ nEDH