Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-05-21
A Suttee in Ceylon.

We passed near the edge of the jungle
where rise in the ground gave US an
opportunity of observing the spectacle.
1t was such one as we had never seen,
yet far too common in this benighted land
A young woman-a widow-was about
to perform suttee, that is burn herself
alive upon the pyre which covered the
ashes of her husband. The widow was
young and comely woman, rather stout
but finely shaped, and not much darker
than a woman of the south of France.
She had babe in her arms when we
first saw her, upon which she gazed
with a strange GOODNESS, as if Ler
thoughts were so settled elsewhere that
she had no concern for anything earthly,
not even for her own offspring We
could not held plying this poor woman,
whom dia5oliepl superstition was thus
untimely consigning to an awful death,
nor could we avoid pang Of iudigna-
ton against those who were auther's of
her fate, for it was evident that she was
a mere martyr in the hands of fat, lazy
wretches called brahmins, who oficiated
as priests an d took a leading part in the
tragic proceeding s ---
While the pile was being prepared,
my attention was mainly directed upon
the victim who stood not far from me,
her features lighted up by the glare of
an infinite number of torches carried by
the spectators, to which was added
the luster of The moon, now fully risen
and shining between the attenuated tow
ers of pagoda in the majestic beauty
of tropic night l was struck with
the calmness of this woman's expression.
Her features, in spite of the fearful pre-
parations around her, maintained look
of lofty composure' she gazed about her
with an air of intolerance, as if she had
steeled her heart against every feeling,
and since she had nothing more to hope
in this world, had become equally insen-
sible to its pleasures and its affections
She looked Indeed as one might look
in her position, when impervious to the
torments of the flesh, like one who, To-
sing his hol upon this life, sees the gates
Of the future ready to receive him
| In spite of the energy manifested by
the brahmins, her exeeutionors, it was
some time before everything was i'll readi
ness, but as the fatal moment approach
ed | saw that the forti,ude of the devo-
tee was beginning to waver, she clasped
her hands convulsively. and strange,
hollow, cry, like the suppressed howl Of
iackal, escaped her, while her eyes
watched everything about her with a
lynx like attention. -i Er.-.i
AT the sound of the cry that she emit
ted lusty brahmin who stood near her
united small calabash which swung to
his girdle, and, hauding it to her, bade
her drink. She obeyed mechanically,
when in few minutes the potion begau
to show its effects she fell into a ssupor,
and | learned afterward tha. it was a
narcotic drug which she had swallowed,
and which these people use on occasions
of this sort to confirm the fortitude of
the miserable victims who are doomed
by their superstition to premature
death. and that too the most horrible
Her actions now were simply mechan-
icle, yet reason was not quite dead, this
her dark eyes too truly proved as they
wandered restlessly about, and glanced
with nervous expression on the pile
which was soon to be her burial place
The few trinkets which she posses
sed, for she was evidently a woman in
humble circumstances, were now divid-
ed among her friends, this done she took