The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-14
BURIAL OF A LIVING GIRL.


Hindoo burial of living girl, in the tomb of
her dead lover, is from the Oriental Annual
for 1889.
" She was consequently now fully persuad-
ed that she was dead--for at first She had
some doubts, even though she had been so
many hours in the presence Of his corpse
and the idea of being buried in the same
grave with him. was to her a matter of reioic-
ing rather than of grief For her, death had
no terrors since the object of her attachment
was no more; and she therefore cheerfully
resigned herself TO the fate that awaited her
1hatv afternoon the beautiful Pariah was
placed in hackery with the corpse of the
once happy Youghal, wrapped in cerement.
he doom pronounced against her was, that
she should be buried in the same grave with
The body OF her lover in the neighborhood of
the mountain village where her father dwelt,
and In which she was born. The persons
who accompanied her had sufficient compass
sion TO allow her to pass few hours with her
dlsconsolate parent previously to being con-
signed to that tomb prepared for the reception
OF one for whom she had entertained an earn
est attachment She passed the night under
the parental roof, and in the morning early, ac-
companied by those who had been appointed
to conduct the interment of the living with the
dead, proceeded towards the place of sepul-
ture. 1t was at the foot of lofty cone, which,
rising among cluster Of small hills, lifted its
proud head to the clouds, and seemed to stand
there a monument Of the stupendous exer-
cises of Omnipotent power. The body of
Youghal had been sent forward to this place
OF burial, and the unhappy victim Of usurped
and pampered tyranny was allowed to follow
rather than accompany an object which,
though concealed from sight, was still loath-
some to a more delicate sense, in spite of the
cerement by which it was enveloped. The
party slowly assembled the hill. In front was
an official on horseback, who had the charge
Of conducting this melancholy business, at
tended on either side by a man armed. The
innocent maiden followed between two per.
sons, likewise armed, who had neither re-
spect for her sorrows nor compassion for her
condition. Having arrived in sight of the
hills base, which had been fixed upon as the
scene of cruel punishment, the party reached
a rude wooden bridge thrown over gulley,
presenting frightful aspect of turbulence and
danger.
1t had steep, irregular channel, through
full impetuosity, occasionally impeded in its
precipitous descent by projecting masses of
rock and other impediments collected there in
the more temperate seasons of the year, when
during the prevalence of temporary storms,
portions of the hills are loosened from their
parent masses, and thrown into the water
courses, then nearly dry, or only charged with
shallow or more gentle streams
The bridge consisted of a single wide
plank of teak, about half foot in thickness
and nearly two feet wide, sustained under one
end by beams inserted in the inequalities of
the bank, and affording effectual support to the
rude fabric, secured on the other side by two
thin but strong upright poles, that kept it suf-
fciently steady to afford safe yet fearful
footing. The torrent roared ominously as the
procession passed over the bridge, which Vi
brated every step. Mariatallys father &C
companied her to the gulley, and then turned
homeward from scene of distress which he
had not the fortitude to encounter. After a
silent march of about two hours, the victim and
her guards reached the place of interment.-
In small hollow between two rocks, large
deep hole had been dug, about three feet
square. Upon the brink was placed the corpse
of Youhal, in a state Of sickening decompo-
sition, covered with a ragged pulampore.-
The wretched girl advanced to the side of
the pit without shedding a tear and strewng |
some flowers over the corpse, expressed her
satisfaction at the privilege of being laid be-
side him in death, whom she had so fondly
loved in life. Having completed the prelimi-
nary ceremonials, she desired that the cere-
moIy might proceed. Her manner was So
Tenn, though gentle, exhibiting calm yet
lofty determination to meet death with the sp |
rt of resignation which best becomes beings
who are born to die.
Atlength, declaring she was ready to suffer
the dreadful penalty to which she had been
doomed by an unjust and selfish tyrant the
body of her late lover was lowered into the
sepulchre, and Mariatalla having again scat
tered some flowers over it, descended into
the dreary chamber Of death. Her dress
consisted of tight vest Of parlered silk,
under loose flowing drapery of thin white
calico, her black hair was rolled up into a
large knot on the top OF her head, secured by
a large brass pin, tapered and polished with
gold Upon her wrist she wore thin bangles
and armlets of bufialo's horn. The tips OF
her nails were slightly tinctured with henna.
Having been lowered into the vault, she seat.
ed herself upon projecting ledge, purposely
left in the head wall of the grave, and placed
the corpse upon her knees. At the bottom OF
the pit horizontal opening had been dug, to
admit the dead body, so that its legs were
forced into the hole, and its head allowed to
rest upon the lap of its living companion. A
few bamboos were now crossed above the
latter's head, and fixed firmly in the sides Of
the pit; upon whose slender beams branches
were thrown, and a canopy being thus formed
which prevented the earth from falling in, the
innocent girl was thus consigned to a living
sepulchrc, without one expression of sympa-
thy being expressed ut her horrible DOOM