Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-06-05


| inst. proceeded to Hleeghanf on the morning
| of the Tuesday following, in order to witne IS
| for once in my hfe. this borfible sacrifice.
reached the place about half past o'clocok
| and found that the Sutee' had arrived before
me She was sitting in palankeen with hei
mother aud young girl and in another palan
keen hard by were her daughter and her son
in.law. She appeared to be about 20 years Of
age and according to my ideas OF indian beau
ty, she was the loyeliest native woman | have
ever SEEM entered into conversation with
her through the medium Of an interpreter, and
asked whether she came there of her own &C.
cord and IT it was of her own free viii that
she proposedto burn herself with the body OF
her husband She replied in the affirmative.
cnde svored to d,ssuaae her from her purpose,
telling her that it she would consent to live,
myself would Immediately make her present
OLA thousand rupees aud would insure her
against want as long as she lived, mo she re-
pied, al want nothing IN this world what have
| to do with lite my heart Is there with my hus-
band. But there (she continued, pointing to
her daughtet) there is my daughter, give her
what you have to bestow."
Seeing my arguments were of no avail / tur-
ned from her and went to observe the prepare
ton of the pile. II was formed as follows
First they dug pit about S feet deep, 3 or
wide and long, and staked III along the two
sides with Soon1ry wood. They then put two
stout pieces of timber, abou, 9 inches in dame
ter. upon the mouth ct the pit, engthwise, and
four or five peces ac!..sc This is the fountain
of the pile. and secures free circulation OF air
from below in order to make 1t burn brskly.
Above these cross pieces OF timber they hrst
placed quantity of broken trewood, then
good thick layer OF dry reeds (such as grow IN
the salt lake, and dry baTboos Over this they
A l.. a ,,h faI al
ghee and dammer Ca kind Of coarse resln) and
other combustible materials. Over this again
was placed another layer OF frewood then
another laver OF reeds and bambos; over which,
lastly, they again spread q layer OF tow filled
with combustibe materials as before, and COW
cred the whole with piece, OF coarse cloth
(bafh) forming rs it were bed for the dead
and living body about to be committed to the
flames The whole thus consisted u layers
two of firewood, two ofreeds and rotten BAN
boos, and twoof tow and other inhamable me-
terias, and il rose nearly three feet above the
ground.
still one cause osdelay; the Darogah had not
made his appearance In this interval OF sus.
pcnse returned to the Suffice. She seemed
extremely anxious tn the sacrifice of which
she was 10 be the victim, should be performed
Immediately. She complained ct the tedious
DELAY that had taken place, saying 81 have been
here since morning, II is now "hengul Bellah"
(past mid day. and still all is not ready. How
long do YOU mean to keep me from joining my
husbands. Will YOU delay all day let il be
done Immediately" Shortly after the Daregah
came aud put to her the usual questions Whe-
Their she sacrificed herself OF her own free viii;
and if nothing had been administered TO intox-
ica,e her Having answered all these questions
satisfactorily, the tomtoms struck up, and she
was led in triumph towards the pile, conducted
and supported by her mother, daughter and
several other near relations. When she arriv-
ed at the fatal spot she presented herself At The
feet Of her deceased husband, who was already
placed upon it. But before her arrival there.
her daughter appesred, and after changing her
dress made mixture OF rice, ghee, &c. and
placed handful of il at the mouth OF the de.
ceased. Some Of the woman's relations now
gave her also handful of rice, pawn, &c. which
She put into her mouth and seemed 70 eat 1t
with the greatest composure but others ina
gined she only chewed the pawn and spit II
out, as several of the attendants seemed anx-
ious to obtain portion of it after maacation.
One of those baskets formed in the shape OF
| crown, used BIZ the natives, filed with cowrles,
| jal pan, &c. was then placed in her hand, and
by her father, the only person who indicated
any touch OF feeling, embraced her Affection
ately They then conducted her round theplle,
supported by her relations, he crowd poahlng
| and dragging her about IN tumuiteous manner
as all were scrambling to get some OF the pre-,
, -cnts (cowries, jewels or other trnkets, ac.)
which she kept distributing from the basket as
she proceeded round.
AT this time as was standing near the Sut.
| tee, she recognized me from the conversation |
had previously had with her. and stretched out
her arm several times to put some token into
| my hand, but the persons around her continual
| w pulling her about, prevented the accomplish
ment Of her purpose. Having made the cir.
cult OF the pile once, she halted again at the
feet OF The corpse, whele.I was standing One
| OF her relations, who was mounted on the top
of the pile, gave her his hand ano assisted her
| in ascending i. Her father also got up and
again embraced and kissed her tor he last fine.
| A small looking glass being handed to her, at-
| ter viewing herself in il few seconds, she
| placed it at the head Of her husband, and then
taking some spicery ground down to a fine
| powder, she sprinkled it upon her head and
| neck and also over those her husband She
| then laid herself gently down, of her osn sc-
| cord, by the corpse which Jay faced towards
| her, and erlbracedit one OF the relations put
ting the dead mans right hand over her neck
| The preparations then proceeded. They first
| spread piece Of coarse cloth (baftah) over the
| two bodies. and above this were placed large
| quantity of reeds (such as already mentioned
| then about six maunds OF fire wood SO that II
| even she had wished to rise, her strength would
| have been insufficient 10 move the weight that
rested upon her But they took still further
\ precautions against such an accident for two
long green banboos were placed one over her
neck and the other over her feet one end OF
| them being fixed TO q stake driven into the
| ground. and the other end projecting great
way beyond the bodies, 50 that il necessary they
| might have been used as levers to keep down