Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-07-26
A SUTTEE IN CEYL0N.
Description Of the Horrible Widow Burn
ing Rltt-An UnwillIng Victim.

Ing Ritt-An Unwilllng Victim.
We passed near the edge of the Jungle,
when a rise in the ground gave us All op-
pOrtunity Of Obsersing the spectacle. II
was such a one ms we had never seen,
vet far too common in this benlghted
land. A yonng woman--a wldOw-was
about to perform n suttee that Is, burn
herself alive upon the pyre which covered
the ashes Of her husband. The widow
was young and comely woman, raj her
stont, but finely shaped, and not much
darker than woman of the south OF
France. She had a babe IN her arms
when we first saw her, upon which she
gazed with strange GOODNESS, as II her
thoughts were so settled elsewhere that
she had no concern for anything earthly,
not even for her own offspring. We
could not help plying this poor woman,
whom n diab0lical superstition was thus
untimely consignng to an awful death
nor could we avoid pang OF Indignation
against those who were the authors Of
her fate, for il was evident that she was
mere martyr in the hands of troop of
fat, lazy wretches called Brahmns, who
olliciuted US priests and took u leading
part in the tragic proceeding.
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 u in
finite number OF torches carried by the
spectators, to which was added the lustre
OF the moon, now fully risen and shining
between the attenuated towers of a
uagoda in the majestic beauty of trOpic
nilm. / was struck with the calmn.ss
of this woman's expression. Her iea
lures, in spite of the fearful preparations
around her, maintained look Of lofty
cOu,pOsure she gazed about her with an
air of indifference, as II she had steeled
| her heart against every feeling, and since
she had nothing more to hope in this
world, had become equally insensible 10
/ lis pleasures aud its anliciions. She
i looked indeed as one might look in her
position. when impervious to the tor
meuts Of the flesh like one, who, losing
bis hold upon this life, sees the gates Of
the future opening to receive him.
In spite of the energy manifested by
the Brahmins, her exeeutioners, II was
some time before anything was In readi-
less but as the fatal moment approached
| saw that the fortitude of the deyotee
was beginning TO waver she clasped
her hands convulsiyely, and strange,
hollow cry, like the suppressed howl OF
lackal, escaped her, while her eyes
watched every movement about her with
a lynx like attention.
At the sound of the cry which she
emitted a lusly Brahmin who stood near
her united a small calabash which swung
to his girdle, and, handing II to her bade
hor drink. She obeyed mechanically (;
when in few minutes the potion began
to show its effects she fell into II stupor,
and | learned afterward that it was a
narcotic drug which she had swallowed,
and which these people use on occasions
of this SOFT to confirm the forlitude of
the miserable victims who are doomed by
their superstition to a premature death )
and thai, too, the most horrible.
Her actions now were simply mechan-
ical; vet reason was not quite dead this
her dark eyes too truly proved US they
wandered restessly about, and glanced
with a nervous expression on tue pile
which was soon to be her burial place.
The few trinkets which she possessed, for
she was evidently a woman in humble
circumstances, We're now divided among
her friends this done, she took last
look at her babe, kissed it with passionate
fondness, and sobhed as If her very soul
would part from its tenement as she re-
turned il to the attendant. ! never saw
ANYTHING more affecting, nor was there
man among us, rough and feckless though
we were, Who did not feel n tear steal
down.
, The catastrophe approached. A tom
+ tom eouHded, and clang OF gongs an
, uounced that the hOrrid lite was about L
a he contaminated. A Brahmin then ad-
[, vanced, and, in tone of authority, com
: mandcd all save the devotee and olilca
I ting priests to retire. The crowd Obeyed
, leaving space around the pile within
: which the unhappy victim stood, sur
, rounded By her sanctilled eXecutioneIs
/, Naurc now rose above the powers o
: SUPERSTITION aud the effects of the opiate
q rhe unfortunate woman shriCked, nnt
!, Throwing herself on her kuees, bnggvI
(. for mercy. But lrr appeals We're vain
/, The remurscless execG;iOntr5 heard thcn
r With apathy, aud steadily proceeded viii
r the ceremony a Brahmin approachet
( her with an air Of calm hut determined
I authority. and raised her from her fecun
d. bent po.ition. Several priests hurried Il
+ assist him, and, despite her struggles
these cruel wretches dragged her to lh'
pile and bound her securely upon 1t
placing her husbands head in her lap.
e. All was now ready. The fagots ha'
d, been thickly smeared with ghce, sor
a at butter made lfoM tue ulllh VI W.
= buffalo, so ms to cause them TO ignite
- faster, aud thus put a speedier termina
a tiun to the suilrriugs of the poor suffice
u Her voice at this moment was raised, bu
= was speedily drowned in the roll of tom
,. toms, the screams of pipes, the clanE o
a gougs, aud the shouts of the multitude
n altogether producing such din that
n seemed as ii the pit had let loose a legiol
q of devils.
II A Brahmin now advanced and fire,
/, the straw which had been strewn under
4 meath the wood the flames ascende
n with lightnug-like rapidity, and curlin
Z. upward, wrapped the lovely Hindoo
/, their fiery coils.
!, AS the flames rose her cries were terri
4 nlc; she tried to leap from the pile, bu
X the Brahmins, with long bamboos, bel
.t her down; by degrees the cries grey
~ fainter, and at length ceased entirely
y The pile. however, continued to burn tc
a several hours, but long before the iamt
~ were out nothing was left of the fair de'
,s otee but heap Of cinders.-Erchanqe.