The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-08-31

oHf tstittn Vi DOuy done up IN 4 clOtn
and hozting down stream. Further on
we come 20 the burning place. Seven
bodies are prepared for burning. The
first is TINT Of an old man, very thin and
<2aik; then there is that OF man of
~, lying with its feet in the stream.
pan kneeling by it with her hand
pulseleSs heart. The Others are
pp in white sheets and covered
Hwers; some in the water, others
the bank. Wood is brought
= ....-si-pises are constructed.
one for the old man, the other for the
womIn' husband The old mans body
is dOppcd into the river. a cloth i
spread over the fagots; they hois, him
ON the pile. and, having rubbed him
with oil. cover him over with wood. 49,
Noucan barely see the end OF his toes
and portions of the white sheet site king
out. Incense Is sprinklcd ON the pile.
and 4 man bearing 4 wisp Of lighted
| SiraE passes five times round il. white
ano.her reads paper. giving directions.
apparently. The light Is applied. hut il
y HAtANANANtn s4At'A NbAN AtAA AAtA bN NNAAlNtNlN
give loud advice; finally the pile J.,
ligRcd. and burns slowly but surely
The woman still, knccl, by the side of
her husband Now hi, turn comes. -
( She performs the office of rubbing the
NAKED body in the oil. and assists the
men to place him ON the pile. her hand
remaining on his heart until he Is cox
cred, or rather partially covered, for his
hem seem too poor 10 afford a sufficient
tl'-~4iits of wood. and hi, arms and legs
stuck out from the ilggotS. More oil g.,
poured on the old mans pile, and noW
It iaTl, blaze> All ihi, time the leoplc
aboE; laugh and chatter \ small boy
with very miserable dog appears and
proceeds To wash the animal alongside
oi ihe man who i cleansing his teeth.
The ceremony of passing round the pile
Is performed by the woman with the
blazing straw IN her hand Tin, done.
She leaves and takes her place among
the people seated on the overlooking
tempo tirc Is pu; 70 her husband :,
pile. and the flame hok, the wool and
the tso visible arms and lcs, AZ thu,
moment some women bring down on
sort a strc;chcr made oi bamboo the
bodie> covered completely With ,hcc;,.
he old man blIxcs. and the sound Of
burning flesh j, family diSiinguishablc
amid the oTa, klc oi the wood The
fame, oi the dead husbands pile iairl,
reach, ,hc flesh \ faint otor reaches ~
ig ~ boat, and the heat j. quite per
- nr7ussa sOiiic, IuJlhyI UOsiy.
but - le, II fall. and II roll, down the
incline place before J., rrac hc> the water.
and j, finally lifted and deposited TO
>osk Meanwhile the old man and the
dead husband >i1Ile ,hccfiully. OwIng
10 the SCARCITY OF the wood over the
husband. NJ sc each limb al, is moved
oi devOurcl by the fire Huge blister,
appear on b., lcg. and the leg a, well
As the wOod ., burning \, the fire gets
hcadWay MASSES OF bli,icrS appear on the
limbs. and the haiF Of hl, head and
plle Is ready Tor one uf the women. and
., Me j. dc,entiy clothed and has iiow
cr> piled ON her. the outline OF her body
ony can IL distinguished The hu>,
band SLOWLY stretches out his right arm.
,hnVcllcd by the heat and. blisiered "A
hofrid sight, his lsg i drawn up, the
flesh being rapldlt eaten aWay u -
scarcely like human member The
;Wo women who all ihis time are lcing
prplted tor the burning are nuw ON
their tsles and ready Tor the fire and
here romcs anoihcr-ihcTc must have
been an unusually heavy death rate
among the softer seN last night With
the body brought down, 4 woman comes.
mourning in low mono tone OF Wailing
and heating her breast; Miscd with her
moaning and the cracking OF the burn.
ing rsle> are the ~lnndS of children
>plashing in the water and their laugh
tel, a. they Tejoicc IA the Young life and
health aud activity.
The arm Of the husband. still stretch
ed out. shows long white streak. The
old mans pile Is in such blaze and he
Is 70 we'll covered that YOU see nothing
Of his body, nothing To tell il Is any
thing more than ! boys bonfire. On
the husbands pile bones and charrcd
and blackened flesh Minglc with the
burning wood. His hand. nov mere
stump, slowly moves upwards. Tor an IN
stni assumes threatening position,
shakes a. though mo,ioning some one
-sz-<--snd- falls of, blazing. into the
midst OF the flame, 10 be lost. The tao
women have started. and begin to burn.
but they crcmaie peacefully, with none
OF the ghastly gestures or blistering of
the husband. Had not been watching
him carefully could not tell the part
of that mass of flame and blackneSs
which was his head, nor scarcely tell his
arms and legs from bits of wood, His
left foot falls of and burns by itself at
the edge Of the pile. and think that
white spot must be his knee. ! could
not get the sight OF the blazing limbs
and head OF the man out OF my mind for
some hours, and every one Siw won
dered how he or she would look in 4
funeral pile.
The same afternoon saw one Of the
celebrated Juggernaut cars. II vas no,
unlike a pulpit, with a roof and on
wheels Itisdragged in professions still,
but the amusemenfS Of natives throwing
themselves under il IS no longer allowed.
This one was Of wood, but later on in
the Sputh OF India wes saw them Of stone ;
in either case quite capable OF crushing
man or two. We saw, too. the Well
Of Fate. down which il YOU look and
are unable to sec your shadow You arc
doomed to death in six months. The
only time 4 shadow is visible is Al noon,
when the sun comes through hold jus,
above the mouth Of the well and pro-
ducef the needed shade. Aswe looked