Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-03-09
lEindoo Treatment OF tMe Dead

| Orc remarkable but most painful spectacle
! that | witnessed in Calcn;ta was that of the
diving houses on the banks Of the Hoogly.
! The one saw was small. and contained only
one chqmhcr with four empty bedsteads, and
hitherto the dying. are brought by their rcla-
t,ns to pass their last moments and placed on
the bedstca,Is, or. if these are fjIll, on the
rrouuCi, or even outside the huts in the burning
sun. The Places for burning the dead are in
the immediate npighb0rhood. found five dy-
inr persons insidc the house. and two outside
tie latter were so completely en"clopcd in
straw and coverings that thonght they must
be dead already hn; when Inquired, the at
tcadauts threw back the covering, and | saw
th" lsoGr creatures move; | think they Elust
have been almost stilcd Inside the hut 4
very cd woman lay on the !!oor iourncying
hcTvily and painfully through her last hour;
and the four hcdstgads were similarly occupied,
while the relations sat quietly ronnd and await
ed in the utmost tranquility the last breath Of
the Sufinrcr To mv question, as to whether
nothing was given to them, ii was answered
that if they did not die Immediately, they had,
from time to time, 4 spoonful OF the GaAges
water, l,ut less amG less, amd at greater inter
walls, for when they were once brought ih"""
Nsg mas, de. As soon aS ever they arc dead.
almost before they are cold, they are carried
ont to til" burning place, which is enclosed by
wall. In this place saw one dead and one
dy'my man. and on six funeral piles six corp.
scs. which the hr.h darting flames were rapid
" consuming. Birds Of the stork kind, larger
than turkeys, small vulturcs, and ravens, were
sitting rourd in great numbers on the neigh
boring roofs and trees. and eagcarlv waiting for
the hair.burnt bodies. ] hastcnrd shudderng
from the spot and could not for Il long time
banish its painful image from my memory. To
the rich, the burning Of their dead often costs
as much rs 900 rupees. With poor people,
of course, there is not so much ceremony. Be-
fore leaving this subject, | must mcnton lit
tie anccdotc related to me by person on
whom have the greatest reliance, and which
may serve to chow to what cruelty mistaken
notions Of religion will often lead. Mr.. "
was one day on n journey through n district
not far from the Ganges and had with him Il
few servants and a,dog; all of sudden the ami
nal disappeared, and AT length he was found on
the rivers bank by the side of human body,
Niiifh lie kelIi coHStillilN HchliiS. VT. ~. "eHt
up to the spot, and found it was that Of a man
who had been exposed and left TO die, but in
whom spark Of life still fingered. He called
his servants, made them wash the mud aud dirt
from the poor creatures face, and then wrap
him well in blanket and take care of him.
In few days he WAS perfectly well, but when
Mr.. \. was about TO dismiss hm, he implored
him most earnestly rot TO abandon him, SAYING
that he had row lost caste, that he would nolbe
acknowledged by any Of his relations, and
that, in short, he had been struck out of the
list of the living. Mr.. ~ therefore retained
the man in his service, aud he is still in perfect
health, though the circumstances took place
several years ago. The lIindoos themselves
acknowledge that their manner of dsposing
of the dead leads TO many Il murder; for it is
II prccept Of religion with them that when the
physician declares there is no hope, the sick
person must die.--A Lady'S Ioyaye Round Mc
Wo,id