Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1848-03-29
Burning Of ~ Women at the
FUNERAL OF AN INDIAN PRINCE.

The internal rites at the death of an Indian
Prince are thus described in an extract OF a let
fer from Tranquebar in the East Indies, written
qv Danish Missionary: They dug without
the walls of the city, where that prince, who
died at the age of eighty, made his residence, a
large pit. which they filled with wood, ranged
and piled UP as for bonfire. The corpse OF
the deceased, richly habited and adorned, was
brought forth in great pomp, and laid on the
pile: after which the Bramins (heathen prlests>
kindIed the fire;with abundance of superstltious
ceremonies. The wives and concubines of the
deceased. who. according to the law or custom
of the country, ought to die with hin, appeared
there at the same time, and walked several times
round the funeral pile. They were in number
fortv-seven. all finely decked with jewels, and
adorned with flowers: The favorite wife or
coucubine carried the poniard of the defunct
prince. which she delivered up to his success
sor, and made short speech exhorting him to
use it with moderation, so as never to let Ut
light on any but the guilty. Then she boldly
turned her face towards the pile, an /, after it,
voking her gods, leaped into the midst of the
flames, The second was the sister of prince,
named Tandamen, who was present at these
horrid rites. She gave him the jewels she
WORE and the prince, in receiving them, en-
braced her most tenderly, and poured out
flood of tears; but the princess, without bet0y-
inc the least concern, looked alternately, with
a Steady countenance on the pile and on the
spectators, and crying with loud voice, "Chi-
"a! ChiUam which is the name of one of their
gods, she Jumped as cheertully into the flames
as the first did,.
The others followed her close: some of them
appeared resolute enough, but others looked
wild and detected. There was one, in particu-
ldr, who, being more dismayed than her com
panions. ran to embrace one of the spectators,
who was Christian, praying him to save her;
but this was not in his power to do, and the
Door wretch was immediately tunibed head
long into the fire.
However intrepid most of those unhappy VIC
tins appeared before jumping into the pit, the
note was vastly altered when in the midst OF the
flames. There they shrieked hideonsiy, tum.
bled one over another, striving to reach the
edge of the pit. and get out of It: but they were
kept in, by throwing heaps OF billets and tag
cots upon them, as well to knock them on the
head as to increase the fire. When they were
consumed, the Bramins drew nearthe yet smok,
ing pile. and performed abunt ance Of ridiculous
ceremonies over the ashes OF the poor wretch'
es. The next day they gathered up the bones
and having wrapped Cnen up III HiiC iihOh; No'
ried them 10 place near the Isle OF kamesu
rem. where they cast them into the sea. Ate
which, the pit was filled up, and temple Sine
erected OH the spot, where sacrifices ale offere
I'D in honor of the prince AID his wives, VIII
| from thenceforth are murdered among the saint
or goddesses.
| A REMAREABLE FACr.-The sea- birds, the pu
fng, gulemot, and the razor-bill, cannot fiy owe
the land at ALL although they can rise from the SUI
face of the sea with perfect facility, mount to an in
definite height; and fly with amazing rapidlty {
long as the sea is Immediately below them. But T
sooner do they fly above ground than they drop as
shot During a strong wind from the sea it not vi
frequently happens that those birds in mounting
bove the edge of the cliff, are suddenly blown ov
the land, when they Immediately fall, and only r
gain their natural element by crawling to the ed
Of the precipice, when new vgor seems to inspi
them, and they at once soar away with their usu
velocity