American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-02-12
Cremation In India.

Hon. J. NJ Francis writes from Calcutta
to his paper, the Troy On. " Times, as
follows: We visited the burning ghaut, by
the rivers side, in the old town, and wit
messed the performance of cremation
The place is surrounded by high brick
wall; the large front gate is open for all
who wish to enter. The space within the
enclosure is not much more than quar-
ter of an acre. There were three funeral
pyres in full blaze when we entered, and
coolies were employed tending the fires;
tho skeletons of the burning bodies were
visible through the spaces between the
large sticks of wood laid lcngthwise, with
smaller sticks across each end there was
plenty of smoke from the combustion, but
no offensive smell. While Witnessing the
process of cremation, corpse was borne
TO the ground upon a stretcher; the hus-
band of the deceased, with few friends,
accompanied it. All were coolies, and
this was funeral in low lie. The be-
reaved husband occupied some time in
bargaining Tor wood at the piece for its
sale close by, and further time was spent
in arranging with the " stokers" to do the
necessary work. Finally the material Tor
the fire was brought in and built up iii
sections as described to a height OF per-
haps four feet: the coolie employed as
chief mourner then uncovered the corpse,
took the silver rings from the fingers and
arms and handed them to the husband,
anointed the head and body with some
greasy substance, and then the body was
conveyed to the pyre; it was placed
lengthwise upon the pyre, the legs only
being doubled up at the knees, so that the
body could be circumscribed TO the length
of the wood. The wood was heaped upon
the body, a space being left open for the
exposure of the face. A Hindoo priest
then presented himself; the husband of
the deceased threw at his feet several cop
per pieces known as pice, each valued at
half cent. The priest demanded more,
and a few more were thrown down by the
husband. Then basin containing n
mixture of rice and millet, with goats
milk, was placed in the hands of the
widower, together with two small sandal
sticks. The priest blessed the articles,
and the man repeated after him prayer.
The mourner then placed the sandal wood
by the sides of the face, and the mixture
| In the mouth and upon the neck of the
deceased. Next, a lighted fagot was
handed by a coolie TO the bereaved hus-
band; again the priests service was re-
quired, and more pice were thrown at his
| feet; again the priest demanded more, and
the husband empiied his little bag con-
tanning, as he declared, his last pice; the
few pieces were picked up by the priest,
who proceeded to bless tine faggot and die
tate another brief prayer, which was re-
peated as before. This accomplished, the
bereaved husband passed three times
around the pyre, swinging his fagot
thrice as he completed each circuit; then
| he set fire to the pyre from kindlings un-
derneath as we'll as about the body, and
then the whole pile was in flames. We
looked on for time with sensations
indescribable. There was the poor hus-
band, weighed down with grief; yet, un-
| der religious injunction, he was required
| to set fire to combustiblcs for the burnin e
of his wife's body to ashes. He was very
poor; the Brahmin priest had stripped him
of his last pice. His countcnance bore
the expression of despair as he watched
the cracking, roaring flame of the funeral
pyre. The stokers," amid levity and
merriment, were doing their work the
priest had Withdrawn the moment he
picked up the pice for his blessings; the
chief mourner of the bereaved was clam
oring for his pay-and this, too, while all
that was mortal of the wife was being re-
duced to ashes in the consuming pyre.
| We called the man one side, gave him Il
little money, received his fearful thanks,
and withdrew from the sad and heart
sickening spectacle. The Hindocs burn
all their dead, and, for sanitary reasons,
cremation is no doubt desirable in that
densely- populated country. Neither the
gentleman who was with me at the burn.
ing ghaut nor myself could perceive the
least offensive effluvia from the consum-
ing fires. 1t is not true that the ashes OF
the subjects of cremation are preserved
they are mingled with the ashes of the
wood, and separation of the two would
he impossIble