The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-27
Tho Indian Guttee.


was Of great antiquity, being mentioned by
Greek writer's of the age Of Alexander ant
by Diodorus, 800 years before the Christian
era. It was fret suppressed by Alfonso az
in the latter half of the 18th century, and
though after his time the practice revived,
it was finally prohibited by the British Gov
eminent in 1921.
The following extract. translated from
| the original Arabic, Is taken from the trav-
els of TIN BatOutah, of Tangier, born late
IN the 18th century, whose journeyings ex-
| tended over period of about thirty years,
commencing in A. d. 1924. During this
period he visited nearly every separate
sovereignty throughout the wide extent OF
tho Moslem world.
The existing condition of all these States,
the manners Of the people and the products
of the countries, are described with great
accuracy of detail, and q persp icuous sim
plicity of language rarely met with in ORR
entail narratives.
After mentioning other examples TIN
Batoutah continues, "after while it hap
pened that was in city the greatest part
of whose Inhabitants were idolators, name
ly, Amdjery, but it's Emir was Muslin of
the tribe of Samirah of Sind. In it's neigh
who one day committed acts of brigandage,
which caused the Emir to sally forth to do
battle with them. His subjects, Muslin
and Infidel, marched with him, when a ter
rlble battle ensued, in which seven of the
latter fell, of whom three were married
men, whose wives mutually agreed to burn
themselves; for this burning of a wife,
after the death of her husband, is an act
recommended but not obligatory among
the Hindoos. If widow yields herself to
the flames, the members of the family de-
rive much renOwn from her SO dong, and
enjoy credit of being faithful to their en-
gagements but she who declines the or
deal is clothed in coarse garments, and
lives alone among her relatives, prey to
misery and wretcbedness on account of her
lack of fidelity. They do not, however,
compel any one to be burned.
When the three females above mentioned
had agreed to be burned, they passed the
three preceding days in singing and joyous
festivity, as if willing to bid farewell to the
world.
was sent to each of the three women, on
which she mounted in full dress and highly
perfumed. In her right hand she held a
cocoanu5 with which she kept playing, and
in her left q mirror, in which she cOntem-
plated her figure. They were surrounded
neighbors from all quarters. Before them
were beaten the cymbals, and trumpets,
and clarions were sounded aloud while
the heather women who surrounded them |
kept saying to them, F." convey our saluta-
tons, to my father, or to my mother, or to
they replied, laughing, eyes, yes"
/ mounted on horseback with my COM
panions, for the purpose of seeing in what
manner these women would demean them
selves at their burning. We went along
with them about three miles, and arrived |
at darksome place, where there was much
water and many trees which threw dense
shade. In the midst of these trees were
four pavilions, in each of which was an
idol of stone, and in the middle of each pa
vilion cistern of water, over which the
shadow was extremely dense. and the trees
SO close together that the sun could not
penetrate them. One would think that this
place was one of the valleys of the Internal
regions lGehenna) from which may Allah
keep us!
men dismounted at the cistern and washed
themselves in it, having Invested them
selves of their clothes and jewels, which
they gave away as aims. A piece of un-
made cotton stuff was then brought and
given to them, which they tied around
and shoulders. Meanwhile a fire had been
lighted in low place close to each cistern
where oil of cundjud or sesame had been
poured in, which increased its violence.
Close by were about fifteen men holding in
tteir hands faggots of wood cut quite
small, and with them ten others carrying
large planks; and the players of the drums
and cymbals stood by awaiting the arrival
of the women. The sight of the fire was
hidden from them by 3 screen, which some
men held in their hands, lest the view of
it should brighten them.
observed one of them just when she
came up to the screen, tear herself violent.
ly from the hands of the men, and exclaim
to them, laughing aloud, "the fire fright
ems me, know that it is the fire of the
burning" She then clasped her hands
above her head, as if to salute the fire, and
flung herself into it. At the same instant
the cymbals, the clarions and the trumpets
struck up, while some of the bystanders
cast upon her the wood which they carried
in their hands: the others laid the planks
over her, that she might not stir. Cries,
however, arose, and there was great
scream. AT this sight 1 all but fell off my
horse, and should have done so had not my |
companions come up to me with water and
dashed it in my face, whereupon came /
to myself again.
These Hindoo people have similar Gus
tom by immersion, many of them drown
ing themselves in the river Ganges, the