American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-02-05

victim fell upon the pile, she had neither
cnlIr, un NOR Of off IN asonpA

victim fell upon the pile, she had neither
courage nor strength to ascend.
A case of Sati, in which a certain de-
gree of grim humor was manifested, is
mentioned by Capt. Hamilton, an intelli-
| gent navigator, who traded along the
coasts of the Indian peninsula between
| 1858 and 1923. A young woman, who
had exchanged love tokens with neigh
boring swain, was, nevertheless, given in
marriage by her parents to another man,
who died very shortly afterward. Elect
ing TO be burned with his ashes, the
widow cast her eyes around and cspied
among the spectators her former lover.
Reckoning him to approach, as though
she wished to bid him a last farewell, she
him, and, dragging him on to the pile,
held him in her embrace until both were
| reduced to ashes.
Now and again, though very rarely, it
fell to the happy lot of an Enlish magis-
trate to succeed in rescuing miserable
creature from this dreadful form of death,
but only to condemn her to a life of con-
tumely and social degradation.
An instance of this kind is related by
Mrs. Fanny Parks in her Wanderings
of Pilgrim in Search of the Pictur-
esque." A Hindoo corn-chandler, whose
little shop stood at the entrance of her
compound, having succumbed after
brief illness, his widow announced her
intention of being burned with his
body. In vain the magistrate interposed,
promising protection and a pension
for life; in vain, remembering that
one who has made this vow ray
not touch food or water from the hour of
her husbands death until his incremation,
did he defer the completion of the rite
for forty weight hours. She remained stead
fast to her purpose, and at that time Sati
had n 1t yet been declared a criminal Of
tense. The pyre was therefore construct
ed in the usual manner, and the corpse
placed upon the top. AS an immense
crowd had gathered together, guards
were stationed to maintain order and to
prevent any undue pressure being put up
on the victim. At the appointed time the
widow arrived, robed in red attire. and,
after bathing in the Ganges, applied the
lighted brand When the fuel was fairly
kindled she mounted the pile, and, seat
ing herself at one end, rested her husbands
head on her lap repeating the usual for
mula, Ram, Ram, Sati." Presently the
wind drove the raging flames upon her,
and she was seen to move her limbs in
agony. On sudden impulse of pain
and terror she sprang to her feet and ap-
preached the side, but was driven back
by one of the police, who threatened her
with his sword, and was instantly or
dered off to prison by the magistrate.
The poor wretch then leaped to the
ground, rushed into the river and ex-
tinguished the fire that had seized upon
her dress.
Her brothers law, who would have
succeeded to her husbands shop and lit
tie store of 800 rupees at her death, cried
aloud-as, indeed, did all the mob" Cut
her down. Knock her on the head with
a bamboo! Tie her hands and feet and
throw her in againl" and an ugly rush
was made toward the pyre; but the Euro
pean spectators and the police stood firm
and repulsed the onslaught. Then the
victim, who had been slightly burned on
tine legs and arms, having drank a few
mouthfuls of water from the river, de-
clared her readiness to reascend the pile,
but was stopped by the magistrate. Lay
ing his hand upon her shoulder, and rem
dering her impure by his touch, he re-
minded her that by Hindoo law it was for
hidden to any one who had quilted the
pyre to mount it the second time, but
promised to take her under the protection
of the British Government. The inhu-
man rite was thus frustrated, to the dis
gust of the Hipdoos and to the disappoint-
ment of the Mussulmans, who had come
to witness the exciting spectacle of a
woman being burned to death of her own
accord