C H f A P - V.
Ceremony oj" Widows devoting ïheyifelves on the Funeral P iletofl
" their{ HuJèands-y^Mingtè, iB^ctiptioréó^\m^PerSormdn^.^
that, horrid Sdijl/jce^lfp^rney^tpK^^pgpr^ Dejcpp^pmd^.
the.\F<orty É ^ ^ A r r iv h h a t 'Baugl&fibffr— d - h e ’;
- ^PtVpwnes1 ’Mr?tQievgland'thpqügh.a ^ n f oj^hiyrLDijl)
.,. Excellent Conduct* óf^ Mr.t Cleveland id\ fyvil^ing the,\ 'Mqun-
. i )ftaineers— Cugioüs, Sacrvficli'Ali
" W hil e I wa£. purfuing xtty.'prqfeffion^Haijour^'in. Benares;
I received information of ,a ceremony which , was,; to
take place on the banks-onthei river, and which^gr&éïy- ^èxl1
cjted' my curiofity. I had;ioften read and^repf^tèdly heard! of
thatjmofla horrid cuftom amongft, perhaps'-,, ,the mpö: mild
and gentle of the human race, the, Hindoos; tlie; facrijfi.ee’ of
the wifp -qn the death of- the huiband ^; ^nd'- that {byf-r - aiateatis
from which nature feerps: tq ihfipke^yith the, utmofttabLq%-
rence,. by burning. Many inftances of this practice have
been given by travellers ; thofe-whom f-ha-ye-j^et with^qnly
mention it as taking place among the higheft claffes of fo-
clety,, whofe vanity united with fuperftitious prejudices might
have dictated the oircumftance; and I confefs I could not entertain
any other ideas, when I obferved the;,theatrical parade
that feemed to attend it. Mr. Holwell, in his curious work