The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1875-01-13
OF THE INNocENTs,

loGhSo va 1919
Capt. Maryatt. in his novel The King
Cwn, tells the following horrible story Of
the destruction Of the lives Of children in
the Ganges:
/. The point Of land which we are just
shutting IN, Captain Ms the Of Sau-
sor IslaLd, famous for Bengal tigers, and
more famous once for the sacrifice Of chill
dreD. You have heard Of IL?
Il bave heard OF It,; but If you have cv-
or Witnessed the scene. | shall bc obliged
BY your narration
Il did once, Captain NJ. but moth
Ing would ever induce to witness IL a.
gain. am very glad. that government
has put stop to il By force. You are a.
ware that The custom arose from natives
attempting to avert any present or antici-
pated calamity. BY devoiing child 10 pro-
pitiate the deity. On a certain day they
all assembled m boats. with their victims.
attended BY their priests and music, and
decorated with flowers. The gaiety Of the
procession would have induced you to i'm
sgine that ID was some joyous festival. iu-
stead Of D scene Of superstition and blood.
Il would Almost have appeared as il the al
ligators and sharks were aware Of the exact
time and place. from the numbers that
we're collected st the spot where the immo-
lation took place. Ny blood curdles now
when think pitt. The cries Of the na-
tives. the shouting aud encouraging Of the
priests. the dealening noise Of the tom
toms. mixed with the piercing, harsh mu-
SIC Of the country, the hurling and tossing
Of the poor little infants into the water.
and the splsshing and contention Of the
rsyenous creatures as they tore them limb
from limb. within few feet Of their IN.
natural parents-the whole sea tinged with
blood. strewed with aowersl The very re.
membrance is sickening 10 me.
.One circumstance occurred, more hor-
I'd than all the rest. A woman bad de.
voted her rhild-but she had the feelings
ofa mother which we're not 10 be controlled
BY the bliudest superstition. From time
70 time she bad postponed the fulfllment
Of the vow, until tue child had grown into
o womas--for she was thirteen years old,
which in tais country is the manageable
age. Misfortune came on. and the hus-
band was told BY the priests that the deity
was offended. and that their daughter must
be sseri6ced. or he would mol be appeased.
She was beautiful creature for native.
and wss 10 have been married about the
time she was nov 10 DO sacrificed. | see
her now--she was dark IN eomylesion. as
they oil are. but her features were beauii.
fully small and regular, and her form was
perfect symmetry. They took OF the gold
ornaments, with which she was decorated,
and. in their ayarice. reipcvs3 Ger gar.
ments. as she inplored and cntreated on
her knees ia vain. The boat that che was
In was closer to The shore than the eshers,
and in shallow water. They frcea her
over the gunwale--she alightea on her
feet /, the water being up to her niddle.
and BY nsiraele. escaped. beforcs shark
or allixatos cuuld reach her. aud gained
the beach. I thought that she was saved,
and felt more happy than II ] bad revsived
q lac Of rupees. Bot no--they landed
from the boat; and pushed her in<o the
water with long poles. while she seYsaned
for pity. A large alligator swans up to
her, aud she fell seaseiess with frighs. just
before he resolved her in bis jawE 50 [
don't think tke poor creature suffered
much after that. although the agooy of au-
sicipation must have been worse thar the
reality. That one instance affected NC
more than the scores u iufants shas we're
sacrifced 10 sloloch..